The GTTAC Record of Incident Database: Introduction and Comparative Assessment

• In Event: Innovations in the Empirical Study of Terrorism

Abstract

As terrorism remains a dynamic and potent global and domestic security threat, open-source collections play a pivotal role in aggregating information for monitoring worldwide terrorism threats, understanding trends and patterns, and facilitating empirical analysis. With this paper, we introduce the Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center’s (GTTAC’s) Record of Incident Database (GRID), a publicly accessible dataset encompassing domestic and transnational terrorism incidents worldwide since 2018. We present its conceptual and methodological framework, elucidating the data collection process.
In addition, we conduct a comparative assessment by contrasting GRID with an existing and widely used event database, the Global Terrorism Database (GTD). We delve into methodological differences between these two databases, particularly those related to the use of local, non-English sources, region-specific or attribute-specific coders, and the reporting of casualties when information is unclear. Through a country-year level comparison, we analyze how these methodological differences impact the records of incidents, resulting in temporal and regional disparities in terrorism data. We conclude with insights on mitigating false positives and negatives in reporting while enhancing the reliability and validity of event databases.

Authors

• Suat Cubukcu, Towson University

• Eoin Healy, Development Services Group Inc.