Open research questions in Island Studies and Pacific Affairs
184 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,509 Island Studies and Pacific Affairs papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The study is limited to a context-specific understanding of islandness in São Tomé & Príncipe. It does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of islandness and smallness on democracy in other contexts.
“Somos Todos Primos” (We’re All Cousins) in São Tomé & Príncipe: Islandness, Closeness, and Democracy in a Small Island State · 2026 · DOIThe concept of islandness is contested and dependent on who is doing the explaining. There is a need for a context-specific understanding of islandness in São Tomé & Príncipe. The study aims to address this gap by exploring how members of parliament perceive the effects of islandness and smallness on their country's democracy.
“Somos Todos Primos” (We’re All Cousins) in São Tomé & Príncipe: Islandness, Closeness, and Democracy in a Small Island State · 2026 · DOIThe international community's rejection of the possibility of statehood enduring notwithstanding total submergence or mass exodus would exacerbate the effects of sea-level rise. There is a need to examine the connection between self-determination and State continuity under international law, with reference to Small Island Developing States.
The paper suggests the need to recognize the emergence of new social, political, and economic forms among existing conditions. It highlights the importance of care as a relational and contextual understanding of justice.
PŪ‘OLO OF HOPE: THE POLITICS OF CARE FROM THE SHORES OF HAWAI‘I TO THE STREETS OF EUROPE · 2025 · DOIThe dominant frameworks are insufficient to address the depth, breadth, and complexity of the challenges faced. There is a need to reimagine social, political, and economic models in response to multiple crises.
PŪ‘OLO OF HOPE: THE POLITICS OF CARE FROM THE SHORES OF HAWAI‘I TO THE STREETS OF EUROPE · 2025 · DOIThe study is based on a single case study in the village of Nairukuruku. The field research was limited to a period of seventeen months. The paper does not provide a comparative analysis of other Fijian chiefdoms.
The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on Caribbean integration, highlighting the need for a comprehensive analysis of the region's economic and political challenges. The paper also identifies a gap in the region's economic development, highlighting the need for a coordinated approach to promote regional integration.
The paper identifies a gap in understanding the causes of high rate of suicides among Indian indentured laborers in Fiji. The scarcity of women on the plantations is highlighted as a key factor.
The complex history between the Marshall Islands and the United States. The significant implications of the Compact for the future of the Marshall Islands. The need for the Marshall Islands to balance their desire for independence with their economic and security needs.
The paper identifies a gap in our understanding of the Marshallese political developments and the implications of the Compact. The rejection of the Compact highlights the need for further research into the relationship between the Marshall Islands and the United States.
The model has only been applied to a situation of culture confrontation between Europeans and Hawaiians. It is not clear how the model might work within society itself.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the politics of place-naming in Vanuatu. The gap is related to the implications of the dispute on the rights and authority of kastom chiefs in a democratic state.
The study is limited to the Fijian periphery, - The data is based on field work and may not be representative of the entire country, - The study does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the economy of Kadavu
Further study of the economy of Kadavu, - Analysis of the impact of the dependency paradigm on the development of the Fijian periphery, - Examination of the potential for diversification of the economy
The paper suggests that future research should focus on developing more nuanced approaches to development that prioritize poverty alleviation and social justice. The paper implies that future research should examine the social and economic impacts of development projects on the poor.
The paper identifies a gap in the literature on development studies, particularly in relation to the social and economic needs of the poor. The paper argues that there is a need for a more nuanced approach to development that takes into account the social and economic needs of the poor.
Balancing Australia's interests with the need for freedom of navigation. Dealing with the claims of developing states to zones of exclusive jurisdiction. Managing the depletion of marine resources.
The development planning efforts in Micronesia have been criticized for being inadequate and not addressing the needs of the local people. The region's diversity and complexity have not been adequately addressed in development planning.
The tendency towards greater primacy makes political decentralization extremely difficult - The lack of social security or welfare systems provides for urban living when an individual is unemployed or has retired
The external factor of dependency alone cannot explain the process of urbanization - There is a need to relate the process of urbanization to the dynamics of the region
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the stranger-king concept in Polynesian philosophy. The paper aims to address this gap by comparing the Polynesian concept to ancient Indo-European civilizations.
The complexity of the social organizations of traditional societies. The limited availability of data on the history of dual divisions. The difficulty of reconstructing the ancestral Austronesian-speaking societies.
Further study of the history of dual divisions in Oceania. Investigation of the significance of dual divisions in other regions. Examination of the relationship between dual divisions and other social organizations.
Further study of the Maldives' history, politics, and economy is needed to understand its position in the world. Analysis of the country's strategic location and its implications for regional and global politics is necessary.
The Maldives is a small island nation with a unique history and strategic location that has not been fully studied. The country's entry into world politics and its implications for regional and global politics are not well understood.
Most-cited papers in Island Studies and Pacific Affairs
- The impact of colonialism on policy and knowledge production in International Relations · International Affairs · 2022 · 71 citations
- Islands of Effective International Adjudication: Constructing an Intellectual Property Rule of Law in the Andean Community · American Journal of International Law · 2009 · 54 citations
- Understanding “Islandness” · Annals of the American Association of Geographers · 2023 · 54 citations
- The multiplicity of Hawaiian sovereignty claims and the struggle for meaningful autonomy · Comparative American Studies An International Journal · 2005 · 53 citations
- A tree of many lives · Hau Journal of Ethnographic Theory · 2020 · 44 citations
- Rising seas, immobilities, and translocality in small island states: case studies from Fiji and Tuvalu · Population and Environment · 2021 · 40 citations
- Indonesia’s 13558 islands: A new census from space and a first step towards a One Map for Small Islands Policy · Marine Policy · 2021 · 35 citations
- Towards a geographical account of shame: Foodbanks, austerity, and the spaces of austere affective governmentality · Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers · 2020 · 28 citations
- “The impulse is cartographic”: Counter‐Mapping Indonesia’s Resource Frontiers in the Context of Coloniality · Antipode · 2020 · 24 citations
- He waka eke noa/we are all in the same boat: A framework for co-governance from aotearoa New Zealand · Marine Policy · 2020 · 22 citations
Most recent work
- Rationalisation versus revitalisation: neoliberal capitalism and language revival in the Isle of Man · International Journal of the Sociology of Language · 2026
- The challenge with defining social work in Fiji · Qualitative Social Work · 2026
- “Somos Todos Primos” (We’re All Cousins) in São Tomé & Príncipe: Islandness, Closeness, and Democracy in a Small Island State · Island Studies Journal · 2026
- Why Australia’s cuts to news services in the Indo-Pacific are a failure of soft diplomacy · 2026
- Legislating in the Common Interest – The Legal Implications of the Åland Islands Autonomy Regime · Nordic Journal of International Law · 2026
- Practicing Relationality in the International Relations Academy: a Pacific Framing · International Studies Perspectives · 2026
- Responding to the intersecting challenges of non-communicable diseases, food insecurity, and climate change in small island states: the Global Community Food and Health Project · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2026
- Decolonising Education in the Pacific: Balancing National Identity and Global Competencies in Fiji’s Education System · International Journal of Social Sciences, Language and Linguistics · 2026
- Performing Change: Anti-Violence Video Production with Communities in Papua New Guinea · Visual Anthropology · 2026
- Indigenous narratives as enablers of policy change: the Saami Council’s productive engagement for improving EU policies · Journal of International Relations and Development · 2026
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