Any quantitative conflict researcher has heard of RAND’s Worldwide Terrorism Incident Database (RWTID). RWTID is one of the best sources of data on terrorism, the whole thing was web-accessible and well documented (like a Google for terrorist attacks). So, you can understand my annoyance when RAND took the database offline and now wants to start charging to access:
On March 31, 2008, support for development and dissemination of the Worldwide Terrorism Incident Database lapsed, causing the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism to remove web-based search of that database from its website. Since then, RAND has received many requests for access to the data. RAND is exploring options for making the data available on a subscription basis. If you wish to subscribe to a web-based search engine accessing the database, please contact us. Until RAND concludes this inquiry, we will provide customized search results on a fee-for-service basis. To price such a search, please send us the details of your request, including the types of terrorist events you wish to search for, the countries you are searching, the time period over which the search should be run, and any particular key words (groups, weapons, targets, etc.) you may be searching for.
Sigh.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Erik 07.29.08 at 2:30 pm
That’s unfortunate. Is there a way to replace it, a way to gather all that data and keep it in an open forum?
Chris Albon 07.29.08 at 4:18 pm
I would have to take a look at the specifics of the database to see what data could be gathered accurately from public sources.
It is really a shame because data collection in conflict research is difficult (read: expensive) and web-accessible databases like RWTID lowered the entry cost to do this type of research for independent researchers, graduate students, and developing world universities.