Organizational structures of ISIS and al-Qaeda: a comparative analysis

Research Question/Puzzle Satisfied. After a lengthy introduction, the research question is stated as “how are terrorist organizations structured, what are the key differences between ISIS and al-Qaeda, and who are some of the major players in each organization?” Core Concepts Satisfied. The core concepts being addressed in the research take into account the history and evolution of terrorism, how terrorism has changed over the last several decades especially since September 11, and how different scholars and analysts approach counterterrorism strategies. It is suggested that by better understanding the operations and organizational structure of different terrorist organizations, strategists and policymakers will be better equipped to respond rationally and sensibly to the trans-national theat. Theoretical Debate and Historical Context Satisfied. The historical context comprises a large portion of this research. The author is referring to how scholars have previously dealt with the subjects of terrorist organizations and jihadist groups. More specifically, the author discusses how scholars have described the organizational structures, networks, communications, operations, and other issues relevant for understanding terrorist organizations from Al Qaeda to the Islamic State. Conceptualization Satisfied. The author does offer a considerable amount of information related to the core concepts related to terrorism. In addition to showing how prior literature has dealt with the organizational structures of terrorist groups, the author includes statistical data. The sources used are credible. Variables, Hypotheses, Operationalization Somewhat satisfied. This is not an experimental research, so there are no independent or dependent variables. As a review of literature, there is no hypothesis per se; it is an exploratory work. The author could have done a better job defining terrorism and distinguishing between the different ideologies of the different groups under investigation. However, the author does make it clear that the focus of this research is on organizational structure. It would have been helpful also to operationalize organizational structure by breaking that concept down into its constituent parts. Senior leadership is one thing; how these groups manage to start and maintain remote cells is quite another. Case Selection and Data Collection Somewhat satisfied. The author does not divulge how the literature review was conducted, which search terms were used, or which databases were consulted. No criteria were used so there is no way of determining whether there was any researcher bias in selecting the books and journal articles. Most likely the selection represents a convenience sample of the literature. Data Analysis Satisfied. As a review of literature, no statistical analysis was used or was necessary. Data was analyzed through interacting with the literature, picking out the main themes, and especially focusing on the main research question about the organizational structures of terrorist groups. Results and Implications Satisfied. As the author points out at many points in the discussion, terrorism has already caused a major death toll around the world. The need to understand how terrorist organizations operate is more imperative now than ever before. Understanding how different groups operate is also important, because it cannot be assumed that they are all similarly organized. This research has the potential to add to the field of literature on terrorism. Future research could show how this information could be used to frame foreign policy or counterterrorism decisions.