Sherfacs: A cross‐paradigm, hierarchical and contextually sensitive conflict management data set

Abstract

The SHERFACS dataset measures political conflict from 1945 until 1985 and has identified over 700 international Disputes and 1000 domestic Quarrels. SHERFACS is the culmination of a long line of quantitative studies of international conflict management. Beginning with the work of Ernst Haas efforts have been made to expand the focus of conflict management studies to a larger set of management agents and the issues. SHERFACS has expanded the study of conflict management in highly significant ways. SHERFACS models the internal conflict dynamics of escalation and de‐escalation; identifies specific categories of actor behavior; relates the “referral” or agenda processes of conflict management agents; and specifies the actions taken by management agents. An important addition is the inclusion of conflicts that have been considered to be essentially domestic in origin. SHERFACS provides an attempt to enfold the “micro‐measurement” of traditional events datasets within a framework that is contextually sensitive to narrative presentation.