ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the main ethical and methodological challenges in collecting primary data for the investigation, orthodox or critical, of political violence and terror. These include issues of access, safety, protection of sources and data, risks of seizure or misuse of data collected, and ‘contamination’ by association with armed (non-state) actors, and conversely the problems of association with governments. The chapter examines the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)’s New Security Challenges research funding programme by way of a case study, in order to illustrate some of the issues and elucidate key differences between various disciplines and sectors within the field. The chapter then examines the specific challenges faced by scholars seeking to establish a critical approach within the political atmosphere promulgated by the War on Terror. These include political attack and intimidation, including facing allegations of support for terrorism and the potentially resultant marginalisation, exclusion, and loss of place in scholarly and policy circles, and conversely, the expressions of support, publicity, and camaraderie that can also result. The chapter then draws conclusions on implications for the practice of research and the research agenda for critical scholars of terrorism.
