Open research questions in Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
505 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 6,663 Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The lack of robust empirical evidence supporting the relationship between income inequality and terrorism. The disconnect between policy assumptions and empirical findings. The need to evaluate publication bias in meta-analysis.
The lack of discourse-analytic examination of extreme-right fiction. The need for a deeper understanding of how narratives connect events and appraise their social/political meaning. The gap in knowledge about the specific ways that fantasies of agency and violence function in extreme-right narratives.
The tendency to focus on political leaders, such as Western public elites, limits analysis of insurgent leadership and the framing of activism. The analysis of rhetoric employed by insurgent leaders needs to move beyond considerations of strategy and doctrine. There is a need to move from abstract theorisation to practical application.
the survey was limited to participants from the United States and the United Kingdom, - the sample size for non-binary gender non-conforming participants was small (n = 71), - the study relied on self-reported data from participants
Little is known about the more extreme forms of hate, harassment, or abuse within gaming spaces. There is a lack of research on the expression of extremist sentiment in games. The paper aims to address this gap in research knowledge.
Despite significant interdisciplinary interest, questions regarding the limits of algorithmization in state policy to counter radicalism and extremism remain insufficiently explored in academic discourse, requiring additional efforts from a political science perspective.
Political, legal and operational aspects of applying artificial intelligence technologies in government policies to counter radicalism and extremism: the limits of algorithmization · 2026 · DOITaken together, the results underscore the need for further research into the role of psychopathology in terrorist behavior, as well as its implications for prevention and early detection.
¿Está la psicopatología relacionada con el terrorismo? Una revisión sistemática sobre las evidencias disponibles en actores grupales y solitarios · 2026 · DOIWhile implicit in many theoretical and empirical writings, these five questions remain to be codified and synthesized in one comprehensive analysis. Perhaps they can be excused in this instance since the Irish case is so widely known, if not fully understood (e.
The gap in the literature is the lack of studies on the media representation of counter-terrorism efforts and their impact on public opinion and national security.
The case-based approach trades breadth for depth. The study is subject to the standard limitations of documentary analysis. The gap between design and practice is not fully captured by document analysis alone.
Between security and belonging: state policy on religious extremism, political values and the politics of identity · 2026 · DOIThe mainstream literature on political violence and terrorism studies has tended to privilege operational and security-centered frameworks, neglecting the value-laden nature of counter-extremism policy. There is a need for a more systematically comparative and normatively engaged analysis of the relationship between counter-extremism policy, political values, and collective identity.
Between security and belonging: state policy on religious extremism, political values and the politics of identity · 2026 · DOIThe ongoing debate surrounding extremist digital content has not adequately addressed the engineering design of digital platforms. The research gap lies in understanding how digital platforms are designed to produce extremism.
The Architect of Illusion Dissecting the Design of Digital Platforms as Machines for Producing Extremism – A Critical Analytical Study in Light of the Circular Model (CM-PIM) · 2026 · DOIThe study highlights the gap in knowledge on large-sample empirical studies of intentional civilian killings by nonstate actors. Prior work on state-perpetrated genocides and mass atrocities is discussed, but the paper notes that less is known about NSA-perpetrated killings.
Civilian Mass Killings Perpetrated by Nonstate Actors: Data Trends and Theoretical and Empirical Risk Factors · 2026 · DOIState terrorism is a complex and sensitive topic. MNEs may be reluctant to disclose information about their involvement in state terrorism. Researching state terrorism can be challenging due to limited access to data and information.
State terrorism and multinational enterprises: understanding the links and why it matters · 2026 · DOIThe relationship between state terrorism and MNEs is understudied. International business-terrorism literature has predominantly focused on non-state terrorism. There is a need to understand how MNEs are linked to state terrorism and its implications.
State terrorism and multinational enterprises: understanding the links and why it matters · 2026 · DOIThere is a lack of established frameworks for analyzing radicalization of public figures towards far-right ideologies. Prior research focuses on Islamist and violent extremism, with limited understanding of radicalization processes among public figures who adopt far-right ideologies.
Silencing or strengthening? Ostracism and far-right radicalization of public figures. A mixed-method case study of a German civil rights activist · 2026 · DOIExisting approaches often rely on static representations and do not capture the sequential and adversarial dynamics underlying real-world intervention processes. There is a need for an explainable, game-theoretic multi-agent reinforcement learning framework that can simulate and analyze adaptive terrorist network disruption.
The study identifies a gap in research on Sudan's efforts in combating terrorism. The study highlights the need for further research on international cooperation in combating terrorism.
The study identifies the challenge of addressing extremism through early identification of ignorance-related behaviors. The study highlights the need to reconceptualise ignorance as a dynamic enabler of extremism.
The Nuances of ‘Holy Ignorance’ and Its Variants in Enabling Extremism: A Systematic Analysis · 2026 · DOIFuture research should address extremism through early identification of ignorance-related behaviors. Future research should examine the role of ignorance in enabling extremism in specific sociocultural settings.
The Nuances of ‘Holy Ignorance’ and Its Variants in Enabling Extremism: A Systematic Analysis · 2026 · DOIThe dataset is limited by a large number of missing observations, specifically in petitions_filled and petition_outcome variables. The coding decisions are based entirely on the researcher's own assessment, drawing on documented foreign policy positions, think tank analyses, and credible news sources. The dataset coverage is cut off in early April 2026, and it represents the knowledge available at that time.
The absence of clear and standardized delisting procedures is a problem because it obstructs dialogue and constrains groups' transition towards peace partners. Prior work has under-examined the problems that follow labeling groups as terrorists. The mission of finding rigorous and insightful papers that offer a normative criticism of the lack of delisting procedures was a tough one.
Understanding the complex and disputed nature of terrorism. Addressing the gap in the literature explaining how violence is structured and why individuals become radicalized. Developing effective counterterrorism strategies that prioritize both motivation and capability.
From Radicalization to Terrorism: The Role of Sponsorship in Sustaining Political Violence · 2026 · DOIThe literature lacks a comprehensive explanation of how violence is structured and why individuals become radicalized. The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the relationship between radicalization and terrorism.
From Radicalization to Terrorism: The Role of Sponsorship in Sustaining Political Violence · 2026 · DOIThere is a lack of studies on the temporal and cross-national variation of antisemitic hostility - The gap between generalist and particularist arguments has not been adequately addressed
What Drives Antisemitic Hostility in the Twenty-First Century? A Comparative Case Study of Germany, Sweden, and Russia (1990–2020) · 2026 · DOI
Most-cited papers in Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
- Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection? · The Journal of Economic Perspectives · 2003 · 833 citations
- Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals · Signs · 1987 · 822 citations
- The Causes of Terrorism · Comparative Politics · 1981 · 777 citations
- The “Mainstreaming” of America: Violence Profile No. 11 · Journal of Communication · 1980 · 777 citations
- The Staircase to Terrorism: A Psychological Exploration. · American Psychologist · 2005 · 700 citations
- The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism · American Political Science Review · 2003 · 629 citations
- Conceptualizing Resistance · Sociological Forum · 2004 · 600 citations
- The Psychology of Radicalization and Deradicalization: How Significance Quest Impacts Violent Extremism · Political Psychology · 2014 · 595 citations
- Monster, Terrorist, Fag: The War on Terrorism and the Production of Docile Patriots · Social Text · 2002 · 580 citations
- Idealist Internationalism and the Security Dilemma · World Politics · 1950 · 546 citations
Most recent work
- Developmental considerations for assessing the risk of extremist violence in adolescents. · Journal of Threat Assessment and Management · 2026
- The global rise of extremisms: towards a gendered analytical framework · European Journal of Politics and Gender · 2026
- Do terrorist attacks polarize politicians? Evidence from the European parliamentary speeches on migration · Journal of Peace Research · 2026
- Noncombatant rebels: coercion, social mobility, and turbulent cooperation · Journal of Peace Research · 2026
- Manifestations of Georgian Muslim counterpublics · Central Asian Survey · 2026
- Islamic religiosity, Islamophobia and gendered harms · Ethnicities · 2026
- A Comparative Analysis of Hate Crimes Against Asians in the USA, 1996–2022 · Journal of International Migration and Integration / Revue de l integration et de la migration internationale · 2026
- A transformation of political violence? Substitution and complementarity in terrorism and civil war · Defence and Peace Economics · 2026
- Beyond the headlines: the intangible costs of terrorism · Economica · 2026
- Imputations, inverse hyperbolic sines and impossible values · Nature Human Behaviour · 2026
Find a gap in your own Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence sub-topic
This page shows what the Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.
Open the Research Gap Finder →