4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This study undertook a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used. Semi-structured interview questionnaires with both closed and open-ended questions were used to solicit information from the respondents. An interview guide was also used to collect data from key informant interviews while focus group discussions were used in areas where either survey questionnaires or interviews could not be conducted. Target participants drawn from either in HZT programming areas or in areas where partner organisations operate were identified based on their expertise, leadership position, awareness of Zimbabwe’s history and understanding of past human rights violations and or direct experience of violence. These participants included ordinary citizens, youths, women, civic society leaders, political parties’ representatives, churches leaders, war veterans, traditional leaders, traditional healers, University students and lecturers and business leaders. Drawing participants from across these socio-economic and political groups made the study views reflective of various sectoral peace and reconciliation issues. The study sample involved Zimbabweans above the age of 18 years from 44 districts out of possible 59 districts in Zimbabwe’s 10 administrative provinces. Responses examined were from 613 people: 500 respondents were reached through semi-structured questionnaires while 113 people were individually interviewed using an interview guide. The 500 survey respondents involved 277 males (55.4%) and 223 females (44.6%) who were wither randomly or purposively selected. The 113 interview respondents (72 males and 41 females) were conveniently interviewed based on their expertise in peace and reconciliation processes, leadership position, popular opinion-making or their lived experiences in Zimbabwe. In addition to survey questionnaire administration and 16 RECONCILIATION PROCESSES IN ZIMBABWE interviews, four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in Lupane, Tsholotsho, Masvingo and Plumtree. These areas were difficult to administer individual questionnaires as some locals were afraid to speak individually because of their lived experiences with violence. The target population elements were first divided into clusters based on geographical location and stakeholder groups such as women, youths and war veterans, among others then the respondents were randomly selected for interviews. Recruitment of respondents per province was, however, unevenly distributed with the highest number of 116 participants coming from Harare Metropolitan province whilst the lowest was in Matabeleland South where only three participants were interviewed. The uneven distribution of participants affected fair representation of views geographically as observed in Matabeleland South, for example, where only three participants were interviewed. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select focus group participants in areas where it was difficult to interview individuals. The data collection period stretched from June 2016 to June 2017.