| Academic Publications |
These are research articles, usually written by academics or practitioners outside of academia, and published in academic journals such as Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Journal of Refugee Studies, Migration Studies and Forced Migration Review. These can be found on Google Scholar and accessed through open access repositories. The advantages of this medium are that articles are always peer-reviewed which guarantees high quality and reliable research; findings are embedded in a literature review or state-of-the-art; there is more attention to methodology and the biases associated with the data collection and analytical strategy; and there is greater focus on the processes or mechanisms explaining the relationships in quantitative data. The limitations are that the peer review process slows down the publishing process; academic jargon makes the research less accessible to non-technical audiences; and publishing houses charge costly open-access fees. |
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Reports, Handbooks, and Studies |
These are usually written by international organizations, regional economic organizations, NGOs or thinks tanks. Examples of these include the IOM’s World Migration Report (IOM, 2020), UNODC’s Global Reports on Trafficking in Persons (UNODC, 2022) and the European Migration Network’s Annual Report on Migration and Asylum (EMN, 2022). The advantages of reports and handbooks are that they are timely and published on the regular basis; freely accessible to most individuals; usually include a list of recommendations and suggestions for policymakers and practitioners; and provide real-life illustrations of the key messages through best practices, case studies or testimonies. The limitations are that they are usually limited to descriptive statistics; tend to have a much broader focus; can be quite lengthy and time-consuming to prepare; and often do not make links to previous research and knowledge on the subject. |
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Policy Papers and Policy Briefs |
Policy briefs and policy papers are usually published by a broad range of actors, but often associated with the publications of think tanks and international organizations such as the Migration Policy Institute, the OECD, and the International Centre for Migration Policy and Development. A policy brief is a concise summary of a particular issue, the policy options to deal with it and some recommendations on the best option. It is aimed at government policymakers and others who are interested in formulating or influencing policy. An advocacy brief argues in favour of a particular course of action while an objective brief gives balanced information for the policymaker to make up his or her mind (FAO, 2011). The advantages of policy briefs or policy papers are that they are generally short and concise; policy- and action-oriented focused on a single topic; and written in an accessible way. The limitations are that they are sometimes more oriented towards advocacy and awareness-raising than towards presenting evidence-based solutions; vary in quality and credibility; and provide limited information about the data informing the recommendations. |
| Blog Posts |
Blog posts or social media posts are usually written by academics, international organizations or political parties. This medium is a useful way of drawing attention to recent research and data. Examples of blogs in the field of migration studies include those set up by the Big Data 4 Migration Alliance, the University of Oxford Centre on Migration Policy and Society, and the International Migration Research Network. The advantages of blog posts are that they are short and concise; allow for interaction with and feedback from users; are relevant and timely; and increase the visibility of research and data activities. The limitations are that their quality and credibility vary; they are additional to the actual research and therefore time-consuming; the writing style tends to vary across posts; and they may encourage oversimplification of the key messages. |