Methods of Studying Hate and (Violent) Extremism Online

Hate and (violent) extremism online are complex problems that can only be addressed by bringing together experts and expertise from various disciplines. As a result, the scope, characteristics, impact, and measures to prevent hate and (violent) extremism online have been examined, among others, by scholars from computer science, political science, criminology, communication science, sociology, linguistics, the digital humanities, and psychology. But in light of the knowledge that scholars have developed, it has been rare for studies to integrate theory and methods from different domains to assess hate and (violent) extremism online. This is a clear oversight, given the various benefits of mixed-methods research (MMR). With our workshop, we will lay the groundwork needed to develop resources that will enable researchers to conduct MMR confidently. More precisely, we will:

1. Confirm a knowledge basis of the methods that are currently used to study hate and (violent) extremism online^; 
2. Identify advantages and disadvantages of each method for the field 
3. Extract five key overarching methodological challenges in the field  
4. Determine how the latter can be addressed by different equal-status mixed-methods designs