Terrorism - An International Journal

"Modern day terrorism is a challenge to every society. It is an issue which some how affects every person in the global community and inspires fear in many. Through the increased use of victimization, psychological warfare and munitions technology “Low Intensity Conflict” – a new form of warfare in which soldiers are indistinguishable from civilians. Yet, som say “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom-fighter.” The terrorist may be viewed as criminal by some and heroic by others. Politics, propaganda and patriotism cloud the issue, and the public remains confused or overwhelmed. Experts debate on the most effective means to eliminate the ever-present danger of terrorist incidents. It is a controversial subject – one not yet fully understood – and the questions and concerns surrounding the topic have fueled an enormous amount of documentation and scholarly research in the past twenty-five years.

Despite the abundance of published and unpublished material on terrorism, no serious effort has previously been made to assemble a comprehensive bibliographic and documentary source. Responding to this need for a definitive source of information, UMI – under the direction of scholars and professionals involved in the study of terrorism worldwide – is developing an ongoing publishing program which provides access to the diversified literature available. Terrorism: An International Resource File is an index and document delivery service supplying timely information on and about terrorism.

The centerpiece of the International Resource File on terrorism is an annual comprehensive, annotated index to documents, policy statements, position papers, lectures, reports, monographs, newsletters, conference proceedings, broadcasts, manuals and other material drawn from a number of governmental, non-governmental and intergovernmental sources. Each annual index will reference documents from all regions of the world as well as from international organizations such as the United Nations. The indexed literature embraces all aspects of terrorism from motivations to responses – from hostage-taking and nuclear intimidation to state-sponsored terrorism and the role of the media – and is categorized in the index by author, title, subject, genre and geographic area.

Each year, beginning with 1986 material, a selection of the most important but difficult-to-access documents will be microfilmed in their entirety. The microfiche documents are selected in consultation with an International Advisory Board and other experts in the field. They are chosen on the basis on intrinsic value to specific interdisciplinary concerns and the regional and global study of terrorism.

Releases of backfile material covering five and ten year spans from 1960 to 1985 will be organized in separate indexes. Selected documents from these periods – those most difficult to access – will also be made available on microfiche.

In 1991, a single volume 30 year bibliography will be published, encompassing material from 1960-1991. The bibliography will be edited by Dr. Yonah Alexander, Director and Professor of the Institute for Studies in International Terrorism at the State University of New York.

These four elements embodying the International Resource File, represent the most comprehensive collection of terrorism information ever compiled and will greatly promote topical research."- From Pamphlet: Terrorism International Journal