ITERATE Dataset

This dataset includes information on terrorist incidents including the type of attack, the location of the beginning and end of the incident, the name of the terrorist group involved, and the numbers of deaths and injuries. ITERATE relies on a host of sources for its information, including the Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters tickers, the Foreign Broadcast Information Services (FBIS) Daily Reports, and major US newspapers. ITERATE first developed the data for the period running from 1968 through 1977. The dataset now covers 1968-2005. Coders use the descriptions of the various terrorist events to construct time-series data for forty key variables common to all transnational terrorist incidents.^{[ref 1]}

Variables and Subcategories

This dataset includes indicators in the Conflict Variables and Foreign Support Variables categories. The subcategories are Foreign Support for Insurgency Indicators and Intensity Indicators.

This dataset can answer questions like:

• Was there evidence of state sponsorship in the terrorist incident?
• If so, what type and what was the extent of state sponsorship in the terrorist incident?
• What was the number of individuals publicly involved in the terrorist incident?
• What was the number of individuals directly and physically victimized in the attack?
• What was the number of terrorists killed in the incident?

Data Quality

Coding consistency for the data is achieved by applying identical criteria and maintaining continuity among coders through the use of overlapping coders and monitors.^{[ref 2]}

However, relying on data culled from news sources, the databases may be biased in favor of the most newsworthy forms of terrorism. Terrorist activities in the developing world are less likely to be covered in main stream newsmedia and therefore, may promote bias of the data. In addition, using media accounts as a primary source makes compiling attacks that were averted by authorities or that were unsuccessful a more uncertain task.^{[ref 3]}

Virtually all definitions consider politically motivated attacks against civilians as terrorism. ITERATE excludes guerrilla attacks on military targets of an occupying force and all terrorist incidents associated with wars or major military interventions. Though less controversial, the identity of the perpetrator also presents difficulty.^{[ref 4]}

References

1. ↑ Todd Sandler, David Arce, and Walter Enders, "Copenhagen Consensus 2008 Challenge Paper: Terrorism" Copenhagen Consensus Center, February 2008.
2. ↑ Todd Sandler, David Arce, and Walter Enders, "Copenhagen Consensus 2008 Challenge Paper: Terrorism" Copenhagen Consensus Center, February 2008.
3. ↑ Gary LaFree, Laura Dugan, Heather V. Fogg, and Jeffrey Scott, "Building a Global Terrorism Database" National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, Grant Final Report, April 27, 2006.
4. ↑ Todd Sandler, David Arce, and Walter Enders, "Copenhagen Consensus 2008 Challenge Paper: Terrorism" Copenhagen Consensus Center, February 2008.

Mickolus, Edward F, Todd Sandler, Jean M. Murdock, and Peter A Flemming. 2003. Iterate Codebook.