This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
– How is your research put to use?
– The research that I and the scholarly community I lead have produced over the past ten years has been used in several concrete ways. The database “Right-Wing Terrorism and Violence” (RTV) and a PhD project at the centre have provided government authorities, security services, international organisations and researchers with a new, systematic knowledge base on right-wing extremist violence and terrorism in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It is used for threat assessment, policy development, training, and the development of methods within intelligence and prevention. Through the RTV Map Tool, these data have been made easily accessible to researchers, analysts, journalists, decision-makers and the general public.
– The compendium “Knowing what’s (far) right” serves as a research-based reference work for decision-makers and practitioners, is used as a basis for reports, Norwegian Official Reports (NOU), and publications from EU bodies, and is employed in teaching and research in several languages. Our research on harassment and threats against politicians and researchers has led to new guidelines, routines and increased resource allocation within the Police Security Service (PST) and other public authorities, as well as better institutional procedures at the University of Oslo and greater awareness in academia nationally and internationally.
– Who used the results - for instance in policy, in practice, in private sector, public administration or civil society?
– Our results have been used by a wide range of actors. On the governmental and security side, this includes PST, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, other ministries, the Norwegian Police University College, various police districts, as well as international actors such as the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the UK Home Office. Several intelligence services in other countries have also used RTV as inspiration for their own methods. International and supranational organisations such as UN bodies (UNCTED, UNODC), the EU (including the RAN network, the European Parliament and firstlinepractitioners.com), and international security conferences have used the research in reports, analyses and policy development.
– Public administration and national policymaking – including the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Ministry of Culture and Equality, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and various NOU committees – draw on both RTV and the compendium. In the professional practice field, the knowledge is used by the police, SaLTo, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), the Agency for Education, the Regional Centres on Violence, Traumatic Stress and Suicide Prevention (RVTS), municipalities and local prevention networks. Dissemination institutions such as the Holocaust Centre, the 22 July Centre, the Learning Centre at Ut?ya, and peace and human rights centres use the compendium and other dissemination of research in their work. In addition, the research and the compendium are used in academia, in international scholarly networks, and by the media and the general public, something which is reflected, among other things, in the high number of visits to the online resources.
– How have you worked to ensure that your research contributes to a positive social development?
– The starting point has been to develop the research in close dialogue with those who are actually going to use it. Through regular collaborative arenas – such as the Consortium for Terrorism Research, seminars with ministries, directorates, security services, municipalities, frontline professionals and dissemination institutions – we have actively sought input on what kinds of knowledge needs they have. At the same time, we have prioritised cooperation with vulnerable and targeted groups and their organisations, so that the research not only describes problems, but can also help inform measures that are perceived as relevant and legitimate by those concerned.
– Another key has been to make knowledge not only “open access”, but also “easy access”. The RTV Map Tool visualises complex data in a way that makes them understandable and usable for many different target groups. The compendium provides short, clear and research-based answers to contested and politicised concepts, with clear links to original research. In addition, we have worked systematically on op-eds in international outlets, interviews, guidelines, lectures and teaching tailored to different audiences. In our work on harassment and threats, we have deliberately emphasised that this is a structural problem that requires institutional responsibility, and we have communicated this to universities, political institutions and European research organisations (such as ECPR) – which has contributed to concrete changes in routines and priorities.
– Do you have any tips or experiences you want to share with colleagues, so that their research is put to use?
– In my experience, it is crucial to start from the needs of those who are going to use the knowledge. Invite practitioners, public administration, civil society and dissemination institutions in at an early stage, and create regular arenas where they can describe the challenges they face and the kind of knowledge they lack. This makes the research questions more relevant and significantly increases the likelihood that the results will actually be used. In addition, I would emphasise the importance of viewing dissemination as a core task: developing easily accessible online resources, visualisations, short explanations and targeted lectures is vital for getting research-based knowledge out to those who can benefit from it.
– Another piece of advice is to build long-term relationships rather than one-off projects. Networks such as RAN, the consortium and regular seminar series provide room for mutual learning over time. At the same time, it is important to think institutionally: when research uncovers problems, one should highlight structural solutions and the responsibilities of organisations, not just individual strategies. Finally, I would stress the importance of challenging established assumptions when the data warrant it, even if this can be politically and morally demanding – as the RTV database has done by questioning a widely held assumption of a drastic increase in right-wing extremist violence. This is an important part of contributing to evidence-based public debate and policymaking.