Dr James Fitzgerald is Associate Professor of Security Studies at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Ireland (2012-present) and Founding Director of the Erasmus Mundus International Master in Intelligence and Strategic Studies (IMSISS; 2016-present). He is Visiting Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil's highest ranking University) is also Affiliate Professor at the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Previously co-convenor of the BISA Critical Studies on Terrorism Working Group (2013-2017), he specialises in applying political theory to dynamics of (violent) extremism and his most recent work examines the interface of disinformation and violent extremism. He is variously published in top-ranking journals, including Critical Studies on Terrorism, The International Journal of Press/Politics and First Monday, and in 2023, he co-edited a Special Issue on “The International Politics of Content Takedowns” for Policy & Internet. His current research (and teaching) focuses on the interrelationship between content moderation and extremism; conspiracy-led violent extremism, and conspiracy and disinformation in Brazilian and international politics.
In addition to his current posts, he has accepted visiting scholarships at prestigious institutions—including Columbia University and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)—and sits on the Editorial Board of Critical Studies on Terrorism. Dr. Fitzgerald has also presented his research at prestigious venues, including at the United Nations, the G20 (Brazil) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
An award-winning lecturer, Dr. Fitzgerald has a strong track record of attracting international research and mobility funding, standing at €10.85 million to date (as Principal Investigator and co-PI). He is also a leading member of a number of research institutes/networks, including the VOX-Pol Network of Excellence for the Study of Violent Online Political Extremism, the Jean Monet Network of Excellence for EU Counterterrorism (EUCTER) and the NetLab Internet and Social Media Studies Laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Dr. Fitzgerald is published in various public media, including in leading Irish newspapers, The Irish Times and the Business Post. He has written for wider audiences in the form of invited contributions and blogposts and has contributed to notable media outlets on matters of terrorism and security, including BBC News, Rolling Stone Magazine, National Geographic, Politken and The New Yorker.
Book Chapter
Year | Publication | |
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2025 | (2025) 'Defining Terrorism: South America' In: Elgar Concise Encyclopaedia of Terrorism Law. London : Elgar Publishing. | |
2025 | Fitzgerald, J.; Mattos, B.; Santini, R.M.; Sálles, D. (2025) 'Violent Extremism in Brazil' In: Routledge Handbook of Online Extremisim. Abingdon : Routledge. | |
2020 | (2020) 'Reflexivity in the Study of Security and Conflict' In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia Of Peace And Conflict Studies. [Link] [DOI] | |
2016 | Fitzgerald, J. (2016) 'Critical Epistemologies of Terrorism' In: Routledge Handbook of Critical Terrorism Studies. Abingdon : Routledge. [Link] |
Peer Reviewed Journal
Year | Publication | |
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2025 | Fitzgerald, J., Santini, R.M., Sálles, D. (2025) 'The extraction ideology: Brazilian pro-agribusiness propaganda in times of climate emergency'. Critical Studies in Media Communication, . [DOI] | |
2025 | Fitzgerald, J; Gerrand, V. (2025) '‘Wellness Influencers, Extremism and The Ontological Politics of Content Takedowns'. Policy and Internet, . | |
2024 | Fitzgerald, J.; Lokmanoglu, A.D.; Salles, D.; Santini, R.M. (2024) 'Heaven Holds a Place for Those Who Pray: Instrumentalizing Religion and Disinformation the 2022 Brazilian and 2023 Turkish Presidential Campaigns'. International Journal of Press/Politics, . [Link] [DOI] | |
2022 | Fitzgerald, J. (2022) 'Conspiracy, anxiety, ontology: Theorising QAnon'. First Monday, 27 . [Link] [DOI] | |
2017 | (2017) 'Between Humanitarianism and Security: Displacement in a Perilous State of Exception'. EuropeNow, . [Link] | |
2017 | (2017) 'Confronting the Terrorist/Refugee Narrative'. EuropeNow, . [Link] | |
2016 | Fitzgerald, J. (2016) 'Frontline perspectives on preventing violent extremism: An interview with Alyas Karmani (STREET UK)'. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 9 . [Link] [DOI] | |
2016 | Fitzgerald J. (2016) 'Counter-radicalisation policy across Europe: an interview with Maarten van de Donk (Radicalisation Awareness Network)'. Critical Studies on Terrorism, :1-8. [DOI] | |
2016 | Fitzgerald, J.; Ali, N.; Armstrong, M. (2016) 'Editors’ introduction: Critical terrorism studies: Reflections on policy-relevance and disciplinarity'. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 9 . [Link] [DOI] | |
2016 | Fitzgerald, J. (2016) 'Counter-radicalisation policy across Europe: An interview with Maarten van de Donk (radicalisation awareness network)'. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 9 . [Link] [DOI] | |
2015 | Fitzgerald, J. (2015) 'Why me? An autoethnographic account of the bizarre logic of counterterrorism'. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 8 . [Link] [DOI] | |
2011 | Fitzgerald, J.; Lemieux, A.F. (2011) 'Embracing subjectivities in the collaborative teaching of terrorism: Pedagogy in a 'critical' learning environment'. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 4 . [Link] [DOI] | |
2011 | (2011) 'Pedagogy in a blended-learning environment'. C-SAP: Higher Education Academy Subject Network for Sociology, . | |
2010 | (2010) 'Across the divide: reflections of a collaborative class on terrorism'. Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, . [Link] [DOI] |
Editorial
Year | Publication | |
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2023 | Fitzgerald, James; Lokmanoglu, Ayse D. (2023) Special issue: The (international) politics of content takedowns: Theory, practice, ethics. ED [DOI] | |
2016 | Fitzgerald, J; Ali, N; Armstrong, M (2016) Editors' introduction: critical terrorism studies: reflections on policy-relevance and disciplinarity. ABINGDON: ED [DOI] |
Thesis
Year | Publication | |
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2014 | (2014) Between the Lines: Al Qaeda, 'Islamic Extremism' and the Authorship of Critique. THES [Link] |
Professional Associations
Employment
Media
Research Interests
Terrorism and Political Violence, Conspiracy and Violent Extremism, International Relations Theory, Philosophy of Social Science, Political Theory, Reflexivity, 'Post-structuralist' Thought