High-quality data is essential for evidence-based terrorism research. This page describes key data sources and their characteristics.
Primary Data Sources
Canadian Incident Database
Our own database of terrorism and extremism incidents in Canada:
– Incidents from historical period to present
– Standardized coding methodology
– Regular updates and verification
– Available for research use
Government Statistics
– Statistics Canada crime data
– Police-reported hate crime statistics
– Court case outcomes
– Immigration and border data
Court Records
– Terrorism prosecution documents
– Sentencing decisions
– Appeal judgments
– Commission reports
International Databases
Global Terrorism Database (GTD)
Maintained by START at University of Maryland:
– Global coverage from 1970
– Standardized incident coding
– Publicly accessible
– Regular updates
RAND Database of Worldwide Terrorism Incidents
Alternative global incident database with different coding methodology.
Country-Specific Databases
Various nations maintain domestic incident databases with varying accessibility.
Open Source Intelligence
Media Archives
– News reports and journalism
– Documentary sources
– Academic coverage
– Historical archives
Extremist Content
– Propaganda and communications (archived ethically)
– Online platforms and forums
– Court-filed materials
– Academic collections
Government Publications
– Threat assessments (unclassified)
– Policy documents
– Legislative records
– Inquiry reports
Survey Data
Public Opinion
– Attitudes toward terrorism and security
– Trust in institutions
– Policy preferences
– Risk perceptions
Practitioner Surveys
– Law enforcement perspectives
– Community organization views
– Educator experiences
– Service provider insights
Data Quality Considerations
Limitations
– Underreporting of incidents
– Definition variations
– Source biases
– Temporal coverage gaps
Validation Approaches
– Multiple source triangulation
– Expert verification
– Cross-database comparison
– Transparent methodology
Data Access
Open Access Resources
Many datasets are publicly available for research purposes.
Restricted Access
Some sensitive data requires:
– Researcher credentials
– Institutional affiliation
– Ethics approval
– Data use agreements