Peace research
Peace research is the interdisciplinary study of the causes of war, conditions for peace, and ways to prevent or resolve conflict.
Peace: A condition or process in which violence and organized conflict are absent or reduced. The broad subject that peace research defines, measures, and seeks to explain.
Conflict analysis: The systematic examination of a conflict's actors, causes, dynamics, and context. It organizes the evidence needed to explain a conflict and identify possible interventions.
Johan Galtung: A Norwegian sociologist who founded the Journal of Peace Research and developed influential concepts of structural violence and positive peace. His concepts helped establish peace research as a distinct field of inquiry.
Conflict prevention: Actions taken to prevent disputes from escalating into violence or armed conflict. Research on warning signs and risk factors can guide interventions before violence begins.
Correlates of War project: A research project that compiles systematic data on wars, militarized disputes, and related phenomena. Its datasets support comparative tests of claims about war's causes and patterns.
Violence: The use of physical force or power that causes or threatens injury, death, or deprivation. Peace researchers distinguish direct violence from structural forms of harm.
Conflict escalation: The process by which a dispute intensifies in hostility, violence, or participation. Escalation models help identify when and how disputes become armed conflict.
Journal of Peace Research: An academic journal founded in 1964 that publishes research on peace, conflict, and violence. Its founding institutionalized empirical peace research and gave the field a dedicated forum.
Peacebuilding: Efforts to establish institutions and relationships that reduce the risk of renewed violence. Peace research evaluates how post-conflict changes can sustain peace beyond a ceasefire.
Uppsala Conflict Data Program: A research program that collects and classifies data on organized violence and armed conflict. Its definitions and records shape how researchers compare conflict trends across time and place.