area, ethnicity, or sect may be more likely to identify one party to the conflict as the perpetrator due to their political beliefs or previous experiences, including experiences that pre-date the conflict. Being conscious of these characteristics is critical for properly targeting questions without stereotyping or stigmatizing respondents. If members of the relevant communities are not directly involved in your work, try to find someone from the community that can advise you and your team about the dynamics.12  Sensitivity Discussing and documenting abuses has the potential for serious consequences for individual respondents, their families, and their communities at large. Sensitivity must be exercised by the documentation team at all stages of the documentation process, and the documentation team must take care not to make assumptions about respondents based on their membership in a particular ethnic or religious group. Where possible, training should be undertaken on the kinds of harm that may be experienced in the course of documentation. At the very least, steps should be taken to guard against the risk of re-traumatization (discussed in Section C.II). Moreover, many respondents will feel the need to share with you intimate experiences or thoughts related to their situation but not necessarily relevant to your documentation. It is essential to be open to listening and avoid interruption or expressing signs of impatience or indifference.  Exercise good judgment and be persistent, consistent, and patient Interviewers must aim to be professional, polite, and knowledgeable; maintain a non-judgmental, objective demeanor; and communicate complicated issues clearly. Interviewers should try to commit as many questions as possible to memory, as maintaining eye contact and a good rapport with the respondent are critical. When documenting human rights abuses, you may encounter unanticipated circumstances, such as respondent discomfort or even hostility. It is important that you recognize when to terminate or pause during an interview, and to always adhere to the do no harm principle and the need to respect the project’s mandate, and use your best judgment.13 Collecting reliable information can be a long, difficult process requiring persistence, flexibility, and patience.14 Good judgment is also required when evaluating whether or not testimony is credible. This is discussed further in Section C.II.2.4.  Seek consultation Regularly debriefing with your team will allow you to continuously evaluate the documentation process and identify early patterns or gaps. You may also find that you need to seek outside expertise, e.g. legal advice or military expertise, about the implications of some aspect of the documentation process. For example, outside expertise may be necessary to understand the nomenclature of the weapons and arms mentioned during the interview. It may be prudent to write down the exact terms used by the respondent and to then confer with an expert. The 6