Research Ethics Framework
As an organization that investigates and reports on organized hate in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) recognizes the need for data-driven advocacy and policy rooted in empirical evidence to prevent hate incidents, hate crimes, and hate motivated violence, and to uphold the values of Canada’s multicultural democracy.
Anticipating future research projects and collaborations, CAHN has undertaken a literature review of human-subject research ethics and studies of right-wing extremism and interviewed Canadian researchers in the field with academic affiliations. This Research Ethics Framework builds on that work. This project was made possible with a grant from the Community Resilience Fund / The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence / Public Safety Canada.
This research framework applies when CAHN is designing and conducting research projects for peer-reviewed publication, and should be considered when CAHN is engaging in research in collaboration with academics and institutions. It is designed to be compatible with established human-subject research ethics.
For greater clarity, this research framework does not apply to CAHN’s investigatory and journalistic activities, which are guided by a separate framework of journalistic ethics, law, and jurisprudence.
Existing literature on the methods and ethics of researching right-wing extremism has shown that there are unique ethical challenges and research dilemmas inherent to researching the topic of far-right extremism. These distinct research conditions include issues such as knowing when it is ethical to use data from online sources, how to analyze data in light of the complications of engaging with far-right research subjects, and what practices are most appropriate for disseminating research results without amplifying far-right narratives and messages. Researcher safety and well-being in particular has emerged as an important topic requiring added assurances beyond the usual research context, and strategies in the scholarship address questions around risks and security concerns when working in this field.
Consultations took place with researchers affiliated with Canadian academic institutions, who were asked to provide expert advice on what should be included in CAHN’s research and ethics framework. These consultations affirmed that CAHN provides a valuable contribution to the research ecosystem in Canada working on right-wing extremism; academics working in this field regularly use CAHN news stories, reports, and staff expertise in both their research and teaching activities. CAHN is recognized by Canadian researchers as a trusted source for reliable data on the far-right landscape in Canada, and the organization’s ongoing and long-term monitoring of far-right activities is viewed widely as an important and unique service to the community in supporting and maintaining a healthy conversation about right-wing extremism in Canada.
CAHN has two aims that it strives to address in its research activities: firstly, to produce high-quality data and information that can be used by academics, policy makers, and community organizations alike; secondly, to produce action-oriented research that helps in the creation of successful strategies for combatting the growth of far-right extremism in Canada.
Our expectation is that the research we conduct should be scientifically rigorous and meet academic standards, particularly regarding ethical protocols for conducting human subject research.
Our research is guided by the principles that research should prioritize the dignity, safety, and equal participation in society of those communities affected and targeted by far-right movements, and model itself after academic approaches which link theory and practice together for advancements in social justice.
Our research approach includes minimizing harm for both researchers and research participants, upholding the safety and well-being of our research team, and providing adequate support and training for our staff throughout their research activities.
Our research protocols include the following:
- Researchers will use their background experience in the field to uphold academic standards and scientific integrity throughout all research activities.
- Researchers will pursue and maintain mentoring relationships with senior-level or experienced academic researchers, who can help navigate challenges and provide peer-to-peer support.
- When a researcher is planning or pursuing research activities on behalf of the organization, they will consider questions such as:
What possible harms may be generated by this research?
How can any potential harms resulting from the research be anticipated and mitigated?
What possible benefits for the community may result from this project?
Do the benefits of the research outweigh the risks and potential harms created by the research project?
- CAHN researchers will communicate regularly with the Executive Director and other designated team members about their experiences. They will troubleshoot and plan for any potential risks to their personal safety.
- CAHN researchers are permitted to collect and share data from online sources such as social media when the data collected is publicly available or attainable by conventional research methods. This is consistent with current academic standards and practices.
- CAHN research will not uncritically repeat far-right messaging or information from bad-faith participants. Researchers should consider in each specific context the best practices for sharing research.
If you are a researcher with an academic affiliation and you wish to submit a joint proposal for a research project or include the Canadian Anti-Hate Network in your funded research project, please contact us at [email protected].