Reflecting on the methodological, ethical, and epistemic challenges of researching drones in African battlespaces

Abstract

This article critically reflects on the methodological, ethical, and practical challenges of researching drone deployments in African conflict zones. Drawing on insights from the recently published volume, Drones in the African Battlespaces, it explores how secrecy, fragmented data, geopolitical entanglements, and physical risk complicate empirical research in these settings. The proliferation of drones, used by states, foreign powers, rebels, and contractors, blurs the line between domestic and international conflict and demands interdisciplinary approaches. Researchers must navigate opaque operational environments, verify contested information, and manage the risks of fieldwork and digital surveillance. Ethical dilemmas are intensified by the dual-use nature of drones and the difficulty of attributing civilian harm. The article advocates for reflexive, multi-method research strategies that account for the epistemic and normative constraints of studying drone warfare in Africa. These reflections are intended to equip researchers with a more reflexive, multi- method toolkit for studying drone warfare under conditions of secrecy, data fragmentation, and physical risk, and to clarify the epistemic limits of what can responsibly be claimed about such operations. By thematising these constraints, the article advances methodological debates in conflict research and offers a conceptual map for scholars designing empirically grounded studies of drone warfare in Africa.