Collection of resources

The collection of resources on crisis and disaster-related data covers three types of content: Information sites, data records and survey instruments. The collection and all entries are only available in German.

Information sites:
Websites with data repositories, information portals, collections and overviews, institutions and actors, dashboards, digital maps and research projects that are relevant for research on crises and disasters or crisis and disaster management and can contribute to an improved data infrastructure.

Data records:
Data records with data from surveys or other individual social science data that contain findings on the population and on authorities and companies that are relevant to crises and disasters. Each dataset should be available in a common digital file format.

Survey instruments:
Established measurement instruments or survey instruments that have been or can be used in the social and behavioural sciences for research on crisis and disaster-related issues. Instruments in German are primarily listed.

Criteria for inclusion

Relevance for crises and disasters

Each resource should be contribute to a better understanding of crises and disasters and their impact on society.

Crisis is defined as ‘the broad public perception of threatening social challenges that require immediate fundamental decisions and changes to solve them. The definition thus combines real problems, their perception and a level of action’ (Bösch et al. 2020: Handbuch Krisenforschung, p.5).

Disaster means, according to the definition of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, ‘an event in which the life or health of a large number of people or the natural livelihoods or significant material assets are endangered or damaged to such an unusual extent that the danger can only be averted or the disruption can only be prevented and eliminated if the authorities, organisations and institutions involved in disaster control take action to avert danger under the unified leadership and direction of the disaster control authority’ (translated from BBK-Glossar: Katastrophe).

The focus is on event-related crises and disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the flood events in 2021 or a potential state of defence in Germany. As natural hazards and extreme weather events are demonstrably exacerbated by climate change and global warming, the climate crisis is also a focal point. Economic and financial crises as well as more diffuse or slower-moving crises such as a potential ‘democracy crisis’ are only addressed indirectly.

The relevance for a social science perspective on crises and disasters is central to all the resources included.

Reference to data

Each resource should provide a link to crisis and disaster-related data. This means either information about data collections, the archiving and provision of data or an overview of other data-related resources, services and projects.

The collection is neither a separate data repository nor a literature database.

Relation to German-speaking countries

Each resource should relate to Germany, Austria or Switzerland or regions and cities in these countries. International and European projects or comparative studies are included if they cover a German-speaking country.

Channels for inclusion

• Input from expert discussions, exchanges etc. conducted in the project
• References from other websites/ snowball principle
• Targeted research of projects by individual institutions or funding programmes
• Contribution of resources by external parties

The representatives of the respective organisations are solely responsible for the content of the resources.