START’s flagship Global Terrorism Database has been updated to include information on more than 170,000 terrorist attacks worldwide, 1970-2016.
START has maintained the GTD since 2001. Its data, which ranges back to 1970, is open-source and free for public viewing and usage.
In the data collection process, researchers follow strict criteria for event classification as a terrorist attack. The violent event must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious or social goal; must have evidence that it was intended to convey a message to an audience outside of the victims; and must be targeted towards non-combatants.