Estimating network size and tracking information dissemination amongst Islamic blogs

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Estimating network size and tracking information dissemination amongst Islamic blogs is a report published by the Research, Information and Communications Unit of the Home Office in March 2010 based on research completed in April 2008 by the University of Nottingham academic Dr. David Stevens.

Front page of ESRC briefing on the research project run by David Stevens of the University of Nottingham in which he examined 'Islamic' blogs after a placement at the Home Office counter-terrorism Research, Information and Communications Unit. Note the picture of a praying Muslim male, indicating the difficulty of distinguishing between ordinary Muslims and 'terrorists'.

Background

The report was the product of a £27,666 Economic and Social Research Council grant given to Dr David Stevens to study 'radical blogs'. The project was titled Communications Streams and Radicalisation and was conducted from January to March 2008, in collaboration with the UK Government's 'counter terrorism' group the Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU). The description of the grant given on ESRC's website stated:

The purpose of the placement is to conduct a study of radical weblogs (‘Blogs’) over the period of the placement, as well as to provide more general advice and assistance on RICU business. The nature of this study is somewhat sensitive. Consequently, the exact aims and outcomes of the project will not be publicised.[1]

It is clear from this description that the interest is in 'radical' blogs and the title of the project includes the term 'radicalisation'. This is of course what RICU was interested in. However, when the research came to be published the title referred only to 'Islamic' blogs. The lack of differentiation between 'radical' and Islamic' is carried all the way through the report.

Publications

Resources

Notes

  1. ↑ Economic and Social Research Council, Communications Streams and Radicalisation, accessed 03 December 2010.
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