Criteria for ASP’s Drone Resource Library

The American Security Project’s Drone Resource Library (DRL) only presents information that: 

1.  Is related to US drone programs and policy only.  We do not examine the programs and policies of other nations unless a direct relation to US operations, comparative or otherwise specifically relevant, exists.

2.  Is fact-based.  It is not possible to verify all sources or confirm all data given the classified nature of US drone programs.  However, we do not include sources clearly driven by opinion or rumor. 

3.  Contributes significantly and substantially to the body of knowledge about US drones and drone policy.  The areas of drone policy for which we compile sources are:

• The history and development of US drone programs and policy
• The legal foundations of the use of drones in targeted killings
• Statistics on drones (equipment) and drone strikes
• Country-specific information (currently limited to Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen)
•  The methodologies employed in aggregating strike data and measuring the efficacy of drone programs or their effects

Please note that while there are many noteworthy news items about US drone programs and policy, rarely do they significantly expand the body of knowledge.  For this reason, such items are currently excluded from our DRL.

4.  Is relevant to and furthers the dialogue about US national security and foreign policy.  US drone policy is a salient aspect of US foreign policy and is designed to advance US national security.  For this reason, we do not include sources that argue the pros or cons of US drone policy without evidence of their relevance to either US foreign policy or national security.

Rules for Contributing to ASP’s Drone Resource Library

Please keep in mind the following when submitting academic works to the American Security Project’s Drone Resource Library (DRL):

1.  Submissions may take the following forms: aggregate datasets of drone strikes; accounts of immediate, secondary, or tertiary effects of drone strikes; academic studies of public opinion, measures of efficacy, and cost/benefit analyses as related to US drones and drone policy.  This is not an exhaustive list; all submissions will be considered for inclusion. 

2.  Submissions must be academic and fact-based.  Given the classified nature of current US drone programs, it is understood that information may be unconfirmed and cannot be independently verified.  However, opinion and/or rumor-fueled submissions are not acceptable.

3.  Submissions should be robust and contribute substantially to the body of knowledge about US drones and drone policy.     

4. Excluding first-hand accounts, submissions should draw on several credible sources of information. Sources of information may include academic, media, government, and similar sources.  Please note that we cannot and will not accept material based on Wikileak releases alone.

5.  If possible, submissions should be provided with a brief description or annotation.  We anticipate receiving a high volume of submissions; having a brief description with each submission assists us in determine relevant and appropriate inclusions in the DRL.  ASP reserves the right to review and edit any annotation prior to the work being included in the DRL.

6.  If you are in doubt whether a submission fulfills our criteria for inclusion in the DRL, please consider sending it to us anyway.  We will review the submission and respond accordingly.  We aim to provide a comprehensive database of resources for those interested in US drone programs and policy – the more submissions we receive and are able to include, the better our database and more robust the dialogue about US drone policy will be.

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If you would like to contribute to the American Security Project’s Drone Resource Library, please send an email to info@americansecurityproject.org.  Please include your name, affiliation, how we may contact you, as well as a brief description of and a means of accessing the submission.