Towards open and reproducible terrorism studies: current trends and next steps

Abstract

In recent years, the use of primary data in terrorism research has increased. In order to maximise the benefits of this trend, we want to encourage terrorism scholars to implement open science practices more systematically. This article therefore presents different avenues towards open and reproducible terrorism studies. After introducing the open science movement and advantages of open science, we report an online survey study (N = 75) that shows that terrorism researchers have favourable attitudes towards and are keen to engage in open science activities. Findings, however, also point to key challenges that might prevent the implementation of open science in terrorism studies. Survey respondents were particularly concerned about sharing sensitive data, the risk of malicious practices, publishing in low-impact open access outlets, and indicated that open science seemed mainly targeted at quantitative research. To illustrate how researchers from different backgrounds and with potential resource restrictions can adopt open science practices, we propose practical solutions to address and reflect on these barriers.