International Studies

Cooperation and Conflict

This guide showcases recommended resources for research, teaching and learning in International Studies.

Getting Started

This guide is not comprehensive, but is intended as a starting point for research, highlighting some of the most useful resources available through the Libraries and on the web.

The U.S. State Department Website has country reports and policy. Northwestern has a useful guide for foreign governments.

Finally, many links on this page are NOT library resources, they are independent websites. If you encounter a broken link, please let the librarian know.

Misinformation

Keep in mind that topics like conflict, war, and peace, are often politicized. That means conversation in the news, or even scholarly conversation, can have misinformation. No matter what the source is use your discernment. If you are in doubt, absolutely reach out to a librarian.

Separating Fact from Fiction
Separating Fact from Fiction on Social Media in Times of Conflict by Charlotte Maher (2023) via bellingcat

Databases

Crisis Watch: International Crisis Group: global conflict tracker. Entries dating back to 2003 provide easily searchable conflict histories.
Database of U.S. Security Treaties and Agreements: Downloadable tool from RAND containing datasets of all treaties and agreements in force between 1955 and 2012
Global Terrorism Database: Open-source database providing information and data on terrorist attacks from 1975 to 2015 managed by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
International Relations and Security Network (ISN): The world’s leading open access information service for international relations and security professionals.
International Terrorism: Attributes of Terrorist Events (ITERATE);The ITERATE project is an attempt to quantify data on the characteristics of transnational terrorist groups, their activities which have international impact, and the environment in which they operate. Consists of Microsoft Excel files (base and supplemental annual files), plus a codebook and group list in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect formats.
Peace Agreements Database (PA-X); This database and repository of peace agreements from University of Edinburgh spans from 1990 to present day, it includes a section on peace agreement provisions for Women, Girls and Gender and the Amnesties, Conflict and Peace Agreements dataset.
SITE Monitoring Service Jihadist Threat: Research and analysis of terrorist networks and activities, including monitoring of jihadist propaganda. Latest news and articles in translation
TRAC Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium:Combines one of the world’s largest databases of terrorists, terrorist groups, hate groups and their abettors with original, analytical essays on seminal terrorism topics, profiles of vulnerable regions and cities, and live feed of news and analyses.

Primary Sources

Border and Migration Studies Online This link opens in a new window
This global collection of documents, video and images addresses border control and disputes, refugees, undocumented migration, human trafficking and more in regions around the world. Materials in the collection cover the 19th century to present day. Border and Immigration Studies Online is cross-searchable with Human Rights Studies Online.
Digital National Security Archive This link opens in a new window
Declassified documents on the most critical world events, countries, and U.S. policy decisions from post World War II through the 21st century
Homeland Security Digital Library This link opens in a new window
The HSDC is a collection of documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management. It contains documents from federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies, professional organizations, think tanks, academic institutions, and international governing bodies.
Sovereign Limits This link opens in a new window
Database of land and maritime boundaries; includes analytical information on every international border. Primary sources provided.
U.S. Declassified Documents Online (Gale Primary Sources) This link opens in a new window
Collection provides access to over 750,000 pages of government documents from 1900 to 2008. Covering major policy issues from the period before the World War II into the twenty-first century, the archive serves as a convenient source for documents from government departments including Defense; State; Treasury; CIA; and the White House. U.S. Declassified Documents Online supports the study of history, politics, international relations, and journalism, among other fields.

More Resources

AidData: Development finance and foreign aid
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED): A disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project. ACLED collects information on the dates, actors, locations, fatalities, and types of all reported political violence and protest events around the world. There is a forecasting tool, election tracker tool, and more. You must create an account to download data.
Center for Strategic and International Studies: A bipartisan, non-profit organization focused on "defense and security; regional stability; and transnational challenges ranging from energy and climate to global development and economic integration."
Correlates of War Project: Seeks to facilitate the collection, dissemination, and use of accurate and reliable quantitative data in international relations.
Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC): Research network on politically motivated and organized criminal violence worldwide. Currently headquartered at Princeton University.
EU Terrorist List (you must click the links which open PDFs)
Oxford Handbook of Terrorism (2019)
Financial Tracking Service: Tracks humanitarian aid
U.S. State Department Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)
Uppsala Conflict Data Program: A public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Yearly updated data on armed conflicts, trends, and peace agreements.

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International Studies

Cooperation and Conflict

Getting Started

Misinformation

Databases

Primary Sources

More Resources