Terrorexpertise:Methodology

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Terrorism badge.jpg This article is part of SpinWatch's Terrorism Experts project.

The Bulk List

The first stage in the research was the compilation of a list of terrorism experts from various sources including academic, the internet and the media. The process of compiling this list is described in detail below.

Academia

In order to identify experts from academia we used the Social Science Citation Index; a database of the world's leading scholarly social sciences journals. We searched the keyword ‘terrorism’ for articles published between 1970 and 2007. The search returned 4,511 articles and 8,126 authors. Details of the search are as follows:

TS=(Terrorism) DocType=All document types Language=All languages Database=SSCI Timespan=1970-2007 Results found: 4,511 Sum of the Times Cited information: 8,171 Average Citations per Item information: 1.81

From these search results we wanted to extract approximately 100 of the most prolific authors and approximately 100 of the authors who have had the most impact in the field (judged by how often their articles are cited).

We therefore included in the study the 132 authors who had written 5 or more articles within the 4,511 sample (this was chosen over the less inclusive figure of 70 which represented the number of authors who had written 6 or more articles).

In order to assess the authors who had had the most impact (as distinct from the authors who had written the most articles) we analysed the 4,511 articles using the Social Sciences Citation Index’s Citation Report function. We compiled from that report, a list of the authors of the 105 most cited articles. Since the function analyses the citation of articles rather than authors, and since many of the article are co-authored that list of 105 articles yielded 262 unique authors. Finally, of that list of 262 unique authors, the 99 individuals who were the most cited were included in the study.

In total, these two searches yielded 212 academics of which 19 featured in both categories.

Internet

To include individuals with a strong presence on the internet we search the internet for the terms “Terrorism Expert” OR “Terror Expert” using Google at 10:12am on 20 December 2007. We accessed each accessible webpage returned in turn, noting down any individuals described by the search terms on the returned webpages. The first 25 unique names returned were included in the study.

Authors

To include popular authors on the subject of terrorism we used the search engine Google Books to search for books with the phrase ‘Terrorism’ in the title. The search was conducted at 11:00am on 3 January 2007. The first 25 unique author names returned were included in the study.

Policy World

To include figures prominent in the policy world we sought to identify individuals who regularly attended conferences and other events at influential think-tanks and policy institutes.

As a starting point we looked at institutions involved in terrorism research whose websites were linked to on the websites of the British Security Service MI5 and the US Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism – those organisations being at the centre of US and UK counter-terrorism. We compiled a list of organisations from the section of the US Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism entitled ‘Resources and Links’ and the institutions listed under ‘International Terrorism’ in MI5’s ‘Resources and Links’ page. Excluding libraries, which were not relevant for our purposes, this produced a list of 20 institutions involved in terrorism research:

Air Force Counterproliferation Center
Brookings Institution
Center for Defense Information - Terrorism Project
Center for Nonproliferation Studies: Terrorism
Center for Strategic and International Studies - Terrorism
Center for Terrorism Studies
Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence
Chatham House
Combating Terrorism Center/West Point
Council on Foreign Relations
Heritage Foundation
International Institute for Strategic Studies
International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism
Jamestown Foundation
Jane's Information Group
National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism
Strategic Studies Institute/U.S. Army War College
RAND - Terrorism
Royal United Services Institute
Wilton Park

Of those institutions we were limited to those which disclosed details of their events and in particular those that published the names of guests and attendees of past events. At each institution the names of all published attendees to events on terrorism were recorded. 23 individuals were found to have attended more than one event. They were included in the study.

A full list of the events consulted and the host institution of the event is below:

  • Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution, 25 April 2001
  • Attack Against America - Our Next Steps, Council on Foreign Relations, 20 September 2001
  • Terrorism and the New US Foreign Policy: Views from Abroad, Council on Foreign Relations, 26 September 2001
  • Understanding the War on Terrorism: Implications for American Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations, 7 November 2001
  • America’s Foreign Policy: Tradition and the War on Terrorism, Council on Foreign Relations, 14 November 2001
  • How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War, Council on Foreign Relations, 17 December 2001
  • The International Response To Global Terrorism, Chatham House, 24 January 2002
  • Rule Of Law: Keeping the Balkans Free of al Qaeda, Council on Foreign Relations, 13 February 2002
  • 9/11 and the Middle East, Chatham House, 21 March 2002
  • Tackling The Root Causes Of Terrorism, Chatham House, 20 April 2002
  • Islam And The Jihad, Chatham House, 16 May 2002
  • What Should Be Our Overall Strategy In Dealing With Terrorism?, Council on Foreign Relations, 29 May 2002
  • The Base: A Journey In Search Of Al-qaeda, Chatham House, 17 July 2002
  • Terrorism, Counter-terrorism And Human Rights, Chatham House, 13 November 2002
  • An Alternative To Terrorism, Chatham House, 18 November 2002
  • The War Against Terrorism And The Dangerous Neglect Of Human Rights, Chatham House, 21 January 2003
  • Blowback By Ricochet: Algeria, Iraq And Al-qaida, Chatham House, 13 March 2003
  • Phase III in the War on Terrorism? Challenges and Opportunities, Brookings Institution, 14 May 2003
  • Al-qaeda, Saudi Arabia And International Security, Chatham House, 12 June 2003
  • Terrorism & Human Rights, Chatham House, 11 February 2004
  • Chemical and Biological Terrorism: Forging a Response, Wilton Park, 18-20 February 2004
  • Fighting the Financing of Terrorism: Developing a Successful, Jamestown Foundation, 16 March 2004
  • Chemical and Biological Terrorism, Wilton Park, 19-21 March 2004
  • Saudi Arabia And The Threat From Terrorism: Are The Proposed Reforms Too Little, Too Late?, Chatham House, 30 June 2004
  • The Iraqi Insurgency and al-Qaeda, Jamestown Foundation, 10 July 2004
  • Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe, Council on Foreign Relations, 27 September 2004
  • "Why Is Radical Islamic Fundamentalism Gaining Ground Among Second-generation Muslims Living In The West And Converts To Islam?", Chatham House, 13 October 2004
  • Islam in a Changing World, Council on Foreign Relations, 15 November 2004
  • Insurgency and Jihad: The Iraqi Theater and Beyond, Jamestown Foundation, 11 April 2005
  • How to be Effective in Counter-Terrorism, Brookings Institution, 15 April 2005
  • John C Whitehead Lecture On Anglo-american Relations, 'soft Power And The Struggle Against Terrorism', Chatham House, 4 May 2005
  • American Counterterrorism: The Secret History and Uncertain Future, Council on Foreign Relations, 1 June 2005
  • Is Islam A Threat To The West - Session Vii - Unmasking Prejudice And Facilitating Understanding, Chatham House, 1 June 2005
  • Terrorism in the UK, Royal United Services Institute, 22 June 2005
  • How To Win the War Against Terrorism, Brookings Institution, 22 September 2005
  • Landscapes Of The Jihad, Chatham House, 12 October 2005
  • Global War on Terror Series: The War on Terror—Are We Losing?, Council on Foreign Relations, 17 November 2005
  • Are We Winning the War on Terrorism? A Report from Afghanistan, Brookings Institution, 19 January 2006
  • Politics & Terrorism, Royal United Services Institute, 16 February 2006
  • What Does Al Qaeda Want?, Chatham House, 22 February 2006
  • International Terrorism: Dimensions and Response, Council on Foreign Relations, 5 April 2006
  • The Secret History Of Al-qa'ida, Chatham House, 5 April 2006
  • What Terrorists Want: Understanding The Terrorist Threat, Chatham House, 5 June 2006
  • Evolving Tactics of Terrorism?, International Institute of Strategic Studies, 6 July 2006
  • Countering Nuclear Terrorism, Chatham House, 21 September 2006
  • Whitehall Dialogue: Counter-Terrorism: Its Impact on the Craft of Intelligence, Royal United Services Institute, 29 September 2006
  • Understanding Suicide Terrorism, Royal United Services Institute, 3 November 2006
  • Transnational Terrorism: Defeating the Threat, Royal United Services Institute, 10 November 2006
  • Politics and Terrorism, Royal United Services Institute, 14-15 February 2007
  • Countering Suicide Terrorism, Royal United Services Institute, 6 March 2007
  • Female Suicide Bombing and Europe, International Institute of Strategic Studies, 12 March 2007
  • Terrorism, Security And Civil Liberties, Chatham House, 14 March 2007
  • The Algiers Bombings: Al-Qaeda's Resurgence in North Africa, Jamestown Foundation, 17 April 2007
  • Terrorism in the UK: A Workshop on Radicalisation, Royal United Services Institute, 2 May 2007
  • CBRN Terrorism: Mapping the Threat, Wilton Park, 16-19 May 2007
  • Al Qaeda Rising?, Council on Foreign Relations, 1 June 2007
  • Jacobson: Europe’s New Terror Threat, Council on Foreign Relations, 25 July 2007
  • A Conversation with Michael Hayden, Council on Foreign Relations, 7 September 2007
  • 7th International Conference, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, 8-11 September 2007
  • Al-Qaeda and the Threat to the American Homeland, Council on Foreign Relations, 12 September 2007
  • Islamic Movements in Iraqi Kurdistan, Jamestown Foundation, 17 September 2007
  • The Long War on Terrorism and Struggle Against Extremism, Brookings Institution, 19 September 2007
  • Prepared Remarks by the FBI's Robert Mueller, Council on Foreign Relations, 28 September 2007
  • MI5 Director General's Speech on Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism and Trust, Council on Foreign Relations, 5 November 2007
  • The Future of Radical Islam in Europe, Council on Foreign Relations, 6 November 2007
  • The Al-Qaeda Triangle, Jamestown Foundation, 5 December 2007
  • Intelligence and the Sociology of Terrorism, Royal United Services Institute, 8-9 December 2006

Major World Publications

To include individuals from print media we searched Major World Publications from the news archive service LexisNexis. We searched the group file Major World Publications for items containing the phrase ‘terrorism expert’ published between 1 January 2007 and 18 January 2008.

In each item returned we noted down any individuals described as a ‘terrorism expert’. Individuals referred to more than once were included in the study. One individual, namely Brice Steele, although he was referred to as a ‘terrorism expert’ in 15 items in the sample was not included because all those items were obituaries of that individual.

LexisNexis’s Major World Publications includes the following publications:

ABIX - Australasian Business Intelligence
Advertising Age
Advertising Age Creativity
Adweek
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
Africa News
African Mining Monitor
Aging & Elder Health Week
AIDS Vaccine Week
AIDS Weekly
AIDS Weekly & Law
Aircraft Value News
AirFinance Journal
Airline Business
Airline Business Report
Airline Industry Information
Airports
Airport Security Report
Air Safety Week
Air Traffic Management
Al-Jazeera
Alpha
Alternative Investment News
American Artist
American Banker-Bond Buyer Newsletters
American Time
Amusement Business (VNU)
Angiogenesis Weekly
Anti-Infectives Week
Arable Farming
Architectural Lighting
Architectural Record
Architecture
AsiaLaw
Asiamoney
Automotive News
Automotive News Europe
Automotive News German Auto Industry Newsletter
AutoWeek
Aviation Daily
Aviation Maintenance
Aviation Week's Homeland Security & Defense
Aviation Week & Space Technology
Avionics
BackStage
Baltic News Service
Bank Systems & Technology
Bass Player
Bath Chronicle
BBC Worldwide Monitoring
Belfast News Letter
Belfast Telegraph
BI Industry Focus
Billboard
Billboard Radio Monitor
BIOMECHANICS
Biotech Business Week
Biotech Law Weekly
Biotech Week
Bioterrorism Week
Birmingham Evening Mail
Birmingham Post
Blood Weekly
Brand Strategy
Brandweek
Brisbane News
Bristol Evening Post
Broadband Business Forecast
Broadcast News
BRW Abstracts (Australia)
B to B
Builder
Building Design
Business & Commercial Aviation
Business & Finance Magazine
Business Day (South Africa)
Business Insurance
Business Travel News
Business Week
BusinessWorld
C4I News
Cabinet Maker
CableFax
CableFAX's CableWORLD
California Construction Link
Call Center Magazine
Cancer Gene Therapy Week
Cancer Law Weekly
Cancer Vaccine Week
Cancer Weekly
Cardiovascular Business Week
Cardiovascular Device Liability Week
Cardiovascular Week
Carpet & Floorcoverings Review
Caterer & Hotelkeeper
Central Office Of Information (Hermes Database)
CFO
Chemical Week
Chemist & Druggist
Chemweek Daily Newswire
China Law & Practice
Chlor-Alkali Marketwire
Clinical Oncology Week
Clinical Trials Week
Colorado Construction
Commercial Motor
Commercial Property News
Communications Technology
Communications Today
Community Care
Commuter/Regional Airline News
CommWeb
Compliance Reporter
Computer Weekly
Contract
Control and Instrumentation
Convenience Store News
Corporate Financing Week
Corporate IT Update
Corporate Money
Countryman
Couture Jeweler
Crain's Chicago Business
Crain's Cleveland Business
Crain's Detroit Business
Crain's New York Business
Creative Review
Credit Investment News
CT's Pipeline
CT's Voice Report
CT Reports
Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday
Daily News (New York)
Daily Post (Liverpool)
Daily Record & Sunday Mail
Daily Telegraph & Sunday Telegraph (Sydney)
Daily Variety
Dairy Farmer
Data Strategy
DCD Business Report
Defense Daily
Defense Daily International
Defined Contributions & Savings Plan Alert
Derivatives Week
Design Engineering
Design Week
Design Week - Dutch Stories
Deutsche Presse Agentur
Diabetes Week
Diagnostic Imaging
Digital Cinematography
Digital Connect Magazine
Disease Prevention Week
Disease Risk Factor Week
Display & Design Ideas
Doctor
Drug Law Weekly
Drug Week
Editor & Publisher Magazine
Egi Web News
Elder Law Weekly
Electricity Journal
Electric Power Daily
Electric Utility Week
Electronic Chemicals News
Electronic Engineering Times
Electronic Gaming Business
Electronic Payments Week
Electronics Weekly
Embedded Systems Design
Embroidery Monogram Business
Employee Benefits
Employers Law
Energy Compass
Energy Intelligence Briefing
Energy Network
Energy Trader
Engineering News-Record
EQ
Estates Gazette
Euromoney
European Pensions & Investments News
European Rubber Journal
Europe Information Service
EuropeMedia
EuroProperty Magazine
EuroWeek
Evening Times (Glasgow)
EXE
Farmers Guardian
FDA Law Weekly
Fiber Optics Forecast
Financial Adviser
Financial Mail (South Africa)
Financial Post Investing
Financial Times Mandate
Fitness & Wellness Business Week
Flight International
Food & Drug Law Weekly
Forestry & British Timber
Foundation & Endowment Money Management
FT Expat
Fund Action
Fund Strategy
Game Developer
Gas Daily
Gastroenterology Week
Gene Therapy Weekly
Genetics & Environmental Business Week
Genetics & Environmental Health Week
Genetics & Environmental Law Weekly
Genomics & Genetics Weekly
Glass Age
Global Investor
Global Money Management
Global News Wire
Global Power Report
Global Telecoms Business
Gourmet Retailer
Government Procurement Report
Government Video
Guitar Player
Haymarket
HD/Studio
Health & Medicine Week
Health Business Week
Healthcare Finance, Tax & Law Weekly
Healthcare Mergers, Acquisitions & Ventures Week
Health Insurance Law Weekly
Health Insurance Week
Health Risk Factor Week
Heart Disease Weekly
Helicopter News
Hematology Week
Hepatitis Weekly
Herald Sun & Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Het Financieele Dagblad (English)
Hobart Mercury/Sunday Tasmanian
Hospital & Nursing Home Week
Hospital Business Week
Hospital Doctor
Hospitality Design
Hospital Law Weekly
Hydrocarbon Processing
ICIS Chemical Business
ICIS Chemical Business America
Immunotherapy Weekly
Impressions
Incentive
Industry Week
Informa Business Publications
Information Bank Abstracts
InformationWeek
Inside Digital TV
Inside Energy/with Federal Lands
Inside F.E.R.C.
Inside F.E.R.C.'s Gas Market Report
Inside N.R.C.
Institutional Investor (America's Edition)
Institutional Investor (International Edition)
In Store Marketing
Insurance & Technology
Intelligent Enterprise
Intermountain Contractor
International Financial Adviser
International Herald Tribune
International Money Marketing
International Oil Daily
International Petroleum Finance
International Securities Finance
Internet Business News
Investment Adviser
Investment News
IT Architect
IT Contracts
Jet Fuel Intelligence
Kid's Marketing Report
Kiplinger Publications
Kirkus Reviews
Kitchen & Bath Business
Korea Herald
Korea Times
Lab Business Week
Lab Law Weekly
LatinFinance
Law & Health Weekly
Lawyers Weekly
Legal PR Bulletin
Legal Week
Life Science Weekly
Liverpool Echo
Lloyd's List
Los Angeles Times (most recent 6 months)
Louisiana Contractor
Maghreb Confidential
Mainichi Daily News
Malaria Weekly
Managed Care Business Week
Managed Care Law Weekly
Managed Care Weekly Digest
Managed Services Insider
Management Today
Marketing Week
Marketing Y Medios
McGraw-Hill Publications
MD Week
Media Business
Media Industry Newsletter
Medialine
MediaWeek
Medical Device Business Week
Medical Device Law Weekly
Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week
Medical Imaging Business Week
Medical Imaging Law Weekly
Medical Imaging Week
Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA
Medical Patent Business Week
Medical Patent Law Weekly
Medical Patent Week
Medical Verdicts & Law Weekly
Medicine & Law Weekly
Megawatt Daily
Mental Health Business Week
Mental Health Law Weekly
Mental Health Weekly Digest
Mergers and Acquisitions Journal
Mermigas on Media
Metals Week
Metalworking Production
Miami Herald
Microscope
Mid-Atlantic Construction
Middle East Newsfile (Moneyclips)
Middlesbrough Evening Gazette
Midland Independent Newspapers
Midwest Construction
MiMegasite
Min's Advertising Report
MIN's B2B
Mining Magazine
Mobile Matters
Modern Healthcare
Modern Physician
Money Management
Money Management Letter
Money Marketing
Mortgage Strategy
Moscow News
Motor Transport
MTI Econews
Multi-Housing News
Music Week
National Jeweler
National Post
Natural Gas Week
Nefte Compass
NEFT Trader
Network Computing
New Media Age
New Media Creative
New Musical Express
Newsday (most recent 6 months)
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
Newsweek
New TV Strategies
New York Construction
Nordic Business Report
Northern Territory News (Australia)
Northwest Construction
Nuclear Fuel
Nucleonics Week
Nursing Home & Elder Business Week
NZ Infotech Weekly (Wellington)
Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week
Obesity & Diabetes Week
OBGYN & Reproduction Week
Occupational Health
Off Licence News
Oil & Gas Journal
Oil Daily
Oil Market Intelligence
Oncology Business Week
Operations Management
Optimize
Ottawa Citizen
Overhaul & Maintenance
Packaging Magazine
Pain & Central Nervous System Week
Pasha Publications
Patient Care Law Weekly
Pensions Age
Pensions and Investments
Pensions Management
Pensions Week
Personnel Today
Petroleum Economist
Petroleum Intelligence Weekly
Pharma Business Week
Pharmacy Today
Pharma Investments, Ventures & Law Weekly
Pharma Law Weekly
Pharma Marketletter
Photo District News
Physician and Sportsmedicine
Physician Business Week
Physician Law Weekly
Planning
Plastics News
Platt's International Coal Report
Platt's Petrochemicals Report
Platts Coal Outlook
Platts Coal Trader
Platts Coal Trader International
Platts Energy Business & Technology
Platts Oilgram News
Platts Oilgram Price Report
Platts Retail Energy
Polish News Bulletin
Post Graduate Medicine
Post Magazine
Potentials
Power, Finance and Risk
Power Magazine
Power Markets Week
Precision Marketing
Precision Marketing - Dutch Stories
Presentations
Preventive Medicine Week
Printing World
Private Asset Management
PR News
Process Engineering
Project Finance
Pro Sound News
Proteomics Weekly
Psychiatric Times
PUBID;BUYOTS
PUBID;EURVCJ
PUBID;PRIVEW
PUBID;SDPNWS
PUBID;VENTCJ
Public Private Finance
Pulse
RCR Wireless News
Reactions
Real Estate Finance and Investment
Reinsurance Magazine
Rental and Staging Systems
Residential Systems
Respiratory Therapeutics Week
Retail Week
Review of Banking and Financial Services
Revolution
Rotor & Wing
Rubber & Plastics News
Sales & Marketing Management
Satellite News
Satellite Today
Science Letter
Securities Week
South Central Construction
South China Morning Post
Southeast Construction
South Wales Echo
Southwest Contractor
Space & Missile Defense Report
Sporting Goods Business
Sporting Goods Dealer
Sports Argus
Sports Marketing
St. Petersburg Times
State & Local Health Law Weekly
Stem Cell Week
Sunday Herald
Sunday Mercury
Sunday Times (South Africa)
Surgery Litigation & Law Weekly
Systems Contractor News
Tarifica Alert
TB & Outbreaks Week
TechNews
Technology & Learning
TechWeb
Telecom Policy Report
Telecom Tactics Insider
Telecomweb news break
Telecomworldwire
Telemedicine Business Week
Telemedicine Law Weekly
Telemedicine Week
Television Broadcast
Television Week
Televisual
Terror Response Technology Report
Texas Construction
The Advertiser/Sunday Mail (Australia)
The Age (Melbourne, Australia)
The Australian
The Australian Financial Review Abstracts
The Banker
TheBookStandard.com
The Boston Globe
The Business
The Business Times Singapore
The Canberra Times
The Christian Science Monitor
The Courier Mail and The Sunday Mail (Australia)
The Daily and Sunday Telegraph (London)
The Daily Deal
The Daily Star and Sunday Star
The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo)
The Dominion (Wellington)
The Dominion Post (Wellington)
The Economist
The Edge Malaysia
The Edge Singapore
The Engineer
The Evening Post (Wellington)
The Evening Standard (London)
The Express
The Gazette (Montreal)
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
The Grocer
The Guardian (London)
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Hollywood Reporter
The Independent and Independent on Sunday (London)
The Investors Chronicle
The Irish Times
The Japan Times
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Report
The Kalgoorlie Miner
The Lawyer
The Mirror and The Sunday Mirror
The Moscow Times
The Nation (Thailand)
The News of the World
The New Yorker
The New York Times
The New York Times - Biographical Materials
The New York Times - Government Biographical Materials
The New Zealand Herald
The Nikkei Weekly (Japan)
The Northern Echo
The Observer
The People
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Practitioner
The Prague Post
The Press (Christchurch)
The Progressive Grocer
The Review of Securities and Commodities Regulation
The Scotsman & Scotland on Sunday
The Straits Times (Singapore)
The Sun
The Sunday Express
The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
The Times & Sunday Times
The Toronto Star
The Toronto Sun
The Washington Post
The Washington Post Biographical Stories
The Washington Times
The Weekly of Business Aviation
The Weekly Times
The West Australian
The Western Mail
Tire Business
Total Securitization
Trade Finance
Training
Training Magazine
Travel Trade Gazette UK & Ireland
Travel Weekly
Tuberculosis Week
USA Today
Utility Week
Vaccine Weekly
VARBusiness
Variety
Very Light Jet Report
Via Satellite
Videography
Virus Weekly
VNU Entertainment News Wire
VRL Knowledgebank Newsletters
Wales on Sunday
Wall Street & Technology
Wall Street Journal Abstracts
Wall Street Letter
Warren Publications
Waste News
Western Daily Press
What's new in Building
What's new in Industry
Wilmington Publications
Wireless Data Forecast
Women's Health Law Weekly
Women's Health Weekly
Workforce Management
World Disease Weekly
World Gas Intelligence
World Oil
WorldSources - Emerging Markets
Worldwide Computer Product News
Xtreme Information

Television

To include experts from television we used two databases which catalogue UK television broadcasts; BBC Motion Gallery and ITN Source. BBC Motion Gallery includes all programmes produced by the BBC. ITN Source stocks largely news bulletins and news rushes produced by ITN. The search at the BBC Motion Gallery archive was limited to items filed under the categories of News or Current Affairs, whilst the search at ITN Source was limited to items categorised under ITN and Channel 4. Both archives were searched for items labelled with the term ‘terrorism expert’ broadcast between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2006. All individuals referred to as a terrorism expert in the accompanying archival notes were included in the study. This yielded 62 individuals.

Individuals identified in a previous study

32 individuals were included in the study because they were found to be influential terrorism experts in a previous study[1] conducted by Edward Herman and Gerry O’Sullivan in 1989.

Additional individuals

Finally we added 53 additional individuals who we considered important and influential in the counter-terrorism field. These individuals are listed below:

Robert Baer
Simon Barrett
Jillian Becker
Scott L. Campbell
Gerard Chaliand
Michael Chandler
David Charters
Angelo Codevilla
Christopher Coker
Irwin Cotler
Paul Cruickshank
Midge Decter
James Denton
Barry Desker
Matthew Devost
Avi Dichter
Rachel Ehrenfeld
Mark Ensalaco
Jean-Pierre Filiu
Samuel Finer
Andrew Garfield
Farid Ghadry
Rebecca Givner-Forbes
Russell Howard
Larry Johnson
Ahmad Kamal
Frank Kitson
Alyssa A. Lappen
Matthew Levitt
Clare M. Lopez
Laurie Mylroie
Michael Noone
Haniff Omar
Chris Pope
Walter Purdy
Louise Richardson
Gabrielle Rifkind
Paul Rogers
David Schenker
Stephen Schwartz
Hemant H. Shah
Michael Shrimpton
Duncan Slater
Clark Staten
Michael Swetnam
Raymond Tanter
Robert Thompson
David Veness
Jusuf Wanandi
Tracy-Paul Warrington
Ilan Weinglass
Aaron Weisburd
Meyrav Wurmser

Further study

Having collected a list of 437 individual terrorism experts from a variety of sources, the next stage in the study involved testing their relative prominence in different areas.

The Print Media

We were interested in using the Bulk List to compile a list of the 100 most prominent terrorism experts in print media. To do so we searched the group file Major World Newspapers from the news archive service LexisNexis. We searched the Major World Newspapers group file for items published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2007 which contained the individual’s name as well as any reference to ‘terrorism’, ‘terrorist’ or any variation of the phrase ‘suicide bomb’.

Our name searches were based on the Christian name and Surname of the experts. Where the use of a middle name, middle initial or a variation on the individual’s Christian name appeared to be in common use this was also incorporated into the search. Whether or not this was the case was determined by a Google search of the individual’s Christian name and Surname and the term ‘terrorism’. Any variations used in the first twenty results returned were incorporated into the search.

Several amendments were made on the basis that the names are in common use and do not refer to the relevant individual. A search for Richard Brennan returned 121 items but 119 of those were articles written by a Toronto Star journalist of the same name. Similarly a search for John Downing returned 114 items but 103 were articles written by the Toronto Sun journalist of the same name. A search for Ali Khan, Robert Thompson and David George returned 520, 255 and 52 items respectively but were excluded because they referred predominantly to other individuals.

Television

We were interested in using the Bulk List to compile a list of approximately 100 of the most prominent terrorism experts from that list appearing on UK Television. To do so we used two databases which catalogue UK television broadcasts; BBC Motion Gallery and ITN Source. BBC Motion Gallery includes all programmes produced by the BBC. ITN Source stocks largely news bulletins and news rushes produced by ITN.

Both archives were searched for items including each expert’s name broadcast between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2006. Our search at the BBC Motion Gallery archive was limited to items filed under the categories of News or Current Affairs, whilst the search at ITN Source was limited to items categorised under ITN and Channel 4. Only appearances relating to terrorism were recorded. Any items referring to ‘terror’, ‘Islamic fundamentalism’, ‘extremism’ or ‘suicide bombing’ were treated as relating to terrorism.

Other pages

Compilation Lists

Expert's Influence Lists

Institution's Influence Lists

References

  1. ↑ Edward S. Herman, and Gerry O'Sullivan, The ‘Terrorism’ Industry: The Experts and Institutions That Shape Our View of Terror (New York: Pantheon Books, 1989)
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