@article{2023:jost:mapping_a_,
title = {Mapping a Dark Space: Challenges in Sampling and Classifying Non- Institutionalized Actors on Telegram},
year = {2023},
note = {Crafted as an open communication platform characterized by high
anonymity and minimal moderation, Telegram has garnered increasing
popularity among activists operating within repressive political
contexts, as well as among political extremists and conspiracy
theorists. While Telegram offers valuable data access to research
non-institutionalized activism, scholars studying the latter on
Telegram face unique theoretical and methodological challenges in
systematically defining, selecting, sampling, and classifying relevant
actors and content. This literature review addresses these issues by
considering a wide range of recent research. In particular, it
discusses the methodological challenges of sampling and classifying
heterogeneous groups of (often non-institutionalized) actors. Drawing
on social movement research, we first identify challenges specific to
the characteristics of non-institutionalized actors and how they
become interlaced with Telegram’s platform infrastructure and
requirements. We then discuss strategies from previous Telegram
research for the identification and sampling of a study population
through multistage sampling procedures and the classification of
actors. Finally, we derive challenges and potential strategies for
future research and discuss ethical challenges.},
journal = {M&K Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft},
pages = {212--229},
author = {Jost, Pablo and Heft, Annett and Buehling, Kilian and Zehring, Maximilian and Schulze, Heidi and Bitzmann, Hendrik and Domahidi, Emese and },
volume = {71},
number = {3-4}
}