Research Resources

ovalINTERNATIONAL CONFLICT DATA

EUGene – Perhaps the best single source of data for the study of international conflict. EUGene is a software program that will allow users to create customized datasets that combine the Correlates of War (COW) datasets on capabilities, alliances, militarized disputes (MIDs). EUGene also allows the user to incorporate conflict data from the ICB dataset, international trade data, Polity data on domestic political structures, and a number of variables based on Bueno de Mesquita and Lalman’s international interaction game from War and Reason. Software is available for free download.

International Crisis Behavior Project (ICB) – An excellent source of data for crises during the 20th century (1918-2001). Although coverage is more temporally limited than the COW MIDs dataset, ICB has the advantage of more detailed codings and descriptions of each crisis. In addition to the extended list of variables concerning bargaining behavior, levels of violence, and crisis outcomes, users may also refer to Michael Brecher and Jonathan Wilkenfeld’s accompanying book, A Study of Crisis, for a brief summary and bibliography for each crisis.

Correlates of War (COW) Data – Individual COW datasets may be downloaded from the Peace Science Society website, which now maintains COW datasets. In addition, users may obtain data and summaries of research using COW materials directly from the Correlates of War Project.

The KOSIMO Dataset – This is database of international conflicts from 1945-1999 is especially interesting because it also codes “latent” conflicts. That is, it identifies conflicting international claims by states that could escalate into violence. Conflicts are coded as latent, crisis, severe crisis, or war. The KOSIMO manual does a nice job of comparing various conflict datasets in terms of their coding criteria for a “conflict.” To download the KOSIMO dataset, click here.

The ARMED CONFLICT Dataset – From the Peace Research Institute (PRIO) and the Uppsala Conflict Data project. This dataset records a variety of variables for all armed conflicts from 1946-2001. Its definition of “armed conflict” (25 battle-related deaths) relies on a higher threshold for military conflict than the COW MIDs data and the KOSIMO data, but a lower threshold than the COW definition of a war.

The Global Terrorism Dataset – Based at the University of Maryland in the Center for the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START), the Global Terrorism Dataset (GTD) an open-source database that records information on terrorist events around the world from 1970 through 2007. The GTD includes both domestic and international terrorist incidents.

International Terrorism: Attributes of Terrorist Events (ITERATE) – This database includes all international terrorist events from 1968-2008. The data from 1968-1977 are available for free download from ICPSR. The data from 1978-2008 are available by subscription. Duke affiliates can access the entire 1968-2008 ITERATE dataset here.

CASCON – The CASCON Project at M.I.T. has collected detailed descriptions and data codings for approximately 90 post World War II militarized crises. Crises include both inter-state, intra-state and interventionary conflicts. Variables coded focus on the use of bargaining strategies. Users may dowload data, case descriptions and software or may view case description on the web.

CONFLICT AND PEACE DATA BANK – Collected by Azar, these events data are recorded from daily news reports. Each event is scored on a 16 point ordinal scale from the most conciliatory to the most conflictual. In addition to the level of conflict, the initiator and target of each action are recorded. Parallel datasets exist for both international and domestic conflict events. Data available in annual and quarterly aggregations. The data range from 1948-1978, include nearly all states, and are available in daily, quarterly and annual aggregations from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).

KEDS – The KEDS Project at the University of Kansas has developed software for coding events data from daily news reports. Coding schemes follow from the COPDAB events data which scores actions on an ordinal scale from most conciliatory to most conflictual. Each action is coded along with the initiator and target of the action. Users may download a variety of datasets covering recent international conflicts. These data are narrow in temporal coverage but rich in detail.

10 Million Events – Collected by Gary King and his research team, these data include 10 million individual dyadic events coded daily from 1990-2004. Each event is coded with an initiator (Actor A) and a target (Actor B). Actors include about 450 countries and other (within-country) actors. Events are coded by computer from Reuters news reports into an ontology of about 200 types of actions.

GATT TRADE DISPUTES – Data collected by Eric Reinhart cover disputes filed with the GATT from 1948-1993.

DOMESTIC POLITICS DATA

POLITY – The Polity Project data on domestic political structures has become the standard measure of regime type in most studies of international conflict. These data can be downloaded from the University of Maryland, or can be customized through the use of the EUGene program. In addition to the commonly used “democracy” and “autocracy” scores, Polity also records a variety of more detailed aspects of domestic regime structure.

MINORITIES AT RISK – The Minorities at Risk Project has collected extensive data on the characteristics of ethnic and racial minority groups. These data have become the standard measures used in many comparative and international studies of ethnic conflict.

DEMOCIDE – Rummel has collected data on the number of citizens killed by their governments during the 20th century.

HANDBOOK of POLITICAL AND SOCIAL INDICATORS – Data collected by Taylor and Jodice are especially useful in coding incidents of domestic disturbance and political or social unrest. Data range from 1948 to 1982 and may be obtained from (ICPSR).

WORLD AUDIT – These democracy and human rights data are limited in temporal coverage but provide a wide variety of variables relating to human rights, democracy, freedom of the press, and so on.

FREEDOM HOUSE – The Annual Survey of Freedom Country Scores. These data record a number of non-structural variables regarding democracy that are not recorded in the Polity data – which focuses on regime structure. Data include measures of respect for human rights and freedom of the press and are available from 1972-2003.

UNITED NATIONS – The UN has a great deal of data measuring various dimensions of its member states. Two excellent places to begin searching for UN data are the UN Statistics Division databases, including the areas focusing on social indicators.

ECONOMIC DATA

HARVARD-CID-WORLD BANK DATAMART – This website allows access to a variety of economic data that can be customized to fit the users needs.

PENN WORLD TABLES – The principal source for data regarding economic growth and GDP calculated both in volume and purchasing power.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DATA – Within the field of international relations, the three central trade data collection efforts have been made by Katherine Barbieri, John Oneal and Bruce Russett, and Kristian Gleditsch. Barbieri’s data are available from the Peace Science Society data resources page, and Oneal and Russett’s data can be downloaded by clicking here. Alternatively, users can download a smaller sample(1.5 MB) of international dyads from 1950-1992 (including trade and conflict data). These data are now also integrated into EUGene.

WORLD BANK INSTITUTE – Excellent data on international governance and corruption as well as detailed an unusual data on economic activities. Also excellent links to other economic and development data resources.

TRADE BARRIERS DATA – Data collected and maintained by the EU. Access to certain components of these data are limited to EU member states.

SURVEY DATA

INTER-UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH (ICPSR) – ICPSR contains perhaps the most extensive archive of social science survey data that is freely available for public use. Users may search the ICPSR archives for social scientific surveys as well as numerous CBS, ABC, and New York Times polls. See instructions below for Duke access to ICPSR data.

THE AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDY (ANES) – The central survey instrument for the academic study of American public opinion. Users can dowload complete datasets or specific components.

GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY – Users can use a search engine to identify specific questions and can analyze data online or create customized datasets and codebooks for dowload.

THE ROPER CENTER – This archive preserves data from polls conducted by many leading survey research organizations. Some data are publicly available, while others are available for purchase.

THE ODUM INSTITUTE – This University of North Carolina resouce has a wide range of survey data on file – including an archive of Harris polls. The institute also provides links to extensive data on the State of North Carolina. Users can searchthe archived survey data for specific questions and/or phrases.

TRIANGLE INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY STUDIES – 1999 Survey on the Gap Between the Military and Civilian Society. This study focuses on the gap between the military and civilian society. The surveys compare civilian and military values, attitudes, opinions, and perspectives and include a variety of topics about US civil-military relations, American foreign policy, and the use of military force. These data are available for download from the Odum Institute.

THE POLLING REPORT – Users cannot download datasets for analysis of individual level responses from this website, but it does maintain the most comprehensive archive of aggregate responses to recent commercial polls.

COMBAT CASUALTY DATA

IRAQ COALITION CASUALTIES – Comprehensive data on American and Coalition battle fatalities and wounded in the 2003 Iraq War and the 2001 Afghanistan War. Data are aggregated into various time periods – including monthly summaries and summaries by period of the war (i.e post-fall of Baghdad, post-Iraq Sovereignty, etc.). Also some data on Iraqi civilian and police deaths and some trend analysis over time.

HONORING THE FALLEN – This webiste includes comprehensive daily reports of U.S. battle deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. Summaries of each fatality include date, location and cause of death.

IRAQ BODY COUNT – This dataset is the most comprehensive collection of media accounts of civilian deaths from the Iraq War. Data can be viewed by each fatality – which records date, location, and cause of death – or by fatality event – which records data, nature of the event and a maximum and minimum count of civilian deaths from the event.

AMERICAN COMBAT DEATHS – Data from the U.S. Department of Defense on American combat deaths from major American military engagements from the Revolutionary War to the present.

DATA ENTRY TOOLS

EpiData is an extremely flexible and user-friendly data entry program. Users can easily program skip patterns, limit the range of input values, and implement a variety of other tools to speed data entry and reduce errors. Epidata will also create datasets in STATA, SPSS, SAS and other formats. This program is freeware and can be downloaded from the EpiData Website.

GENERAL POLITICAL SCIENCE RESOURCES

INTER-UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH (ICPSR) – This is the central repository for political science data. Users can search the ICPSR archives for a variety of data resources. The Ohio State University is a member of ICPSR and OSU users are permitted access to its data.

POLITICAL METHODOLOGY WEBSITE – An excellent resource for statistical software, and working papers across various subfields of political science