John Shuford's research interests fall under the umbrella of hate studies. Within this field, he investigates the legal, social and moral/psychological operation of various movements and individuals, mostly within the United States. He is a former editor of the Journal of Hate Studies and was a co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Hate, published by ABC-CLIO. In addition to his academic training, John holds a J.D. and has consulted with numerous governmental and media sources over the years on the topic of hate. He is an adjunct assistant professor of Conflict Resolution at Portland State University.