ABSTRACT
In the previous two chapters, we have talked about how terrorism is ‘made,’ how terrorism is defined, and the different paradigmatic approaches to it. This chapter deals with the practical questions related to the study of terrorism, such as what should be analyzed and how. As previously indicated, the literature of terrorism is very broad in terms of disciplines, theories, and methods. In order to facilitate access to it, navigate it more efficiently, but also as a guide for one’s own research, we propose here a typology of approaches: deterministic, intentional, and relational. These categories are not essentially new; in one way or another, they can be related to similar ones proposed by other authors (see more on this in the Introduction). These categories are not specific to the ‘positivist’ literature, but, with the exception of determinism, are also suitable to classify studies in the critical tradition, or which use theories and methods claimed by CTS.
