CONFLICT DATASETS: A PRIMER FOR ACADEMICS, POLICYMAKERS, AND PRACTITIONERS

Prominent conflict datasets used in the social scientific study of war and peace are summarized. These include datasets for armed conflicts (e.g., COW and UCDP/PRIO wars and sub-war conflicts), terrorism (e.g., GTD and ITERATE terrorist incidents), and events (e.g., WEIS, KEDS, and VRA cooperative and conflict actions). Topics explored include the diversity of conflict types, alternative definitions of war and sub-war conflict, historical patterns of violence in the international system, and degree of overlap across datasets.