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Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online

Ashley Mattheis

Fieldwork Experiences in Criminology and Security: Methods, Ethics, and Emotions

Swansea University Author: Ashley Mattheis

Abstract

Research in digital spaces, particularly the study of violent actors and organizations, poses ethical, methodological, and emotional concerns. These concerns are particularly acute for qualitative study given that digital spaces as field sites can often blur the lines between participant-based and t...

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Published in: Fieldwork Experiences in Criminology and Security: Methods, Ethics, and Emotions
Published: Springer Nature
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63198
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first_indexed 2023-04-19T12:43:10Z
last_indexed 2023-04-20T03:23:44Z
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spelling 2023-04-19T13:43:11.5670967 v2 63198 2023-04-19 Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online 20bd641e721999fbea309db74f2d60c5 Ashley Mattheis Ashley Mattheis true false 2023-04-19 LAWD Research in digital spaces, particularly the study of violent actors and organizations, poses ethical, methodological, and emotional concerns. These concerns are particularly acute for qualitative study given that digital spaces as field sites can often blur the lines between participant-based and text-based research. Here, ethical concerns might include questions such as whether online textual analysis is or is not a form of participant observation. Methodological concerns might include defining what constitutes a textual unit of analysis across online communities and on social media. Emotional concerns are twofold, first they often include the problematics of working with difficult data as researchers must address repeated, prolonged exposure to hate speech and violent content. Second, the trend of disseminating research findings on social media poses mental and emotional concerns given the high potential for online harassment, doxing, and attacks from online trolls. This chapter contributes to the larger discussion through an exploration of the author’s experience negotiating digital space as her “field site” for text-based, qualitative study of far-right and male supremacist extremist digital propaganda. Ultimately, the author argues that reflexive research design is necessary to address potential problems, clarify ethical reasoning, and adapt methodological frameworks for online study. Book chapter Fieldwork Experiences in Criminology and Security: Methods, Ethics, and Emotions Springer Nature Research Ethics, Methods and Methodology. Researcher Safety Online. Reflexive Research Design (RRD), Difficult Data, Online Extremism Research 0 0 0 0001-01-01 COLLEGE NANME Law COLLEGE CODE LAWD Swansea University 2023-04-19T13:43:11.5670967 2023-04-19T10:53:43.4585133 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law Ashley Mattheis 1
title Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online
spellingShingle Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online
Ashley Mattheis
title_short Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online
title_full Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online
title_fullStr Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online
title_full_unstemmed Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online
title_sort Researching Hate: Negotiating the Digital as Field Site in the Study of Extremist Cultures and Propaganda Online
author_id_str_mv 20bd641e721999fbea309db74f2d60c5
author_id_fullname_str_mv 20bd641e721999fbea309db74f2d60c5_***_Ashley Mattheis
author Ashley Mattheis
author2 Ashley Mattheis
format Book chapter
container_title Fieldwork Experiences in Criminology and Security: Methods, Ethics, and Emotions
institution Swansea University
publisher Springer Nature
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law
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description Research in digital spaces, particularly the study of violent actors and organizations, poses ethical, methodological, and emotional concerns. These concerns are particularly acute for qualitative study given that digital spaces as field sites can often blur the lines between participant-based and text-based research. Here, ethical concerns might include questions such as whether online textual analysis is or is not a form of participant observation. Methodological concerns might include defining what constitutes a textual unit of analysis across online communities and on social media. Emotional concerns are twofold, first they often include the problematics of working with difficult data as researchers must address repeated, prolonged exposure to hate speech and violent content. Second, the trend of disseminating research findings on social media poses mental and emotional concerns given the high potential for online harassment, doxing, and attacks from online trolls. This chapter contributes to the larger discussion through an exploration of the author’s experience negotiating digital space as her “field site” for text-based, qualitative study of far-right and male supremacist extremist digital propaganda. Ultimately, the author argues that reflexive research design is necessary to address potential problems, clarify ethical reasoning, and adapt methodological frameworks for online study.
published_date 0001-01-01T04:23:44Z
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score 11.017797

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