ACLED’s dataset is one of the most comprehensive sources for tracking real-time conflict and political violence globally.
Data Overview:
- Covers battles, violence against civilians, riots, protests, and strategic developments
- Includes geo-referenced data for mapping and trend analysis
- Categorized into structured formats (CSV, JSON) for research and visualization
Connection to DH Best Practices:
- Promotes open access to conflict data
- Enhances transparency and accountability through verifiable sources
- Supports interdisciplinary research in political science, history, and human rights
- Encourages digital preservation by making conflict data available for future study
Input Data: What It Is and Where It Comes From
ACLED’s input data consists of real-world event reports from a wide range of sources, including:
- Local, regional, and international news media
- Government reports and public statements
- Human rights organizations
- International agencies (such as UN missions)
- Partnered research organizations
- Eyewitness reports and social media accounts (carefully verified)
ACLED researchers code these events into structured datasets following a standardized methodology.
Data Format and Structure
When you download ACLED data, it comes in Excel (.xlsx) or CSV (.csv) formats.
Opening the file reveals a highly organized spreadsheet where each row represents a single event. Each event includes multiple columns/categories of information.
Key Columns in ACLED Data:
- Event ID: Unique identifier for each event.
- Event Date: Exact day the event occurred.
- Event Type: General category (e.g., Battles, Violence Against Civilians, Protests).
- Sub-event Type: More detailed description within the event type (e.g., Armed Clash, Excessive Force Against Protesters).
- Actor 1: Main actor involved (e.g., military, political party, protest group).
- Actor 2: Opposing actor.
- Country: Country where the event happened.
- Admin 1/2/3: Administrative divisions (like states, provinces, counties).
- Location: Specific town, city, or village.
- Latitude/Longitude: GPS coordinates.
- Fatalities: Estimated number of deaths from the event.
- Source: Where the information came from.
- Notes: Detailed description of the event.
Data Type Notes:
- Text fields are used for actors, sources, and event notes.
- Date fields are standardized for chronological analysis.
