Measuring events for international political analysis

Abstract

Scientists measure international events to explore theoretic aspects of international interaction. Rummel's DON focused on cross‐national and synchronic events, broadened to include international interactive and diachronic research. Interested in specific crises (e.g., Berlin blockade), McClelland's WEIS developed 22 event varieties (63 including subcategories) ranging nominally from conciliation (“yield”) to conflict (“force”). Azar's COPDAB expanded information sources and scaled the intensity of cooperation‐conflict activity. Hermann et al.’s CREON added attention to action contexts, including bureaucratic aspects of governmental decision making and international system properties. And scientists from Haas (MIC) to Sherman (SHERFACS) have sought data on international governmental and nongovernmental organizations, internationally recognized non‐state actors, and various events. Phase II of Data Development for International Research (DDIR) aims at (1) enhancing and improving currently‐existing, high‐quality event datasets and (2) developing computer software for generating and using such datasets.