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International Relations *

A guide to databases and scholarly online sources that support conducting research in international relations and comparative politics.

Specialized Handbooks

SPECIALIZED RESEARCH HANDBOOKS

Handbooks are useful for obtaining background information about contemporary theories, concepts, issues, events, or topics and for understanding how scholars have debated the topics of security and intelligence. These handbooks are available either electronically and/or located on the book shelves in the Medicine Crow Center Library for International and Public Affairs.

Intelligence and Counterespionage

Dover, Robert., Huw Dylan, and Michael S. Goodman, editors. The Palgrave Handbook of Security, Risk and Intelligence. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
This handbook provides a detailed analysis of threats and risk in the international system and of how governments and their intelligence services must adapt and function in order to manage the evolving security environment characterized by complexity. The development of disruptive digital technologies, the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure, asymmetric threats such as terrorism, and the privatization of national intelligence capabilities are covered in the context of security and risk management. Scholars also explore the changing nature of conflict and crises; interaction of the global with the local; the impact of technological; the proliferation of hostile ideologies and the challenge this poses to traditional models of intelligence; and the impact of all these factors on governance and ethical frameworks.

Gearon, Liam. The Routledge International Handbook of Universities, Security and Intelligence Studies. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2020.
With case studies from across the world, this handbook provides a comparative, in-depth analysis of the historical and contemporary relationships between global universities, national security, and intelligence agencies. Among topics covered is the intellectual frame for our understanding of the university-security-intelligence network; the reciprocal interplay of personnel from universities to the security and intelligence agencies and vice versa; terrorism research as an important dimension of security and intelligence within and beyond universities; and the implication of security and intelligence in diplomacy, journalism and as an element of public policye.

Gray, David C. and Stephen E. Henderson, editors. The Cambridge Handbook of Surveillance Law. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
This handbook documents and organizes conversations around the conundrum about how to ensure safety, stability, and efficiency while respecting privacy and individual liberty, compounded by ever-changing technologies and evolving social norms. Contributors explore surveillance techniques and technologies; their value for law enforcement, national security, and private enterprise; their impacts on citizens and communities; and the many ways societies do as well as should, regulate surveillance.

Johnson, Loch K. The Oxford Handbook of National Security Intelligence. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2010. [Medicine Crow Center Library bookstacks JF1525. I6O97 2010]
The book surveys the current literature on national security intelligence, presenting a synthesis of theories and findings. The handbook discusses national security intelligence within a political and historical context, explaining how intelligence agencies operate and how they collect information from around the world. It examines the problems that come with transforming raw information into credible analysis, and the difficulties involved in disseminating intelligence to policymakers. It also explores the balance between secrecy and public accountability, and the ethical dilemmas that covert operations routinely present to intelligence agencies.

Locke, Chelsea, James M. Nyce, and Bob de Graaff, editors. Handbook of European Intelligence Cultures. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2016.
National intelligence cultures are shaped by their country's history and environment. Featuring thirty-two countries (such as Albania, Belgium, Croatia, Norway, Latvia, Montenegro), the work provides insight into a number of rarely discussed national intelligence agencies to allow for comparative study, offering hard to find information into one volume. In their chapters, the contributors, who are all experts from the countries discussed, address the intelligence community rather than focus on a single agency. They examine the environment in which an organization operates, its actors, and cultural and ideological climate, to cover both the external and internal factors that influence a nation's intelligence community.


International Security

Bosilca, Ruxandra-Laura, Susana de Sousa Ferreira, and Barry J. Ryan, editors. Routledge Handbook of Maritime Security. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2022.
This handbook offers a critical analysis of maritime security and documents the most pressing strategic, economic, socio-cultural, and legal questions surrounding it. The volume also presents a wide variety of theoretical positions on maritime security, detailing its achievements, and outlining outstanding issues faced by those in the field. The book includes studies which cover the entire spectrum of activity along which maritime security is developing, including, piracy, cyber security, energy security, terrorism, narco-subs and illegal fishing. The first part exhibits a range of perspectives and new approaches to maritime security; the second explores emerging developments in the practice of security at sea, as well as regional studies written by local maritime security experts.

Carayannis, Elias G. et al., editors Handbook of Cyber-Development, Cyber-Democracy, and Cyber-Defense. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2020.
This volume covers a wide spectrum of issues relating to economic and political development enabled by information and communication technology (ICT). Showcasing contributions from researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities created by technological innovations that are profoundly affecting the dynamics of economic growth, promotion of democratic principles, and the protection of individual, national, and regional rights. Each essay features literature reviews and key references; definition of critical terms and concepts, case examples; implications for practice, policy, and theory; and discussion of future directions.

Clarke, Michael, editor. The Palgrave Handbook of National Security. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022.
This handbook provides a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary theory, practice, and themes in the study of the complex milieu of security theories, actors, and issues. Contents include examining how national security has been conceptualized and formulated within the disciplines international relations, security studies and public policy; considering how core actors in international affairs have conceptualized and practiced national security over time; and, providing in-depth analysis of how individual security issues have been incorporated into prevailing scholarly and policy paradigms on national security.

Cohen, Stuart and Aaron S. Klieman, editors. Routledge Handbook on Israeli Security. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2019.
Following an introduction setting out its principal themes, this work comprises chapters analyze the impact of security challenges not just on Israel's diplomatic and military postures (nuclear as well as conventional) but also on its cultural life and societal behavior. Specifically, it aims to fulfill three principal needs. The first is to illustrate the dynamic nature of Israel's security concerns and the ways in which they have evolved in response to changes in the country's diplomatic and geo-strategic environment, changes that have been further fueled by technological, economic and demographic transformations. Second, the book aims to examine how the evolving character of Israel's security challenges has generated multiple, and sometimes conflicting, interpretations of the very concept of 'security', resulting in a series of dialogues both within Israeli society and between Israelis and their friends and allies abroad. Finally, it also discusses areas of private and public life elsewhere considered inherently 'civilian' and unrelated to security, such as artistic and cultural institutions, nevertheless do mirror the broader legal, economic and cultural consequences of this Israeli preoccupation with national security.

Conde, Elena, Zhaklin V. Yaneva, and Marzia Scopelliti, editors. The Routledge Handbook of European Security Law and Policy. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2020.
The handbook offers a holistic discussion of the contemporary challenges to the security of the European Union and emphasizes the complexity of dealing with these through legislation and policy. Considering security from a human perspective, the book opens with a general introduction to the key issues in European security law and policy before delving into three main areas. Institutions, policies and mechanisms used by security, defense policy and internal affairs form the conceptual framework of the book; at the same time, an extensive analysis of the risks and challenges facing the EU, including threats to human rights and sustainability, as well as the European Union's legal and political response to these challenges, is provided.

Cornish, Paul, editor. The Oxford Handbook of Cyber Security. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2021.
Cybersecurity is concerned with the identification, avoidance, management, and mitigation of risk in, or from, cyberspace—the risk of harm and damage that might occur as the result of everything from individual carelessness to organized criminality, to industrial and national security espionage, and, at the extreme end of the scale, to disabling attacks against a country’s critical national infrastructure. This book presents forty-eight chapters examining the technological, economic, commercial, and strategic aspects of cyber security, including studies at the international, regional, and national level. The volume takes a comprehensive and rounded approach to the still evolving topic of cybersecurity.

Dittmer, Lowell and Maochun Yu. Routledge Handbook of Chinese Security. London: Routledge, 2015. [Medicine Crow Center Library bookstacks UA 835 .R58 2015]
An international team of scholars provide a comprehensive and systematic analysis of contemporary thinking about Chinese national security. Chapters cover the PRC's historical, ideological and doctrinal heritage related to security, its security arrangements and policies targeting key regions and nations of the world, the security aspects of the PRC's ground, air, sea, space and cyber forces, as well as the changing and expanding definition and scope of China's security theory and practice. Also covered is China’s security relationships with the fourteen neighboring nations throughout Asia.

Dunn Cavelty, Myriam and Thierry Balzacq. Routledge Handbook of Security Studies. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge, 2017. [Medicine Crow Center Library bookstacks UA 10.5 .R69 2017]
The field of Security Studies has undergone significant change during the past 20 years, and is now one of the most dynamic sub-disciplines within International Relations. This work addresses contemporary and emerging security threats with chapters on organized crime, migration and security, cyber-security, energy security, the Syrian conflict and resilience, amongst many others. Comprising articles by both established and up-and-coming scholars, the handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the key contemporary topics of research and debate in the field of Security Studies with content covering theoretical approaches to security, security challenges, regional (in)security, and security governance.

Ganguly, Sumit, Andrew Scobell, and Joseph Chinyong Liow, editors. The Routledge Handbook of Asian Security Studies. 2nd edition. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2018. [Medicine Crow Center Library bookstacks JZ 6009 .A75 R68 2018]
This work provides a detailed exploration of security dynamics in the three distinct sub-regions that comprise Asia, and also bridges the study of these regions by exploring the geopolitical links between each of them. The handbook is divided into four geographical parts: Northeast Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Cross-regional Issues. This edition addresses the significant developments which have taken place in Asia since the first edition appeared in 2009. It examines these developments at both regional and national levels, including the conflict surrounding the South China Sea, the long-standing Sino-Indian border dispute, and Pakistan’s investment in tactical nuclear weapons, amongst many others.

Gheciu, Alexandra and William Curti Wohlforth. The Oxford Handbook of International Security. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2018. [Medicine Crow Center Library bookstacks  JZ 5588 .O935 2018]
The forty-eight essays in is handbook analyze the state of international security and the academic field of security studies during the 21st century. It provides a tour of the areas of research as well as major developments in established lines of inquiry, focusing on the question what does it mean to think about the future of international security by critically confronting the past, present, and future problems of doing and thinking through security and the role of international security actors.

Gill, M. L., editor. The Handbook of Security. 3rd edition. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022.
The revised third edition provides a comprehensive analysis of scholarly security debates and issues, reflecting on the developments in security technology, the convergence of the cyber and security worlds, and the fact that security management has become even more business focused. It covers topics like terrorism, violence, and cybercrime through various offense types such as commercial robbery and bribery. This handbook includes contributions from some of the world's leading scholars that critique the way security is provided and managed.

Hobbs,  Christopher, Sarah Tzinieris, and Sukesh K. Aghara, editors. The Oxford Handbook of Nuclear Security. London: Oxford University Press, 2023.
The purpose of this book is to impart a broad understanding of how security has been developed, depending on the country, around nuclear weapons, nuclear materials, radiological sources, and civil nuclear facilities. Nuclear security as explored in this volume encompasses the mitigation of a wide range of threats and malicious acts, including theft, sabotage, unauthorized access, and illegal transfer. It includes preventative measures that can be taken in advance of an incident, including permanent threat reduction and steps to build national and organizational resilience. In addition, it covers the development of systems to detect and respond to ongoing events and enable longer-term post-incident recovery.

Hoogensen Gjørv, et al, editors. Routledge Handbook of Arctic Security. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2020.
This book provides a comprehensive examination of security in the arctic region, encompassing both state-based and militarized notions of security, as well as broader security perspectives reflecting debates about changes in climate, environment, economies, and societies. This handbook examines security in this region, revealing contestations and complementarities between narrower, state-based and/or militarized notions of security, and broader security perspectives reflecting concerns and debates about changes in climate, environment, economies, and the unconventional political power which the Arctic's indigenous peoples hold.

Jagerskog, Anders, Michael Schulz, and Ashok Swain, editors. Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2019.
This volume provides a comprehensive look at Middle East security issues that includes both traditional and emerging security threats and provides a thorough review of research on the key challenges for security in the Middle East. Taking a broad perspective on security, the volume offers both analysis grounded in the 'hard' military and state security discourse but also delve into the 'soft' aspects of security employing a human security perspective. As such, the volume addresses imminent challenges to security, such as the ones relating directly to the war in Syria, but also the long-term challenges. While taking as a point of departure the prevalent security discourse, the volume also goes beyond the traditional focus on military or state security and consider non-traditional security challenges.

Kaldor, Mary and Iavor Rangelov. The Handbook of Global Security Policy. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2014.
This Handbook brings together essays covering the essential aspects of global security research and practice for the 21st century. The thirty essays encompass a broad definition of security that extends beyond the threat of foreign military attack to cover new risks for violence framed around key concepts, risks, policy tools, and global security actors. Issues include terrorism, disarmament, genocide, sustainability, international peacekeeping, state-building, natural disasters, energy and food security, climate change, and cyber warfare.

Mares, David R. and Arie Marcelo Kacowicz. Routledge Handbook of Latin American Security. New York: Routledge, 2016. [Medicine Crow Center Library bookstacks JZ 6009.L29 N37 2016]
This volume provides a collection of essays on all aspects of Latin American security, identifying the key contemporary topics of research, taking into account that the study of Latin America's comparative and international politics has undergone dramatic changes since the end of the Cold War, the return of democracy and the re-legitimization and re-armament of the military against the background of low-level uses of force short of war. It presents a rigorous agenda for future research with a focus on contemporary challenges and the failures of regional institutions to eliminate the threat of the use of force among Latin Americans.

Matthew, Richard A., Evgenia Nizkorodov, and Crystal Murphy, editors. Routledge Handbook of Environment Security. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2022.
The handbook provides an accessible and comprehensive overview of the field of environmental security. The volume outlines the defining theories, major policy and programming interventions, and applied research surrounding the relationship between the natural environment, and human and national security. Through the use of large-scale research and ground-level case analyses from across the globe, it details how environmental factors affect human security and contribute to the onset and continuation of violent conflict. It also examines the effects of violent conflict on the social and natural environment, and the importance of environmental factors in conflict resolution and peace-building.

Pahl-Wostl, Claudia, Anik Bhaduri, and Joyeeta Gupta. Handbook on Water Security. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2016. [Medicine Crow Center Library bookstacks HD 1691 .H3633 2016]
The handbook represents a much-needed resource that helps the reader navigate between the differing interpretations of water security. It explains the various dimensions of the topic by approaching it both conceptually and thematically, as well as in relation to experiences in different regions of the world. Topics discussed include: challenges from human security to consumerism, how trade policies can help to achieve water security in a transboundary setting, the potential of risk-based governance arrangements, and the ecology of water security.

Romaniuk, Scott N. and Mary Manjikian, editors. Routledge Companion to Global Cyber-Security Strategy. London: Routledge, 2021.
The volume offers an introduction to each nation's cybersecurity strategy and policy, along with a list of resources in English that may be consulted for those wishing to go into greater depth. The book contain the following sections: overview of national cybersecurity strategy; concepts and definitions; exploration of cybersecurity issues as they relate to international law and governance; critical examinations of cyber partners at home and abroad; legislative developments and processes; dimensions of cybercrime and cyberterrorism; implications of cybersecurity policies and strategies.

Tikk, Eneken and Mika Kerttunen, editors. Routledge Handbook of International Cybersecurity. New York: Routledge, 2020.
This work examines the development and use of information and communication technologies from the perspective of international peace and security. The volume seeks to determine which questions of cybersecurity are of relevance for international peace and security and which, while requiring international attention, are simply issues of contemporary governance or development. The handbook offers a variety of thematic, regional and disciplinary perspectives on the question of international cybersecurity, and the chapters contextualize cybersecurity in the broader contestation over the world order, international law, conflict, human rights, governance and development.

Descriptions of resources are adapted or quoted from vendor websites.