In-depth Academic Study

This chapter sheds light on serious ethical challenges associated with conducting digital research on the far-right spectrum, which encompasses a broad array of actors positioned further to the right than what is generally considered mainstream right. These challenges become particularly pronounced in cases where the research subjects hold illiberal, extreme, and potentially hostile views toward the researcher. In this chapter, we critically reflect on these challenges in the context of current ethical frameworks for online research in Northern Europe, specifically Sweden and Norway.

The analysis involves two main steps: First, we scrutinize the key concepts and ways issues are problematized in the ethical guidelines of the two countries. Second, we examine the ascribed position and safety of researchers, along with the management of risks related to (online) harassment and threats. Our analysis reveals that concerns for scholar safety are more solidly embedded in Norwegian ethical guidelines compared to the Swedish framework.

In conclusion, we call for increased institutional responsibility toward scholars undertaking “risky” research, where broader understandings of “risk” and “harm” should be addressed. Furthermore, we argue for moving beyond the “box-ticking” nature of ethics vetting at the project’s initiation and instead embracing a perspective that continuously adapts these processes to the unique necessities arising from the fieldwork of each research project.

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