Research Like a Diplomat — The MUN Research Method

Research Is the Foundation of Everything

There is a saying in competitive MUN circles: "The delegate who wins the conference wins it at home, not in the committee room."

This is true. The hours you spend before a conference — reading, analyzing, synthesizing, and organizing — determine your ceiling in committee. No amount of charisma or improvisation can compensate for not knowing your subject. Conversely, deep, well-organized research transforms an average speaker into a formidable delegate, because they always have something substantive to say.

This article gives you a systematic, professional-grade research method for MUN preparation. Not just "where to look" — but how to think about information, how to evaluate sources, and how to structure your knowledge so it is immediately deployable in committee.

The Research Cycle: An Overview

MUN research is not a single step — it is a cycle of progressive depth:

Read Background Guide → Survey the Issue Broadly → 
Research Your Country's Stance → Study Past UN Action → 
Analyze Stakeholder Positions → Develop Solutions → 
Organize & Document

Each stage builds on the previous. Do not skip stages. Delegates who jump straight to "what should the resolution say?" before understanding the historical context of the issue consistently produce shallow, exploitable clauses that experienced delegates will tear apart in committee.

Step 1: Read the Background Guide (Study Guide) — Completely

The background guide is provided by the conference's academic team. It is your primary orientation document, and it has been written by people who have already spent time researching the agenda. Treat it as a gift.

What the background guide typically contains:

• A definition and history of the agenda topic
• Relevant past UN action (past resolutions, conventions, Secretary-General reports)
• Analysis of different blocs' or regions' positions
• Possible areas for debate and solution frameworks
• A recommended research sources list

How to use it effectively:

• Read it once for comprehension.
• Read it a second time with a highlighter and annotation pen, marking things relevant to your country.
• Make a list of gaps — things the background guide mentions but doesn't fully explain, which you need to research independently.
• Note every UN resolution, convention, or treaty mentioned. You will need to look those up.

Warning: The background guide is your starting point, not your ending point. Delegates who research only from the background guide will be outcompeted by those who go deeper. It is a scaffold, not a ceiling.

Step 2: Survey the Agenda Issue Broadly

Before diving into your country's specific position, build a broad understanding of the issue itself. You need to understand the problem as a global issue before you can meaningfully represent one country's perspective on it.

At this stage, you can use any reputable source:

• News articles (BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Economist, Foreign Policy)
• YouTube explanations of complex topics
• Wikipedia for initial orientation (but never cite Wikipedia in committee — treat it as a map, not the destination)
• Academic overview articles

Break the agenda into components. For example, if the agenda is "Addressing the Illicit Arms Trade," your sub-questions might include:

• What is the scale of the illicit arms trade globally?
• What are the main supply chains? Who manufactures? Who trafficks?
• Who are the primary victims? Where are the conflict zones with highest small arms prevalence?
• What legal frameworks already exist? (Arms Trade Treaty, UN Programme of Action on SALW, etc.)
• Why have existing frameworks failed?

The 6W framework is useful here:

Applying the 6W framework to your research produces a genuinely comprehensive understanding of any agenda topic.

Step 3: Research Your Country's Specific Stance

Now apply the broad understanding you've built to your specific country assignment. This is where Article 3's country profile framework meets your agenda research.

Three core questions to answer:

1. What is my country's official position on this issue?
2. What has my country done about this issue in the past? (domestically and at the UN)
3. What does my country want to happen going forward?

Primary sources for your country's stance:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs website — The official source for your government's positions. Most have English versions or press releases in English.
• Official speeches at the UN — The UN General Assembly General Debate records all member states' annual statements. These are goldmines of official foreign policy language.
• UN Official Document System (ODS) — Search your country's name alongside your agenda topic to find statements made in committee, letters to the Secretary-General, and co-sponsorship of resolutions.
• Your country's national news agency — State news agencies (BBC for UK, USAGM for USA, Xinhua for China, TASS for Russia, Dawn for Pakistan, etc.) reflect official government communication. They are considered valid sources in committee.

Critical note: Different countries have different standards for what constitutes a valid source. When you cite a fact or statistic in committee, be prepared to state its source. UN official documents and Reuters are universally accepted. Wikipedia is not. Your country's own government website is always valid for statements of policy.

Step 4: Examine Relevant Regulations and Treaty Commitments

Has your country signed and ratified relevant international conventions?

This matters enormously. If your country has ratified the Arms Trade Treaty, you cannot argue against arms export controls without appearing hypocritical. If your country has signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), you cannot advocate for nuclear proliferation. Treaty commitments create legal obligations that your country — and therefore your delegation — must honor.

Where to find treaty information:

• UN Treaty Collection — Comprehensive database of all multilateral treaties deposited with the UN
• Your country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
• Wikipedia's country article (for orientation only — verify with official sources)

Also examine:

• Has your country faced UN sanctions? This affects its standing in negotiations.
• Has your country been the subject of UN investigatory bodies? (e.g., OHCHR investigations, IAEA safeguards cases)
• Is your country party to regional agreements relevant to the agenda?

Step 5: Study Past UN Action on the Topic

This step is critical and often neglected by beginner delegates. The United Nations has been active on virtually every major global issue for decades. Before your committee debates a solution, it needs to acknowledge what has already been tried.

What to look for:

• Past UN General Assembly resolutions on the topic (cite by number: e.g., A/RES/75/282)
• Past Security Council resolutions (cite as UNSCR 2250, UNSCR 1325, etc.)
• Reports of the Secretary-General on the topic
• Past conventions and treaties adopted under UN auspices
• Outcomes of major UN conferences or summits (e.g., COP decisions, Sustainable Development Goals)

Why it matters in committee:

• Your preambulatory clauses will Recall, Recognizing, or Reaffirming these past actions.
• Your operative clauses must not contradict or ignore them — or you must explicitly explain why you are departing from them.
• Other delegates will cite past UN action in their speeches; knowing it allows you to engage substantively rather than being caught off-guard.

Research tip: Use the UN Bibliographic Information System (UNBIS) to search resolutions by topic. Use "resolution" search filters on the ODS to find documents. For background on major conventions, the International Law Library of the UN is excellent.

Step 6: Analyze P5 Positions and Key Stakeholder Stances

The P5 nations — the USA, UK, France, Russia, and China — shape the parameters of what is achievable at the UN. No resolution that fundamentally violates a P5 nation's core interests will pass the Security Council. Even in the General Assembly, P5 positions heavily influence bloc dynamics.

For each of the five P5 nations, determine:

• What is their official position on your agenda topic?
• Have they co-sponsored or opposed past resolutions on this topic?
• What are their strategic interests in the outcome?
• Are there any P5 vs. P5 divisions on this issue (e.g., USA/UK/France against Russia/China)?

Then identify the primary stakeholder states — the nations most directly affected by the issue — and the secondary stakeholders who have significant but derivative interests.

Example: In a committee on child soldiers, the primary stakeholders are states with active armed conflicts involving minors (DRC, South Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar). Secondary stakeholders include major arms suppliers, donor states funding peacekeeping operations, and states hosting refugees from those conflicts.

Step 7: Develop and Evaluate Possible Solutions

Research is not just about understanding the problem — it is about being ready to propose credible, actionable solutions. This is what separates delegates who inform the committee from delegates who lead it.

Potential solution sources:

• UN Secretary-General Reports — Often contain explicit recommendations. These are authoritative, widely cited, and excellent foundation for operative clauses.
• Think tanks — Organizations like RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Chatham House produce detailed policy analyses and solution proposals. They are higher quality than news articles but more accessible than academic papers. Be aware of ideological slant.
• Academic papers — More rigorous than think tanks, but often more technical. Useful for supporting data points and statistical claims.
• NGO reports — Organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Doctors Without Borders produce country-level reports on specific issues with concrete recommendations.

Apply the 6W framework to each proposed solution:

Every solution in your draft resolution should be able to answer all six of these questions. A clause that cannot answer "how" or "who" is vague — and vague clauses get amended or rejected.

Step 8: Compile and Organize Your Research

This final step is often skipped by busy delegates and then paid for during conference. Research that is not organized is not useful.

Recommended organization structure:

Research Binder / Google Drive Folder
│
├── 1_Country_Profile.docx
├── 2_Agenda_Overview.docx
├── 3_Country_Stance_on_Agenda.docx
├── 4_Past_UN_Action_and_Resolutions.docx
├── 5_Key_Stakeholder_Positions.docx
├── 6_Proposed_Solutions.docx
├── 7_Sources_and_Citations.docx
└── 8_Speeches_and_Draft_Clauses.docx

For the conference itself, print everything. Highlight key passages. Know which tab to turn to when another delegate challenges a fact you've cited.

Evaluating Sources: A Critical Framework

In MUN, not all sources are equal. Here is a tiered hierarchy:

Tier 1: Primary Sources (Always Valid)

• UN Official Documents (ODS)
• Government websites and official press releases (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Presidential communications)
• UN treaty texts
• ICJ and ICC judgments
• National legislation and constitutions

Tier 2: High-Quality Secondary Sources (Widely Accepted)

• Reuters, BBC, Associated Press (wire services — known for factual, low-bias reporting)
• The Economist, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs
• Academic journals (peer-reviewed)
• Major think tanks: Brookings, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment, RAND, ICG

Tier 3: Useful but Verify

• National newspapers (New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde — watch for editorial slant)
• Regional outlets (Al Jazeera, South China Morning Post, The Hindu)
• NGO reports (credible organizations; note advocacy agenda)
• UN specialized agency reports (UNDP, UNICEF, WHO — highly credible within mandate)

Tier 4: Reference Only, Never Cite

• Wikipedia (use as orientation only; trace its footnotes to primary sources)
• Personal blogs and advocacy websites
• Social media

In committee: If a delegate challenges the credibility of a source you cited, calmly state its tier. "The delegation of Bangladesh draws this data from a 2023 OHCHR thematic report, available in the UN's official document system." That is unassailable. "The delegation drew this from an article it found online" is not.

The Importance of Past Treaties, Conventions, and Resolutions

References to existing international documents are the skeleton of effective MUN speeches and resolutions. They serve three functions:

1. Establishing your country's stance — If your country voted for Resolution X, you are bound to be consistent with it. If it voted against, you can explain why.
2. Justifying your proposed solutions — Building on existing frameworks is more credible (and more realistic) than proposing entirely new ones.
3. Strengthening your position under challenge — When another delegate says "that will never work," you can counter with "Resolution 1325 demonstrated that this mechanism works; it has been implemented in 58 countries since 2000."

Action speaks louder than words: if your country's leadership has not clearly articulated a position on your topic, infer it from how your country voted on past resolutions and treaties. Voting records are publicly available and are considered authoritative evidence of policy positions.

Recommended Research Sources by Category

General International Affairs

• Foreign Policy: www.foreignpolicy.com
• Council on Foreign Relations: www.cfr.org
• The Economist: www.economist.com
• Brookings Institution: www.brookings.edu
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: carnegieendowment.org
• Chatham House: www.chathamhouse.org
• Atlantic Council: www.atlanticcouncil.org

UN Documentation

• UN Official Document System: documents.un.org
• UN News: news.un.org
• UN Treaty Collection: treaties.un.org
• International Law Library: legal.un.org

Country Research

• CIA World Factbook: www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook
• International Crisis Group: www.crisisgroup.org
• Council on Foreign Relations Country Profiles: www.cfr.org

Economic Research

• World Bank Data: data.worldbank.org
• International Monetary Fund: www.imf.org
• Financial Times: www.ft.com

Human Rights

• Human Rights Watch: www.hrw.org
• Amnesty International: www.amnesty.org
• OHCHR: www.ohchr.org

Academic

• Google Scholar: scholar.google.com
• JSTOR: www.jstor.org
• Columbia International Affairs Online: www.ciaonet.org

Final Research Checklist

Before the conference, confirm:

• [ ] I have read the background guide completely (twice)
• [ ] I understand the agenda issue in its full historical and political context
• [ ] I know my country's official, current position on this agenda
• [ ] I have checked my country's voting record on past related resolutions
• [ ] I have identified relevant treaties my country has or has not ratified
• [ ] I know the positions of the P5 and the major stakeholder states
• [ ] I have developed at least 3–5 concrete, actionable solution proposals
• [ ] I have applied the 6W framework to each solution to check for gaps
• [ ] My research is organized into a binder or structured digital folder
• [ ] I have pre-written outlines for my opening speech and at least two moderated caucus speeches
• [ ] All my sources are verifiable and at Tier 1 or Tier 2

A delegate who completes this checklist walks into committee with confidence — because they know they have done the work. The speeches, the negotiations, the clauses will all flow from this foundation.