From the Field to the Monitor: Methodological Shifts in a Time of Closure

In this chapter, I discuss an approach to carrying out research in the Russian Arctic in light of the new limitations catalyzed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As these limitations became obvious in the early stage of my dissertation work, I had to give up the possibility of field research. I turned my focus to online data collection, utilizing "netnography" as a research method. I reflect on this new limitation by applying the concept of "closure." Considering the use of netnography due to Russia's increasing isolation, I examine how the 'western' response to the war has been reflected in the academic world and via the manifestation of different isolation layers. Following the path that led to my choice of netnography, I show how Russia's isolation has influenced my study of the unbalanced power dynamics between the extractivist industry and Indigenous peoples of the Kola Peninsula as it is evidenced on-line. By examining the reasons for choosing new methods for my study and by reflecting on my personal experience, I address some of the current challenges of doing work in the Russian Arctic, especially for early-career scholars, and possible responses to them.