Data
This project is closely associated with a series of data collection efforts surrounding the Ethnic Power Relations (EPR) data set.
The Family of EPR data sets comprises of a number of data bases that offer information on ethnic groups’ access to state power, their settlement patterns, links to rebel organizations, transborder ethnic kin relations, and intra-ethnic cleavages.
The Ethnic Power Relations Data Set
At the core is the Ethnic Power Relations (EPR Core) data set, which identifies all politically relevant ethnic groups and their degree of access to executive power at the level of the central state. Furthermore, this data set also captures the regional power status of ethnic groups by coding whether they hold significant sub-state power in the form of regional autonomy. The EPR Core data set covers all countries of the world with a population of at least 250,000, from 1946 to 2017 (Vogt et al., 2015; Cederman, Wimmer and Min, 2010).
Members of this project have been heavily involved in the EPR data collection initiative, having particularly contributed valuable regional expertise during the recent update of the EPR Core data set, which inter alia, extended its coverage to 2017.
The EPR-Organizations Data Project
A substantial component of the R4D project is, furthermore, the compilation of a new data resource called the EPR-Organizations data set. Building directly on the EPR Core data base, this original data collection will record electoral as well as non-electoral political organizations that represent the interests of ethnic groups at the national level of all countries included in EPR (Vogt and Gleditsch, 2016). These data will, for the first time, facilitate systematic analyses with regard to the different organisational actors that translate ethnic grievances into political actions, be they peaceful or violent, and thereby to shed important light on processes of collective action and group mobilization. As such, this will be a crucial resource for realising one of the project’s key scientific goals.
The GROWup Platform
All current data sets can be accessed via GROWup (Geographical Research on War, Unified Platform). This recently revamped online platform comprises of a user interface whereby information on politically relevant ethnic groups, their settlement areas, and their access to state power from 1946 to 2017 can be easily visualized as well as downloaded in a research-ready format, combined with information on intrastate conflicts. In addition, the GROWup platform also provides detailed documentation of all country codings, available via its EPR Atlas.
References:
Cederman, Lars-Erik, Andreas Wimmer, and Brian Min. (2010). "Why do ethnic groups rebel? New data and analysis." World Politics, 62:87-119.
Vogt, Manuel, Nils-Christian Bormann, Seraina Rüegger, Lars-Erik Cederman, Philipp Hunziker, and Luc Girardin. 2015. "Integrating data on ethnicity, geography, and conflict: the Ethnic Power Relations Dataset Family." Journal of Conflict Resolution 59(7):1327-1342.
Vogt, Manuel and Kristian Skrede Gleditsch. (2016). “The EPR-Organisations data project: project description and coding instructions”. Codebook.