Methodologies and work plan

Phase 1: Developing research network and planning research implementation

Each country partner will prepare a proposal for the research they wish to undertake within the programme. Other activities for the first phase include:

• Studying historical and current literature on migration from the country.

• Analysing existing studies and data sets (e.g., the surveys the World Bank is currently conducting in cooperation with national authorities)

• Writing papers containing detailed country migration profiles, reviewing all data and studies available on migration from, to and through the case study countries.

• Exchange visits of researchers to exchange information, discuss methods and help build research capacities.

• Conducting pilot studies in preparation for Phase 2.

Phase 2: Case studies

The second phase will be dedicated to empirical field research in each of the four countries. The case studies will be led by research teams from the partner universities with support from the IMI team.

Depending on the specific research questions, a combination of qualitative and quantitative empirical research (surveys, non-directive interviews, life histories and participant observation) will be employed.

Phase 3: Data analysis, writing up, workshop and dissemination

Phase 3 will be dedicated to analysing data, writing up the research results and disseminating findings. This will include individual country reports, a synthesis report, working papers, journal articles and policy briefs.

During this phase, researchers participating in the African Perspectives on Human Mobility Programme will present their findings at relevant international academic conferences and workshops with practitioners and policy-makers.

At the end of the programme, IMI will convene an international workshop on southern perspectives on international migration, including African researchers and participants from migration research networks in Asia-Pacific and Latin America in order to compare empirical and theoretical findings.

Throughout the three year period, the programme will:

• distribute e-mail bulletins summarising activities and results of the MacArthur funded African Perspectives on Human Mobility Programme among the members of IMI’s African Migration Network and a wider audience consisting of interested academics, policy makers, NGOs, and so on.

• facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas and contacts between African researchers will be facilitated through collaborative research, seminars, workshops, internships and academic exchange in concordance with IMI’s African migration programme

• develop a platform for the dissemination of African migration research through a project website, email bulletins (specifically geared towards a non-academic audience), support for participation in international conferences and workshops.