Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology - Conceptualising, Understanding and Preventing Mixed Forms of Extremism (CUPMFE) Research Project: Qualitative Data Inputting Using NVivo Software
Supervisor: Dr Laura Naegler
Supervisor bio:
Dr Laura Naegler’s primary area of research lies within the area of contemporary social movements, activism and resistance. This cross-disciplinary research is located within a theoretical tradition of critical and cultural criminology and includes specialization in topics such as international social movements, political action outwith the formal democratic process, gender dynamics within resistance movements and the interplay between urban control and forms of localised political governance regulation. Her research seeks both to inform policy critical areas of crime control and urban governance whilst also advancing theoretical debates within criminology.
Laura joined the University in Liverpool as a lecturer in criminology in September 2019. Before, she worked as a lecturer at Northumbria University Newcastle and at the University of Liverpool in Singapore. In 2013-2014 and 2017, Laura was a visiting scholar at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City.
Email: laura.naegler@liverpool.ac.uk
School: Law and Social Justice
Department: Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology
Module code: LAW099
Suitable for students of: This project is based withing the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and will be supervised from within the School of Law and Social Justice by academics in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology. This project would therefore suit students with training with social science and humanities backgrounds.
Desired experience or requirements: Applicants must be able to demonstrate a high level of familiarity with NVivo, competence in utilisation in the data software package, and preferably previous experience in thematic coding of moderate data sets, such as student dissertations. Students will be preferably studying – or have completed study – at Masters Level, although undergraduate students with relevant experience will also be fully considered. Upon taking on the role, students will have to sign a non-disclosure statement to ensure data protection and adhere to the ethical approval protocols associated with this project.
Places available: 2
Start dates: Session 1 (15th June 2026),Session 2 (6th July 2026)
Project length: 4 or 8 weeks
Virtual option: Yes
Hybrid option: Yes
Project description:
Across Europe, North America, and Oceania, recent data highlights a troubling trend: an increasing number of individuals being referred to counter-extremism and de-radicalisation programs are exhibiting mixed extremist viewpoints, rather than the singular doctrinal perspectives typically associated with Far Right or Islamist extremism. This pattern is also reflected in numbers of individuals being charged with hate crimes and terrorism related offenses.
Despite evidence that a growing number of young people are engaging with concerning ideational perspectives - such as Incel, misogynistic, homophobic and conspiracy theories - significant knowledge gaps persist regarding the contexts, processes, and experiences that may encourage or influence primary engagement, involvement and immersion. Collecting primary evidence from individuals exploring, adopting, and promoting mixed ideological perspectives is exceptionally challenging due to ethical issues and the inherent difficulties in reaching out to hard to reach groups to seek engagement.
Therefore, during the course of the project the research team have been conducting expert interviews with a wide range of experts, including academics, secondary and college education tutors, probation officers, youth workers, counter-radicalisation practitioners, policy-makers, private security sector analysts and NGOs and charities active in the area.
The overall ambition of this research project is to explore critical knowledge gaps and explore innovative methods and approaches to better comprehend the growing trend of mixed forms of extremism and, in particular, the factors that are prevalent when journeys toward extremism begin. At the same time, CUPMFE aims to increase opportunities for conversation and knowledge exchange by bringing together academics, practitioners, and civil society actors in an international network – currently of over 150 members.
To support this project, we are seeking to recruit a maximum of two students who would primarily be responsible for inputting and coding anonymised data from interview transcripts into a predefined NVivo thematic coding framework.
The successful candidate(s) will be fully supported by the supervisors throughout the duration of the 4-8 week period. Careers advice and academic mentorship beyond the specific parameters of the work package will be provided.
Additional requirements: N/A
Please find the research project website here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/sociology-social-policy-and-criminology/research/research-projects/preventing-mixed-forms-of-extremism/