ABSTRACT
The Malaysian cyberspace is an interesting environment for academic research on contentious communication as it consists of many different online communities existing across various social media platforms, each with its own language, culture, and raison ďêtre, but it can also be challenging, given its fragmented nature. A review of the planning and execution of two small-scaled internet research projects on political satire as well as trolling and hate speech revealed methodological issues in the research process. Firstly, there must be reflexivity in the research team as its identity and contextual positionality impacts data collection and analysis in a society that is culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse. Thus, research teams should consist of insiders and outsiders with appropriate cultural and language competencies specific to the project that would give them the advantages of both positionalities while minimising the disadvantages. Researchers also need to be aware of the socio-political and legal environment in Malaysia when initiating and planning research projects on contentious communication to avoid potential pitfalls in designing the methodology as these constraints may affect the quality of data collected in cyberspace.
