Guides, interviews, ethics: conducting fieldwork with Islamist extremists in Indonesia

This chapter draws on extensive research with Islamist Extremists in Indonesia to explore the role of guides when conducting interviews for data collection and the importance of working with ethics committees. The chapter considers how guides provide an ‘in’ for the researcher as the guide already has the trust of the community. Building on this whilst developing a researcher-community relationship is essential. The chapter goes on to describe the importance of trust when conducting interviews and how repeat visits with interviewees is a crucial aspect of and rapport building. This allows the researcher to hear the person’s narrative and gauge when setbacks and progress are made in collecting usable data. The chapter also justifies the importance of working with ethics committees, describing the importance of such committees as essential aspects of academic work by underscoring the importance of an open dialogue when developing and undertaking research on terrorism.