Crowdsourcing samples for research on violent extremism: A research note

A brief introduction to crowdsourcing in research on violent extremism.

Abstract

As research on violent extremism continues to progress beyond some of the field’s earlier challenges, new ways of gathering primary source data are becoming increasingly popular. One such data collection methodology implemented widely across parallel fields is crowdsourcing: the process of gathering information, or input, from large numbers of people, either for payment or not, online. In this research note, we present a brief introduction to crowdsourcing, highlight a popular platform for gathering samples online, Prolific, and present four studies conducted by the research team to demonstrate the unique benefits and challenges of crowdsourcing samples online for research on violent extremism.

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