Blogs to Watch

[Lawrence]

The Dupuy Institute has started a new blog: Mystics & Statistics.

It is at: http://www.dupuyinstitute.org/blog/

It can also be accessed through our website at:
http://www.dupuyinstitute.org/

It is a blog focused on quantitative historical analysis.

[davidbfpo]

A newly discovered blog by David Wells, who explains what it is about:

I’ve spent the best part of the last ten years working for intelligence agencies in the UK and Australia, specialising in counter-terrorism. My Top Secret clearances allowed me to witness the modus operandi of numerous terrorist groups and networks at first hand. I’ve seen how different international intelligence agencies work, and what happens when they don’t. I’m no Edward Snowden. I won’t be revealing classified material or methodology, or comment on the veracity of any of his leaked material.
My blog will however be informed by my personal experience of the strategies employed by intelligence agencies, and how they interact with central government policy. I will not always agree with their approach (and have not in the past), but I understand how they have got there and why.
My aim, wherever possible, will be to use the analytical skills developed during my intelligence career to provide a balanced, apolitical and nuanced view on the War on Terror.

Link:https://counterterrorismmatters.wordpress.com/

[davidbfpo]

I have today, 9th March 2016, merged in fifty-three threads which refer to blogs. I have not merged in many that debate the contents of a particular blog entry. This was prompted by a new thread by Kevin23.

Since many of the blogs date back to 2006 they may no longer be active. Some were Member Blogs, but from memory they have not posted here for a long time.

There was a SWJ Blog Roll, but I cannot locate that now (Ends).

[davidbfpo]

Is a co-production in the UK, between the Changing Character of War Programme @ Oxford University and the UK MOD's Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre.They explain - in part:

The journal aims to acquaint readers with excellent and innovative multi- and inter-disciplinary scholarship in strategic studies that address the pressing concerns of strategic leaders in the fields of defence and security. The journal does not present or reflect UK Ministry of Defence policy, opinions or beliefs: every article independently stands or falls on its intellectual merit.The New Strategist is interested in strategic thinking and thinking about strategy. It aims to combine cutting-edge theoretical advances in defence and security theory with recent findings in empirical and practitioner-focused research.

Link:http://www.ccw.ox.ac.uk/the-new-strategist/


Best of all it is free! The first edition has 111 pgs; six articles, three interviews - all on drones and two book reviews. One snag none of the authors have a bio sketch.

[Granite_State]

http://weaponsman.com/

Great blog by a retired long-serving Army SF Weapons Sergeant. Lots of posts on guns and planes, and tons of good history and SF/UW lore as well. Highly recommended.

[davidbfpo]

Hat tip to WoTR for their article, which has many links and in particular commends three:

The first step in using research is simply to know what kinds of topics are being studied and by whom. There are sources to look at for “research translation” — outlets that specialize in producing high-quality research on conflict, poverty, and development and in distilling it for implementer audiences, including:

• The Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC) is a consortium of professors who identify, compile, and analyze micro-level conflict data and information on insurgency, civil war, and other sources of politically motivated violence worldwide, often in collaboration with governments.
• The Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a network of researchers based at MIT who conduct randomized evaluations of anti-poverty programs. They also house a policy team, which produces implementer-oriented summaries of the latest research from their network.
• Political Violence at a Glance is a blog run by political science professors whose stated goal is to “anticipate the questions you have about violence happening around the world and to offer you simple, straight-forward analysis before anyone else does.”

Link:http://warontherocks.com/2016/06/a-m...ragile-states/

[davidbfpo]

CREST is a UK academic "think tank", with substantial funding from the security & intelligence agencies and only id'd yesterday. CREST explains itself:

The Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST) is a national hub for understanding, countering and mitigating security threats. CREST brings together the UK’s foremost expertise in understanding the psychological and social drivers of the threat, the skills and technologies that enable its effective investigation, and the protective security measures that help counter the threat in the first place. It does so within a context of significant stakeholder and international researcher engagement, and with a clear plan for sustained and long-term growth.

Link:https://crestresearch.ac.uk/

I noticed several short guides on Islam:https://crestresearch.ac.uk/resource...pillars-guide/