The study mostly employed a qualitative data collection method. Qualitative method is a method of inquiry which involves collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data through observing what people do and say (David & D. Sutton, 2004:35). It is significantly interested in the point of view of the studied individuals, the detailed elucidation of context, the sensitivity to the process which can be attributed to the roots of social science and on the idea of causality (Bryman 2003:58-59). Qualitative data collection method conventionally embodies an interview (unstructured or semi structured), participant observation, oral/life histories and document analysis (Blaike 2010:205). Although an-in-depth interviewing was chiefly used, all the four techniques were employed which is meant significantly to explore opinions, experience, feelings and knowledge of sampled participants in depth. Altogether, it
13 Probability sampling method is essentially blind to people's attributes and allows each person in the population to have an equal chance to participate and findings are more likely to reflect properly the whole population (Blaike, 2010:172-3).
14 In non-probability sampling, participants are selected purposefully. It is more convenient, less time consuming and less costly but it faces shortages in generalizing the entire population. It is interestingly preferable for gathering in-depth data from a relatively small number of cases and suitably be conducted with individuals or focus groups chosen purposefully to explore the facts deeply from the population of interest (Keeter, 2005:155).
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is meant to construct the research within particular historical, socio-economic and political contexts of the Saho people.
5.1 In-depth Interviews
The main objective of data collection process is to gather an in-depth understanding of informant's behaviour, and the reasons that governs such behaviour. Moreover, it was employed with the aim of producing a picture of the interviewee as a person with their own way of understanding the research theme. An in-depth interviewing, as the main part of data collection process, was generally performed with individual victims, eye witness, knowledgeable persons, politicians, teachers and students. It was conducted into two different forms: face-to-face personal interview and group-focused interview.
Face-to-face personal interview was employed largely. Interestingly, conducting face-to-face personal interview is more ideal and effective and is more likely to solicit cooperation than any other kinds such as group interview, telephone interviewer or via mail or e-mail. On the other hand, the relationship that a face-to-face interviewer can establish with correspondent is stronger and can obtain a longer and more flexible time of interview and significantly, the respondents are relatively more serious and attentive (Keeter, 2005:154).
In a social research, individual victims or witnesses usually interviewed in order to to recount their personal life experience, share their perceptions about the process they were involved in and the changes they have noticed. This is what Blaike called oral/life history interviewing (2010:207). I have conducted face-to-face personal in-depth interview with great importance in life history approach, which is focused on particularly sensitive part of their life. It was performed with two direct victims of the regime.
Face-to-face personal interview also included eye witnesses of certain events and mainly connected to massacre committed against the Saho people in 2009. The eye witnesses were one from the Saho, a direct victim and eyewitness and another one is from the Tigrigna people who were at the place during the massacre. I also succeeded to have a formal conversation with one junior former regime officer who has defected and lives in Ethiopia.
Similarly, intensive face-to-face personal interviewing was also conducted with knowledgeable people, politicians, teachers and students.
I have also adopted group focused in-depth interviews in different circumstances. It was a carefully planned discussion designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive environment (Blaike 2010:207). The interview held with two SPDM members in Addis Ababa and two in Adi-grat town. While such an interview, deep discussion
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and interaction in a free mood were involved. Very interestingly, respondents supported, provoked, and inspired each other through memorizing and recounting information further, deeper and wider. Similarly, a group focused interview was conducted with some refugees in the Shemelba refugee camp but in a different mode. Because of security reasons, the interview was conducted in informal non-directive conversational and discussion mode. Here the interviewees did not even know that an interview is taking place. It was meant to avoid any risk that may come from security apparatus in the highly securitized camp (Gray, 2004:217).
A telephonic and Skype interview was an additional way used. Despite considerable restrictions, telephone interview has an advantage over other modes in terms of speed, cost and quality control (Gary, 2004:232). But it is problematic to have a prolonged interview on telephone and the absence of visual and emotional communication. I used this mode with some Eritrean Saho in diaspora, mainly in Europe and the Middle-East who could enrich my information (Keeter 2005:157).
5.2 Participant Observation
Side by side to interviewing, observation was another task of data processing. By participant observation we mean, apart from covert electronic surveillance, there are some areas of social life which can be studied naturalistically only by the researcher becoming a member of closed social group (Gomm 2004:22). Observation involves systematic viewing of people's actions, recording and interpretation of their behaviour (ibib: 226).
Sharing particular social characteristics (e.g. gender, age, and ethnicity) or previous experiences to the targeted population is so crucial in order the researcher to observe and understand the situation more effectively. In my case, being a native Saho speaker was a remarkable advantage. My observation is not limited to the field study, as I do share many experiences and observations with the people being studied over a long period of a time (Denscobme 2003:84). Therefore, I became easily immersed into the research setting as a researcher to undertake covert observation. It was so effective to produce a picture of their real life (Blaike 2010:206). My observation task was undeclared and unknown to participants, as they may change their behaviour after they knew observation was taking place (Gray, 2004:239). In a general sense, it was conducted in a comfortable manner which reflected positively and helped me to discover their experiences, feeling and understandings easily and sensibly (Gomm 2004:226).
18 5.3 Document Analysis
Documents are a highly important source of data in qualitative research methods (Blaike 2010:207). Although there is scarcity in written documents about the Saho people, analysing available document of interest have benn part of data collection techniques.
6. Reflections and Challenges