ABSTRACT
By its very nature terrorism studies is a fi eld that is hardly best understood from an ivory tower. It is pretty obvious that fi eld research is necessary if one wants to both push the research envelope and generate new empirical data. This is not to argue that fi eld research is a prerequisite for good, solid studies on terrorism. There are many good interdisciplinary and theoretical scholarly studies available, especially after 9/11. I have also argued extensively that an essential task for researchers is to engage in a mapping exercise where contributions and gaps are systematically evaluated for scientifi c merit. This should be a prerequisite before setting out in the fi eld. Far too much terrorism research is based on secondary sources which contribute to systematic bias and circular analytical loops. 1 Undertaking fi eld research is important to better conceptualize terrorist behavior and the context in which they operate in. This holistic approach where context is as important as the violent dimensions is often missed by orthodox scholars in terrorism studies. 2 It becomes starkly clear when engaging in fi eld research on terrorism that violence should never be the starting point for analysis.
