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In recent years, growing concerns have been aired in the media, politics and academia about the rising number of individuals engaging with extreme ideas and values that endorse violence and promote hate and prejudice. Many of these problematic and dangerous beliefs draw across multiple ideologies cultivated largely in online milieus, such as violence-fixated and nihilistic, Incel, anti-State, Far-Right and misogynistic. The growing harm associated with these complex and ever evolving forms of extremism has led to an emergent body of research, both by academics and practitioners. A lack of knowledge about these ‘mixed’, ‘unclear’ and ‘fluid’ types of extremism has led to urgent calls by policymakers for further research and evidence gathering so that the nature, causes and consequences of the problem can be better understood.
The recent UK Parliament's Combatting New Forms of Extremism inquiry, to which University of Liverpool researchers working on the Conceptualising, Understanding, and Preventing Mixed Forms of Extremism (CUPMFE) project gave evidence, underlines the urgent need for research in this area. Dr Laura Naegler, the project leader, said: "At the moment there is much uncertainty about why these new forms of extremism are taking root, particularly amongst young people, and around what can be done at a policy level to raise awareness about them. It is difficult to design effective forms of intervention and prevention when the problem being addressed is complex, primarily occurs in online spaces and is hard to pin down".
However, whether conducted face-to-face or online, research in this sensitive and potentially dangerous area comes with a plethora of challenges and risks. Researchers must grapple with practical and moral dilemmas surrounding accessing ‘hard-to-access’ and potentially vulnerable populations, whilst also navigating complex institutional ethical approval processes. Exposure to hateful and graphic content and the risk of online/offline harassment are emotionally taxing and can impact on researchers’ mental health and wellbeing. Threats and risks are significantly heightened for women and minoritised researchers, who are more likely to become targets of abuse, harassment and doxxing particularly when they become professionally visible as experts in the field. Postgraduate and early career researchers face additional challenges, such as staying safe while having to develop the professional (online) visibility increasingly required to succeed in the highly competitive academic employment market.
In response to these challenges, the international research project and network Conceptualising, Understanding, and Preventing Mixed Forms of Extremism (CUPMFE) has recently published a comprehensive practical Researcher Toolkit for those working in the high-risk and sensitive field of mixed, unclear and fluid extremisms, and beyond.
Drawing upon the accounts and experiences of participants working in this area, the Toolkit is designed to support researchers, supervisors, mentors and institutions in understanding and addressing the methodological, ethical, safeguarding, emotional and psychological dimensions of their work. It pays particular attention to how these risks intersect with identity and career stage and offers practical guidance on how to make research in this challenging field safer, more inclusive and more sustainable.
A co-produced resource within the network, the Toolkit was developed collaboratively by an international and interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners. It brings together voices from across different career stages and lived experiences, reflecting a wide range of intersectional identities including race, class, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity and disability. The co-production process was embedded within the CUPMFE network of over 150 academics and practitioners, with colloquia and a series of workshops informing and shaping the Toolkit, making it responsive to the needs of researchers in the field.
While the focus of this Toolkit is on contemporary types of mixed, unclear and fluid extremism, the principles and best practices outlined are designed to be broadly applicable for colleagues involved in research with individuals and groups where levels of risk are heightened, with practical checklists serving as prompts for reflection and safety management. Whether addressing long-established forms of prejudice or anticipating hateful ideologies yet to emerge, the Toolkit provides a flexible framework for navigating and keeping safe in this evolving field.
Access the Toolkit
You can access and download the Toolkit here: CUPMFE Researcher Toolkit (PDF, 379 KB)
Authors’ note
If you find the Toolkit informative and useful for your work, we would greatly value your feedback. This will help us both gauge the impact that the Toolkit is having and also allow us to think about productive things that we can do next. Please complete our short online survey.
The Toolkit was supported by funding from the Engage Methodological Innovation and Development Awards Scheme (MIDAS).