Terrorism expert says research in the field at a standstill
Controversial research published in Terrorism and Political Violence from Marc Sageman - respected Routledge author, practicing forensic psychologist, and former CIA case officer – is critical of the state of contemporary terrorism research.
"....we have a system of terrorism research in which intelligence analysts know everything but understand nothing, while academics understand everything but know nothing.”
This is how Marc Sageman characterizes the state of contemporary terrorism research in his controversial paper, “The Stagnation in Terrorism Research,” published in the journal Terrorism and Political Violence. In the paper, and his response to critical peer comments, he makes a powerful plea for greater sharing of data between government and academics, and for a stronger evidential and empirical research base. He notes the weak link between radical ideas and radical action, and proposes a concerted effort between academics and government to address the research needs that face us.
Terrorism and Political Violence co-editor Max Taylor interviewed Marc Sageman on his paper and his later response to criticism of that paper, "Low Return on Investment," also published in Terrorism and Political Violence.
Listen to the audio | mp3 | Read the transcript | pdf
Marc Sageman is author of Understanding Terror Networks and Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the Twenty First Century. He was a CIA case officer in Islamabad and is now a practicing forensic psychiatrist and a counter-terrorism consultant.
Follow the links for free access to Dr. Sageman’s articles and the critical responses until August 30, 2014:
- The Stagnation in Terrorism Research
Marc Sageman - Low Return on Investment
Marc Sageman - If I Were You, I Wouldn't Start From Here: Response to Marc Sageman's “The Stagnation in Terrorism Research”
Max Taylor - Comments on Marc Sageman's Polemic “The Stagnation in Terrorism Research”
Alex P. Schmid - Response to Marc Sageman's “The Stagnation in Terrorism Research”
Jessica Stern - No Easy Day: Government Roadblocks and the Unsolvable Problem of Political Violence: A Response to Marc Sageman's “The Stagnation in Terrorism Research”
David H. Schanzer
About Terrorism and Political Violence
www.tandfonline.com/FTPV
Terrorism and Political Violence reflects the full range of current scholarly work from many disciplines and theoretical perspectives. It aims to give academic rigor to a field which hitherto has lacked it, and encourages comparative studies. In addition to focusing on the political meaning of terrorist activity, the journal publishes studies of various related forms of violence by rebels and by states, on the links between political violence and organized crime, protest, rebellion, revolution, and human rights. Symposia are a regular feature covering such subjects as: terrorism and public policy; religion and violence; political parties and terrorism; technology and terrorism; and right-wing terrorism. A truly interdisciplinary journal, it is essential reading for all academics, decision makers and security specialists concerned with understanding political violence.
© 2013 Thomson Reuters, 2012 Journal Citations Report® ranks Terrorism and Political Violence 37th out of 82 in the International Relations category and 64th out of 157 in the Political Science category with an impact factor of 0.766.
Editors: David C. Rapoport , University of California, Los Angeles · Max Taylor, University College, London
Print ISSN: 0954-6553 · Online ISSN: 1556-1836 · Volume 13, 2014
About Routledge, A Member of the Taylor & Francis Group
Taylor & Francis Group partners with researchers, scholarly societies, universities and libraries worldwide to bring knowledge to life. As one of the world’s leading publishers of scholarly journals, books, eBooks and reference works our content spans all areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Science, and Technology and Medicine. From our network of offices in Oxford, New York, Philadelphia, Boca Raton, Boston, Melbourne, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, Stockholm, New Delhi and Johannesburg, Taylor & Francis staff provide local expertise and support to our editors, societies and authors and tailored, efficient customer service to our library colleagues.
Visit Our Newsroom: newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com · @tandfnewsroom
For more information contact:
Marisa Starr, Journals Marketing Manager
Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Group
530 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · 215-606-4206
marisa.starr@taylorandfrancis.com
Tags: