How to navigate research on sensitive topics

Image bank picture.

ImageFateme Alaei

This guide addresses the growing personal, institutional, and political risks faced by researchers globally—particularly those from marginalized communities or working on sensitive, controversial, or politically charged topics such as disinformation, extremism, LGBTQ+ rights, or climate change.

As someone who regularly teaches and supervises PhD candidates and young scholars, I have witnessed firsthand the increasing challenges they face when conducting research on sensitive, controversial, or politically charged topics.

“From navigating online harassment to institutional gaps in support, the need for structured guidance and protection has never been more urgent” says Professor Coppélie Cocq, Humlab, one of the contributors to the guide.

Drawing on the expertise and lived experiences of more than 30 international contributors, the guide offers:

• A framework for identifying and assessing risk in scholarly research
• Practical strategies for mitigating harm at individual, institutional, and community levels
• Guidance for designing ethically sound, risk-aware research projects
• Recommendations for universities, supervisors, and departments
• A curated set of tools and best practices for responding to harassment, surveillance, and doxxing 

The guide is intended for researchers at all career stages, including students, PhD candidates, lecturers, professors and those working in politically restrictive environments. It reflects AoIR’s enduring commitment to ethics, care, and collective responsibility in internet research.