Terrorism Research--a Research Guide to Terrorism Research

For students (and teachers) interested in exploring terrorism, this is the best and worst of times. Wide interest in terrorism and the Internet have made much more research available to non-specialists. But there is much conflicting research driven by many interests, and it can be difficult to evaluate. In many instances, it is difficult to get ahold of accurate primary research on some elements of violent groups. They are unlikely to announce how many followers they have, or where their bases are, for example. When they do, it is important to examine the possible motives for their claims.

In order to make sure your own research is credible, it is important to evaluate the sources and goals of different kinds of research on the web. This study guide explains some of the different kinds of research, and then offers some tips to help you make the most of what you find, and evaluate it. You can go through it step-by-step, or skip ahead to the parts that will serve you.