[Air-L] Announcing AOIR's Risky Research Guide

[Sky Croeser]

There does seem to be one incredibly risky area of research that is notably
not mentioned on the list here.

And one that it would be useful to see support given to researchers from
universities, supervisors, and departments (not to mention academic
organisations and others who make claims to support deeper conversations
about collective care and solidarity).

But of course we won't discuss, or even mention, that.

On Thu, 22 May 2025 at 9:49 pm, Alice E. Marwick via Air-L <
air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> We are delighted to share the publication of Risky Research: An AoIR Guide
> to Researcher Protection and Safety, the culmination of over two years of
> collaborative effort by the AoIR Risky Research Working Group.
>
> We designed this report to directly address the increasing personal,
> institutional, and political risks faced by researchers around the globe.
> This includes researchers from marginalized and minoritized communities and
> people working on controversial, sensitive, or politically charged
> topics—from disinformation and extremism to LGBTQ+ rights, platform
> governance, and climate change.
>
> Drawing from the collective expertise and lived experiences of more than
> 30 international contributors, the guide provides:
>
> -A framework for identifying and assessing risk in scholarly research
> -Practical strategies for mitigating harms at individual, institutional,
> and community levels
> -Guidance for designing projects with risk in mind
> -Concrete recommendations for universities, supervisors, and departments
> -A curated set of tools, policies, and best practices for responding to
> harassment, surveillance, doxxing, and more
>
> The guide is designed to support researchers at all stages of their
> careers, including students, contingent faculty, and those conducting
> research in politically restrictive contexts. It builds on and extends
> AoIR’s long-standing commitment to ethics, care, and collective
> responsibility within internet research.
>
> You can download the guide here: https://aoir.org/riskyresearchguide/
>
> As risks to researchers increase around the world, we hope this resource
> helps strengthen protections for scholars and encourages deeper
> conversations about institutional accountability, solidarity, and
> collective care.
>
> Warmly,
> Alice Marwick
> (on behalf of the AoIR Risky Research Working Group)
>
> ---
> Alice E. Marwick, PhD (she/her)
> Director of Research, Data & Society
> Senior Faculty Researcher, Center for Information, Technology and Public
> Life (CITAP)
>  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
> amarwick at gmail.com
> http://www.tiara.org | http://www.datasociety.net | http://citap.unc.edu
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