The Qualitative Challenge of Insurgency Informatics

摘要

Terrorism and insurgency analysis depends critically on qualitative understanding, to ensure that quantitative work is on target. Key concerns include: qualitative analysis distorted by policy expectation, obstructed by com-partmentalization and classification, and mistaken when drawing from the wrong history and experience. Open presentation of analytic processes allows more effective judgment of the credibility of analysis and interpretations. Data itself will not be the problem, but rather the constructs and methodologies used to assemble the data into conclusions. These challenges are at the heart of terrorist informatics.