Abstract
The application of data to political science changed the way research is done, and modern capabilities are advancing the field even further. GDELT and ICEWS are two modern data sets, recording events and the actors involved. The research question of this investigation explores the extent to which the representations of the Euromaidan protests in the GDELT and ICEWS data sets correlate.
Some existing literature comparing these data sets has been published, and their findings have been summarized in this paper to establish context on the current state of the field. Two research papers were consulted: one led by Michael D. Ward and the other Philip A. Schrodt, both experienced in this field of event data analysis.
However, the bulk of this paper consists of original analysis of the public GDELT and ICEWS data in three categories. Conflict Development explores what types of actions are represented in the two data sets. The Actors section compares the activity of Ukraine and Russia relative to each other, as well as the sub-national actors accounted for in each data set. Finally, examining International Response – the intensity of actions taken by other countries before and during the conflict – shows how behaviors change during times of conflict.
The conclusions find that although there are minor differences in results between the two data sets, both arrive to roughly the same findings. The discrepancies only become apparent when looking at specific sub-national actors and event types, whereas high-level research is unlikely to be significantly affected by data set choice.