Methodological Innovations in Undocumented Migration Studies

Over the past three decades, we’ve witnessed the growth of border walls and the criminalization of unauthorized migrants. And in political science, as in other social sciences, the study of migration has evolved into two distinct subfields: one focusing on the flow of people across borders, and the other investigating the lives and experiences of immigrants in their new homes. The field is rife with methodological challenges, from access to data from the governments regulating migration flows, to the protection of vulnerable populations who have been displaced. The latter includes refugees but also undocumented immigrants, who either cross borders without authorization or become undocumented after their travel documents expire or their asylum claims are rejected. By nature, the field of undocumented migration studies has long been more limited in terms of methods than that of migration studies, due to the precarious status of these immigrants and the potential danger of exposing them through research. As a result, the field of undocumented migration studies has long relied on a few methods of sampling and data collection, relying primarily on ethnographic studies and in-person interviews.

Yet, in the past thirty years, technological advancements have changed the way we live, work, and communicate. Political scientists and other researchers have incorporated these changes into their work, particularly in the field of undocumented migration studies. Scholars can now conduct interviews across continents and they can collect data from social media platforms. Sophisticated secondary data analyses allow us to estimate the impact of policies on undocumented populations. Data analysis packages are now available for free online. Crucially, undocumented (and formerly undocumented) immigrants themselves have become investigators in the field, raising questions of ethics and authenticity in research. Undocumented immigrants also increasingly collaborate with scholars in participatory action research, with important epistemological takeaways.

The main goal of this Research Topic is to provide an overview of the various methodological innovations that have been implemented in the study of undocumented immigrants and migration in the last thirty years. We seek to highlight both innovative methods of sampling, data collection, and data analysis, as well as the inclusion of new groups and geographical areas as research subjects. We also look to provide insight into the participation of undocumented immigrants themselves in the research process and its impact on the field.

We welcome manuscripts addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Innovative research methods on undocumented immigrants and undocumented migration, including sampling, data collection, data analysis, and research diffusion.
• The inclusion of previously under-studied groups as research participants.
• The conduct of research in previously inaccessible or seldom included geographical areas.
• Advances in comparative methodologies including but not limited to multisite and transnational research, and cross-national and international comparisons
• The development and growth of participatory action research, and its impact on the field.
• The increased participation of undocumented immigrants themselves in the research process as investigators.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Registered Report
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Undocumented migration, Innovative research methods, Participatory action research, Data collection and analysis, Migration studies, Refugees and displaced populations

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.