ABSTRACT
The increased focus on hybrid threats prompts a need to investigate how they are covered in the research literature. This chapter presents an overview of contemporary peer-reviewed literature within social science and potential gaps in the literature. The main topics investigated are: how are hybrid threats and warfare presented in peer-reviewed research literature, what are the most and least investigated domains, and which perspectives and approaches are used? The research is framed within the theory of hybrid threats and warfare conceptualization and draws on definitions and models ascending from old military strategic thinking to contemporary thinking in which interstate conflict is redefined to include political, diplomatic, economic, information-related, humanitarian, and other non-military means. The chapter presents an overview of existing English-language scholarship on hybrid threats and warfare and its topics, perspectives, and approaches. The findings show that while current conflict in Europe is characterized by political and operational attacks such as sanctions, cyberattacks, and attacks on critical infrastructure, the research literature appears to largely address hybrid means within the military, generic, political, or information domain.
