Data Management in International Relations: Expanding the EUGene Software Program

尤金是一个软件程序，学者们用它来建立量化数据集，以分析国际冲突。该软件例行化了一系列繁琐而困难的数据准备任务，根据容易指定的用户选择，将不同格式的输入数据集的数据合并到输出数据集。尤金还为与冲突开始和升级的重要预期效用理论有关的变量生成数据。尤金最初是在之前的国家科学基金会拨款下开发的，并于1998年公开发布。它被扩大了，在没有NSF资金的情况下进行了其他增加。尤金可以从http://www.eugenesoftware.org.The研究社区免费下载，目前该项目进一步开发了尤金软件。到目前为止，已经使用尤金生成的预期效用数据完成了关键分析；继续的计划开发将继续侧重于扩大计划的数据管理方面。在下一阶段，首席调查员将向程序添加额外的用户数据集并处理有问题的用户数据，添加另一个分析单元以创建数据集以更好地分析争端升级和冲突加入行为的过程，添加额外的冲突数据，跟踪数据集以便于复制，使额外的联盟数据可用，并实施各种其他小改进。在接下来的两年里，可能会根据用户的要求增加其他扩展项目。尤金的持续发展为量化国际关系研究人员提供了一种工具，促进了新的研究并扩大了正在进行的研究议程。

EUGene is a software program that scholars use to build quantitative data sets in order to analyze international conflict. The software routinizes a set of data preparation tasks that are cumbersome and difficult, merging data from input data sets with differing formats into output data sets according to easily specified user choices. EUGene also generates data for variables concerned with an important expected utility theory of conflict initiation and escalation. EUGene was initially developed under a prior National Science Foundation grant and released publicly in 1998. It was expanded, with other additions made without NSF funding. EUGene is available for free download to the research community from http://www.eugenesoftware.org.The current project further develops the EUGene software. To this point, key analyses have been accomplished using the expected utility data generated by EUGene; continued program development will remain focused on expanding the program's data management aspects. In this next phase, the Principal Investigator adds additional user data sets to the program and deals with problematic user data, adds another unit of analysis to create datasets to better analyze processes of dispute escalation and conflict joining behavior, adds additional conflict data, tracks data sets for easier replication, makes additional alliance data available, and implements various other small improvements. Other expansion items may be added over the next two years in response to user requests. Continued development of EUGene provides the community of quantitative international relations researchers with a tool that facilitates new research and expands ongoing research agendas.