START has released a number of new data collections responding to some of the most relevant questions in today's study of terrorism. These and more can be accessed through START's Data Collections and more information on the most recent additions is below.
Big Allied and Dangerous (BAAD) Database 1 - Lethality Data, 1998-2005 The Big, Allied, and Dangerous (BAAD) Lethality Database was formed in order to help answer the question "Why are some terrorist organizations much more lethal than others?" BAAD Lethality seeks to create a comprehensive database of terrorist organizations, much like the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) does with terrorist incidents. The lethality database contains information on organizational level variables such as ideology, location, size, structure, and funding as well as network data on variables such as allies, rivals, targets, and state sponsors. The data were retrieved from MIPT's Terrorism Knowledge Base, Correlates of War (COW), Polity, and Polity2.
Investigators: Victor Asal, R. Karl Rethemeyer Go to the BAAD Lethality @ Dataverse
Muslim Public Opinion on U.S. Policy, Attacks on Civilians, and al Qaeda Since the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, there have been many studies of Islamic groups, such al Qaeda, which oppose the United States and use violence against civilians. However there has been relatively little research into how these groups are viewed by the larger Muslim society from which they arise. The attitudes of this larger society are important for a variety of reasons. At the broadest level, they tell us whether these groups are considered legitimate in terms of their goals as well as their methods. They also tell us how much support such groups are likely to get from the larger society, both directly and indirectly. To answer these and other questions, WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted an in-depth study of public opinion in Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, and Indonesia. The research was primarily supported by the START Consortium at the University of Maryland.
Investigators: Steven Kull, Stephen Weber Go to the PIPA1 Survey @ Dataverse
Public Opinion in the Islamic World on Terrorism, al Qaeda, and US Policies To deal with the threat posed by groups that use terrorist methods against Americans, in particular al Qaeda, the US is faced by more than the problem of the groups themselves. These groups operate in a larger society that provides them with some degree of support-enough to allow them to persist. The purpose of this study is to understand more deeply the nature and extent of this support, and also to determine how it is evolving. To address these issues, WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted an in-depth survey of public opinion in Egypt, Pakistan, and Indonesia. This is the second wave of surveys and was conducted between July 28 and September 6, 2008. The research was primarily supported by the START Consortium at the University of Maryland.
Investigators: Steven Kull, Stephen Weber Go to the PIPA2 Survey @ Dataverse
Survey on Information Sharing, Attitudes, and Practices of LLIS Users Information sharing among federal, state, and local agencies has become a critical element of U.S. homeland security strategy. In order to explore this relationship, an online survey was administered to 83 registered users of Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS.gov)-a Department of Homeland Security information sharing system, and interviews were conducted with 10 LLIS.gov users located in different regions of the country. Using a communication perspective, this study finds that the concepts of information sharing and preparedness accommodate multiple-and at times conflicting-meanings and practices. As a result, the government's effort to create a "trusted partnership" and a "culture of information sharing" among federal, state, and local agencies faces significant challenges.
Investigators: Hamilton Bean, Lisa Keranen Go to the LLIS Survey @ Dataverse