The Radical Milieu: A Methodological Approach to Conducting Research on Violent Extremism

One of the biggest challenges to conducting research on radicalisation to violent extremism is how to further knowledge in the absence of easy access to radical individuals. This lack of access makes it particularly difficult to fulfil the demand for original data on radicalisation to violent extremism and on strategies to counter it. This chapter presents the Royal United Services Institute’s (RUSI) effort to overcome this challenge. RUSI’s milieu approach takes into consideration the importance of the context in which specific cases of radicalisation take place. This is based on an understanding that research participants within these areas are able to relay contextual information about potential grievances or broader incentives impacting radicalisation.