{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T17:35:43Z","timestamp":1793381743499,"version":"4.5.0"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.12688\/openreseurope.23324.1","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787270400000}}],"reference-count":34,"publisher":"CERN","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787270400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Commission","award":["101178926"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["101178926"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00k4n6c32","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Open Res Europe"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\n                    Although conspiracy theories are studied across multiple disciplines, their definition remains unsettled. Despite a substantial body of empirical research, definitions have not been systematically analysed, leaving it unclear how conceptual variation shapes research, methods, and findings.\n                \n                \n                    Methods\n                    Drawing on an original dataset of peer-reviewed publications, this study applies inductive qualitative content analysis to identify recurring dimensions along which academic definitions vary, including ontological assumptions, evaluative orientations, epistemic characterisations, constitutive features and scope. It further introduces a genealogical mapping of citation relationships to assess whether these dimensions structure more frequently reused definitions.\n                \n                \n                    Results\n                    The qualitative content analysis finds that most definitions describe conspiracy theories as explanations and adopt a neutral-descriptive stance, with intentionality, coalition, and secrecy forming a recurrent core constellation of constitutive features. The genealogical mapping shows that frequently reused definitions share these features but differ in their evaluative and epistemic characterisation.\n                \n                \n                    Conclusions\n                    Definitional diversity in conspiracy theory research is maintained through citations. Making definitional choices explicit and treating definitions as analytical tools rather than background assumptions can improve conceptual clarity, comparability, and cumulative research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.12688\/openreseurope.23324.2","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T11:54:08Z","timestamp":1787313248000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.68336\/openreseurope.updatepolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["How conspiracy theories are defined: A systematic qualitative review of academic definitions"],"prefix":"10.68336","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0294-2064","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"T\u00fcrkay Salim","family":"Nefes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Institute of Public Goods and Policies (IPP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid, Community of Madrid, 28037, Spain"},{"name":"Siyavuspasa Mah, Cigdem Sk, Mutlu Ap, TR-34182 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Javier","family":"Mart\u00ednez Escobar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Information Management Unit, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid, Community of Madrid, 28037, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9330-8121","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Borja","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Albo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Information Management Unit, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid, Community of Madrid, 28037, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"13904","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"110678","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00313220601118751"},{"key":"110679","unstructured":"Basham L, Dentith MRX: Social Science\u2019s Conspiracy-Theory Panic: Now They Want to Cure Everyone. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective. 2016; 5(10): 12\u201319. Reference Source (http:\/\/wp.me\/p1Bfg0-3fi)"},{"key":"110680","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.53841\/bpspag.2013.1.88.9"},{"key":"110681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/acp.2995"},{"key":"110682","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/004931032002001"},{"key":"110683","unstructured":"Coady D: Conspiracy Theories: The Philosophical Debate. Aldershot: Ashgate;2006."},{"key":"110684","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5840\/ijap200317210"},{"key":"110685","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02691728.2016.1172362"},{"key":"110686","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/pops.12568"},{"key":"110687","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-psych-032420-031329"},{"key":"110688","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7203\/metode.8.10004"},{"key":"110689","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.20350\/digitalCSIC\/17922"},{"key":"110690","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10669920802172353"},{"key":"110691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vaccine.2015.08.064"},{"key":"110692","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4324\/9780429020360"},{"key":"110693","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11229-022-03948-9"},{"key":"110694","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2564659"},{"key":"110695","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/bjc\/azae100"},{"key":"110696","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448221075759"},{"key":"110697","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5281\/zenodo.18956816"},{"key":"110698","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/09593543231155891"},{"key":"110699","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/13540688251316067"},{"key":"110700","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14742837.2017.1319269"},{"key":"110701","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1468-4446.12137"},{"key":"110702","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1043463113519069"},{"key":"110703","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/14789299251361780"},{"key":"110704","unstructured":"Patton M: Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. London: Sage Publications;2002."},{"key":"110705","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09515089.2023.2191644"},{"key":"110706","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-soc-030222-031142"},{"key":"110707","unstructured":"Sidney P: The Countess of Pembroke\u2019s Arcadia. Baker EA, editor. London: George Routledge and Sons; [1590]1907. Project Gutenberg eBook no. 70854."},{"key":"110708","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9760.2008.00325.x"},{"key":"110709","unstructured":"Thomas WI, Thomas DS: The Child in America: Behavior Problems and Programs. New York: Alfred A. Knopf;1928."},{"key":"110710","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5040\/9798881835194"},{"key":"110711","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/08913811.2022.2115668"}],"updated-by":[{"DOI":"10.12688\/openreseurope.23324.3","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792022400000}}],"container-title":["Open Research Europe"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu\/articles\/6-155\/v2\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/ore.eu\/ore\/article\/download\/1350\/version\/2287\/4571","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/ore.eu\/ore\/article\/download\/1350\/version\/2287\/4572","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/ore.eu\/ore\/article\/download\/1350\/version\/2287\/4571","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T17:12:27Z","timestamp":1793380347000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ore.eu\/ore\/article\/view\/1350\/version\/2287"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"references-count":34,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12688\/openreseurope.23324.2","relation":{"is-version-of":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.12688\/openreseurope.23324.1","asserted-by":"subject"}],"has-review":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.21956\/openreseurope.27009.r79733","asserted-by":"object"}],"has-version":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.12688\/openreseurope.23324.3","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2732-5121"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2732-5121","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-08-21","name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"This project has received funding from the European Union\u2019s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101178926 (TaCT-Forsed \u2013 Tackling Conspiracy Theories by Fostering Resilience and Political Self-Efficacy in Democracies). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.&#13;\n\n\n                    The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.","name":"funding_statement","label":"Funding Statement","group":{"name":"funding_information","label":"Funding Information"}}],"article-number":"155"}}