Terrorism and politics: A review of criticims of the literature

Authors

  • Teresa Mata López Universidad Complutense de Madrid

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18042/cepc/rep.185.10

Keywords:

Terrorism, ETA, social sciences, political behavior, democracy.

Abstract

The literature on terrorism, even if a relatively young field, has proved to be very prolific, especially since the events of 11 September 2001. Nonetheless, and probably due to the difficulties that this type of research confronts, the growing number of publications has not been accompanied by a similar growth in academic research. This article reviews the main criticism this literature has received at the international level (the definitional problem, a scarcity of statistical analyses, an overreliance on secondary sources, a tendency for authors to work alone, the large number of one-time contributors, the possible gaps, and so forth) and seeks to verify if these criticisms are consistent with the Spanish case. The article’s principal aim is to point out the problems posed by the research on this topic, both at the international and the national (Spanish) level.

Published

2019-09-30

Issue

Section

RESEARCH NOTES