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A Note on Method

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Understanding Lone Wolf Terrorism

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Criminology ((BRIEFSCRIMINOL))

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Abstract

The comparative analysis presented in this volume draws on existing literature and empirical data to provide an overview and critical discussion of what we presently know and do not know about lone wolf terrorism. Due to the dearth of systematic academic research on the subject, extensive empirical data are used to enable a more in-depth analysis of the key dimensions of lone wolf terrorism. The bulk of these data was initially collected and analyzed as part of the European Commission Sixth Framework Program project Transnational Terrorism, Security and the Rule of Law (TTSRL), a three-year research project (2006–2009) that aimed to help Europe better understand terrorism. TTSRL focused on a broad range of terrorism-related subjects, including radicalization, the relation with the media, counterterrorism, theoretical background, academic discourse and practical case studies.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The initial database of lone wolf terrorism compiled by the author in 2007 [1, 2] contained significant gaps, most of which have subsequently been resolved.

  2. 2.

    The arson attack on a house inhabited by refugees in Lübeck, Germany, in January 1996 is a case in point. The attack killed ten people and injured 38. Investigators suspected Safwan Eid, a Lebanese national living in the house. Others claimed that it was the work of neo-Nazis and that the accused was in fact a victim. Eid was twice acquitted due to lack of evidence. The case may be reopened due to new evidence that four neo-Nazis were the perpetrators of the attack.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Dr. Ramón Spaaij

Authors
  1. Dr. Ramón Spaaij
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Correspondence to Ramón Spaaij .

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Spaaij, R. (2012). A Note on Method. In: Understanding Lone Wolf Terrorism. SpringerBriefs in Criminology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2981-0_2

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