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was diverse but included governance themes such as purpose, caliber of the state, conduct of the war
and public policy. More questions emerged from the field work and clarification offered on the same
with regards to controversial issues of transition and independence. The researcher had developed a

rapport with the informants long before the field work and had easy access to the informants and relevant
foundational documents. National liberation movements are usually surrounded by a cloud of secrecy
and self-justification and therefore a structured interview is always inadequate. Oral interviews were
used to supplement documents from the middle level informants who participated in the struggle. Key

informants are the architects of the movement and carry its mission, strategies and vision. In addition,
policies are produced through images, actions and speeches made in public or private conversations.
Many of the issues they raised are not documented and their oral contribution and confidential input
helped the researcher understand the context of the struggle and how certain decision were taken. The

key informants proved valuable with the information they provided that enriched my understanding
of SPLM/A. The research approach was informed by theoretical approach employed and the context
of the struggle. The information provided from the in depth interviews led to establishment of the
thematic areas to determine the manner and nature of the struggle in answering the research question.

3.5 Data Analysis

Since this was a qualitative research, data collection and analysis was concurrent. The process began
with the transcribing of the tape-recorded interviews and analysis of field notes. This was followed

by coding and categorizing data as per the themes identified. The identification of these categories
was systematic and was informed by the objectives and the theoretical prepositions of the study.
Data from the interviews was corroborated with written documents such as reports and books for

accuracy, elimination of inconsistencies and biases. In other cases, new information emerged from the
informants on key thematic areas.

3.6 Ethical Considerations

The researcher obtained a permit from the South Sudanese National Council of Science, Technology
and Research. The researcher then visited several potential respondents of the study in order to establish
affinity and acquaintance. Other considerations included but not limited to:

• Securing informed consent from the research participants before involving them.

• Assuring informants of confidentiality, that information obtained would only be used for the
specified research purposes only.

• Respecting respondent’s right to withdrawal at any point of the research study

• Giving respondents dignified treatment during the research

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