As the project progresses, the type of work we are involved in changes. Initially, there were assignments that involved establishing a historical and theoretical background for the analysis of IDP experiences in Georgia. These assignments ranged from picking up books at the library, summarizing books, and analyzing demographic data for the subjects that were interviewed. Soon enough, the work shifted towards things that were essential for the construction of the book that the project aims to produce. My fellow research assistant and I worked to create a database of references and citations in an online program called RefWorks.

Currently, our work involves the very crux of the project: the experiences of IDPs and other individuals in Georgia. The research team went overseas to interview subjects, and we are now analyzing the interviews. The analysis centers on a process called coding, in which we separate the ideas and thoughts expressed in the interviews by their topic. This way, if we wish to obtain an overall picture of how subjects feel about the government's role in improving the situation of IDPs, we can easily look at all the statements made that relate to this aspect of personal opinion.

Previously, we compiled quotes through a tedious process of cutting and pasting into documents that were collections of quotes separated by topic. Now, we use a program called Atlas TI where we can highlight a passage and assign a topic-oriented label. Atlas TI also allows us to organize the interviews by demographics, which allows for one to analyze the general trends in sentiment expressed by one group or people who belong to a series of particular groups.

This process is continuing, and I will update as things progress. In addition to interview coding, we also wrote abstracts to describe our projects. Here is the abstract that my partner and I have written for our current project. This serves as a succinct summary of our project and our objectives:

Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, ethnic separatism and political disintegration in Georgia has resulted in the internal displacement of many people. Despite the aid aimed at rectifying the dire situation facing IDPs, many of them remain displaced for long periods of time. This project will investigate the livelihood strategies and social networks of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The project will also analyze how the lives of internally displaced persons are affected by the policies of governmental and non-governmental organizations, and determine whether or not the livelihood strategies and social networks constructed by these people are the direct product of these policies. Also, a comparison will be made between the lives of the displaced and those of the ordinary population in order to find if they utilize similar strategies and social networks in post-war situations. Information will be gathered by asking a set of interview questions to individuals from the displaced population, the general population, and individuals active within government and non-governmental organizations. After analyzing the content of the interviews, it may be possible to evaluate the wants and needs of the displaced and general populations, determine whether or not government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are meeting these needs, and discuss what sort of solutions provide the best remedies for those who have been adversely affected by war. Criticisms of aid efforts by individuals may show where the actions of the government and NGOs are lacking and yield information on how to better approach the situation.

This is all for now, and I will update as our work progresses.

First Post!

Good morning ladies and gentlemen! This blog is a portal into the world of working on a research project as an undergraduate at Rutgers University. Through the good graces of the Aresty Research Center, I have been assigned to a research project currently underway within the Center for European Studies. This type of experience is fairly rare for undergraduates. In most universities, the research teams are staffed by professors and post-doctorates. Any other research tends to be done by graduate students, and undergraduates tend to be locked out of research opportunities.

However, the Aresty Research Center allows professors to submit requests for undergraduate research assistants, and arranges for students to fill those positions if they wish to. I submitted an application, and had the good luck to be assigned to the Center for European Studies. My current project centers on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Georgia, and how gender affects their experiences as they find ways to survive after being dislocated by war. As this blog continues, you will not only get a better picture of what's going on within the project, but you will also see what sort of assignments Aresty Research Assistants receive.

But for now, you will have to be satisfied with that. This lowly undergraduate has to go to physics lecture x_x Later, dudes!