The Rebel Contraband Dataset (RCD) measures if and how rebel groups earn income from the exploitation of natural resources or criminal activities. It makes three contributions to data in this area. First, it covers a wide range of natural resources and types of crime. Second, it measures rebel engagement in these activities over time. Third, it distinguishes between different resources that rebel groups can exploit (such as specific minerals and drugs) and the strategies that rebel groups can employ, such as extortion and smuggling. Research can use the dataset to explore questions about the onset, location, severity, and outcomes of civil conflicts.
Download the data, codebook, detailed list of notes and sources, and article describing the data here.
Global Resources Dataset
The Global Resources Dataset (GRD) is the world’s largest time-varying, spatial natural resources dataset. The current version of the GRD covers 197 resources and in 116 countries. All 77,000 observations have latitude and longitude coordinates, and most observations contain resource output information as well as price/value details from multiple sources.
Download the data, codebook, and article describing the data here.
Rebel Human Rights Violations Dataset
For decades, political scientists have collected and analyzed data on the degree to which governments respect a wide range of human rights. The Rebel Human Rights Violations Dataset extends this approach, measuring violations of physical integrity rights (such as extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, and so on) by rebel forces during civil wars.
Download the data, codebook, and article describing the data here.