Abstract:

This codebook documents variables in a dataset described in Marsh, McDougal, Khan, and Lison (2017) as the “Illicit Small Arms Prices—Countries” (iSAP-C) dataset. The dataset is one of two (the other being the “Illicit Small Arms Prices—Transactions”, or iSAP-T, dataset, documented in SADO Working Paper 201604-02) to come out of a joint effort of the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers (NISAT) and the Small Arms Data Observatory (SADO). The iSAP-T has an observational unit of arm(s) sold in a single transaction, whilst the iSAP-C, which derives from the iSAP-T, has the more standard country-year observational unit.

Authors:

NICHOLAS MARSH
Peace Research Institute Oslo

TOPHER L. MCDOUGAL
Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego

ISHTIAQ AHMED KHAN

JORGE LISON

Additional files:
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-C (CVS) (country-year dataset, CVS format [3 mb])
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-C (STATA/.dta) (country-year dataset, DTAformat [1 mb])

SADO-WPS_201701_03_iSAP-C-Codebook (country-year dataset codebook, PDF [304 kb])

Abstract:

This codebook documents variables in a dataset described in Marsh, McDougal, and Khan (2017) as the “Illicit Small Arms Prices—Transactions” dataset (iSAP-T). The dataset is one of two (the other being the “Illicit Small Arms Prices—Countries”, or iSAP-C, dataset, documented in SADO Working Paper 201604-03) to come out of a joint effort of the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers (NISAT) and the Small Arms Data Observatory (SADO). The iSAP-T has an observational unit of arm(s) sold in a single transaction, whilst the iSAP-C, which derives from the iSAP-T, has the more standard country-year observational unit. The iSAP-T has the advantage that its observations are all directly reported and documented; the data presented is gathered entirely on the basis of verifiable observation.

Authors:

NICHOLAS MARSH
Peace Research Institute Oslo

TOPHER L. MCDOUGAL
Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego

ISHTIAQ AHMED KHAN

JORGE LISON

Additional files:
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-T (CVS) (transactions dataset, CVS format [14 mb])
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-T (STATA/.dta) (transactions dataset, DTA format [1 mb])

SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-T-Codebook (transactions dataset codebook, PDF format [272 kb])

Abstract:

Despite calls to reduce illicit arms flows, it remains difficult to detect and quantify them. One
proposed method for detecting and quantifying illicit trade volumes is to test econometrically for
price changes. This paper documents an effort of the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms
Transfers (NISAT) and the Small Arms Data Observatory (SADO) to make such inferential
econometric analyses possible by assembling two new datasets on illicit small arms prices. The
first, called the illicit small arms trafficking transactions dataset (iSAT-T), has an observational
unit of arm(s) sold in a single transaction. The second, called the illicit small arms trafficking
country dataset (or iSAT-C), derives from the iSAT-T and has the more standard country-year
observational unit. This paper describes the methods for data collection, organization, and
generation for these datasets, presents some descriptive statistics and graphics, and concludes
with a discussion of possible future uses and limitations of the datasets.

Authors:

NICHOLAS MARSH
Peace Research Institute Oslo

TOPHER L. MCDOUGAL
Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego

Additional files:
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-T-Codebook (transactions dataset codebook)
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-T (CVS) (transactions dataset, CVS format [14 mb])
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-T (STATA/.dta) (transactions dataset, DTA format [1 mb])

SADO-WPS_201701_03_iSAP-C-Codebook (country-year dataset codebook)
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-C (CVS) (country-year dataset, CVS format [3 mb])
SADO-WPS_201701_02_iSAP-C (STATA/.dta) (country-year dataset, DTAformat [1 mb])

SADO-WPS_201701-01_iSAP-datasets (working paper, PDF [1 mb])