Abstract
The growing popularity of the internet for online extremist use necessitates different methodologies to study their behaviour, interactions, and content. While previous research has employed different qualitative and quantitative approaches, a substantial empirical gap exists concerning in-depth, immersive methodologies for examining these digital communities.
This paper proposes a potential solution to this problem by highlighting the utility of netnography as an effective tool for gaining insights into virtual cultures and user experiences for extremist online behaviours. Netnography, as an approach, is geared towards unravelling the cultural practices embedded in and reflected through the traces, rituals, and systems of online communication platforms.
The article outlines the method's benefits, including the easy-to-follow methodological guidelines, the bridge between qualitative and quantitative data, the different content types, platforms, and multimethod applications, the nuanced socio-cultural findings, and more. Two distinct case studies illustrate these qualities: (1) Slovenskí Branci, a violent paramilitary group in Slovakia, on Facebook, and (2) Neo-Nazi extremists on Gab Social.
The two-tiered approach provides a valuable preview and starting point for scholars looking to engage in immersive online research on extremist communities.