Her research examines organizational behavior and social change during and following war. Focusing predominantly on the Middle East and North Africa, she uses social network analysis and ethnographic methods to study the ways that groups such as militant organizations, political parties, and civil society associations cope with crisis, disruption, and fragmentation. She has conducted extensive fieldwork among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Her broader research interests include political violence, social network theory, Middle East and North African politics, organizational behavior, statebuilding, and qualitative methods. Parkinson speaks Arabic and French.