Welcome to this new section of the Supporting Social Research Blog! Every month we will highlight a reference work that we feel contributes both to social research and to learning and teaching in the University. If we feel really enthusiastic about a book or electronic publication we may extend to "reference works" of the month! Our first reference work has answered a number of questions in the past few weeks and will probably answer many more.
SIPRI Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmaments and International Security
This Yearbook is published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute The yearbook analyses developments in security and conflicts, military spending and armaments, non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament. The Library maintains an ongoing subscription to this Yearbook. The latest available yearbook is for 2007, this edition covers developments in 2006. Each chapter of the Yearbook is authored, statistical sources are clearly indicated and any problems with data identified.
The Yearbook looks at critical issues in the previous year. The current volume includes analysis of the Iraq operation and US domestic debates, the role of Treaty organizations in various areas of conflict, definitions of armed conflict, global trends in peacekeeping and peace missions, and regional security. The section on military spending on arms is more than a simple list of figures and data for different countries, although this type of data is available. The yearbook not only analyses expenditure and the reporting of expenditure, it looks at additional aspects of armaments, for example the analysis of risk to human lives. In addition each chapter is meticulously footnoted so that it is easy to locate both additional sources of information but also gain a clear indication of sources used to compile and analyse data.
The Yearbook annexes include a chronology of Arms control and disarmament agreements and biographical information for contributors; the yearbook includes a detailed index. Selected data and research is also available on the SIPRI website andsummary information from the Yearbook is also available. Current volumes of the Yearbook are held in the Fisher Library Reference Collection, volumes from 1969 -1995 are held in the Fisher Research collection on Level 4. The call number in both collections is 341.105 9 Selected volumes are also held in the University Law Library. Check the Library catalogue for complete holding information.