Navigating Through The Fog: Reflexive Accounts on Researching China’s Digital Surveillance, Censorship, and Other Sensitive Topics

Researching China’s sensitive topics, such as digital surveillance and censorship,
exposes scholars to mounting challenges including difficult field
and internet access to quality information, scrutiny and security of
research participants and researchers, and positionality amidst geopolitical
tensions. This article presents self-reflexive accounts from six scholars
of diverse backgrounds, fields, and career stages who work through varied
methods, positionalities, and epistemic approaches. We share our
research journeys’ challenges and coping strategies to aid scholars,
beyond China or digital surveillance and censorship. We propose that
reflexivity is essential for scholarly work on contentious or opaque topics;
that the China studies research community should organize knowledge
sharing and cross-training; and that academia should create emotional
support structures for researchers who encounter surveillance and
restrictions.