Un- and Under-researched topics in (Counter-) Terrorism Studies

An article by Alex P. Schmid lists 50 topics in the field of (counter-)terrorism that are either un-researched or under-researched. Im not going to list them all here, but there are a few that caught my eye.

ISIS vs. al Qaeda: comparing and contrasting organizational structures.

ISIS's rise to infamy was rather fascinating. In 2014, they took over portions of Iraq and were aiming to achieve their goal of a caliphate. The world definately took notice, and ISIS might have been considered more dangerous a group than al Qaeda around that time, but the very fact that there was an al Qaeda and an ISIS shows that there was a different in ideology and (perhaps) management. What separates ISIS from al Qaeda? Are they organized any differently?

Terrorists released from prison: subsequent careers.

This would be an interesting find. What happens to extremists after being released from prison? Where do they go? How do these people attempt to re-assimilate into society? Do they try? Is their view on what society is and their path to extremism rather one and the same?

The targeting logic of terrorist attacks

(I think this was already explored in Berman's book, to a degree) What mode of attack do extremists use and under what circumstances do they use them? Why do they choose that particular mode of attack?

The terrorism - organized crime nexus: new insights and developments

This is by far one of the topics that I'm most interested in. Terrorism and organized crime aim at different kinds of ends, but find more use for each other than the public knows. What might we learn about (and from) the crossover between terrorism and drug trafficking? What about terrorism and human trafficking? etc.

Other:

• Freedom of speech vs. incitement to terrorism: the response of the courts
• Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Buddhists under attack for their faith: a quantitative comparison in the post-Cold War period – claims vs. facts.
• The Arab Awakening and its possible implications for terrorism and international counterterrorism cooperation.
• Is there a disconnect between academic research on terrorism and the counter-terrorist intelligence community's knowledge (and knowledge requirements) regarding terrorism?
• Non-violent popular revolt and Salafist Jihadism: competing paradigms for political change in the Islamic world.
• New strategies for identifying and countering extremist ideologies on the Internet.
• The rehabilitation of terrorists vs. the rehabilitation of common criminals in prison: recidivism records compared

Resources

Schmid, A. 2011. "50 Un- and Under-researched Topics in the Field of (Counter-) Terrorism Studies". Perspectives on Terrorism Vol 5, No 1.