Limitations and Mitigation Measures
Limitation
Mitigation Measure
Some posts and accounts were deleted
after data collection: A number of
Facebook pages, TikTok accounts, and
individual posts were removed or
emptied after INSM had already saved
the data. This made it harder to trace
some content later on.
INSM saved screenshots and records of all content at the time
of collection, before any deletions took place. This means the
evidence used in the report is preserved, even if the original
posts are no longer online.
It was not always possible to determine
why content was removed: Content may
have been taken down for different
reasons, for example, due to mass
reporting by political groups, personal
safety concerns, or attempts to clean up
a public image after the election. The
exact reason in each case cannot be
confirmed.
INSM noted the timing of deletions and compared them with
known political events where possible. These observations are
treated as background context, not as confirmed facts, so the
report’s conclusions remain accurate.
Very little relevant content was found on
X (formerly Twitter): During the
monitoring period, X had very few posts
related to Iraqi and Kurdish political
discussions. This limited the ability to
compare findings across platforms.
INSM focused on Facebook and TikTok, which are the
platforms most widely used by Iraqi users and political figures.
The low activity on X is itself noted as a finding it reflects where
political conversations in Iraq are taking place.
Only public content could be monitored:
The research is based on posts and pages
that are publicly visible. Private
messages, closed groups, and encrypted
conversations were not included, which
means some harmful content may not
have been captured.
Focusing on public content is both practical and appropriate;
it allows INSM to document OGBV that is visible and verifiable.
In-depth case studies were used alongside the data to provide
a fuller picture of what is happening online.
Some local slang and coded language may
have been missed: The research covered
Arabic and Kurdish dialects used in Iraq.
However, some informal expressions,
slang, or hidden meanings may not have
been fully picked up by keyword
searches.
INSM’s research team included annotators and data collectors
who are native Arabic and Kurdish speakers familiar with local
dialects. Keyword lists were regularly updated throughout the
monitoring period to capture new terms and expressions as
they appeared.
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