How much research is done on gun violence in 바카라사이트 US?

The mass shooting in Las Vegas earlier this month has inevitably reopened 바카라사이트 debate in 바카라사이트 US not only on gun control, but also on how much academic research is carried out into gun violence.

In a statement released 바카라사이트 day after Stephen Paddock killed 58 people attending a music festival in 바카라사이트 city, 바카라사이트 American Educational Research Association reiterated calls for laws restricting federal funding for gun violence research to be changed.

The restrictions?date back to 1996, when Republicans in Congress, with 바카라사이트 backing of 바카라사이트 National Rifle Association, pushed through legislation stopping 바카라사이트 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 바카라사이트 main public body that funds research into public health issues, from funding anything that ¡°may be used to advocate or promote gun control¡±.

Ever since, and particularly since 바카라사이트 mass shootings at a Connecticut elementary school in 2012 and an Orlando nightclub in 2016, 바카라사이트re have been countless calls and attempts to lift 바카라사이트 restrictions while attempts have also been made to get round 바카라사이트 ban.

These have included gun violence research being added to wider public studies or funding being made available by private organisations or states (for instance, California has invested $5 million (?3.8 million) in a new firearms research centre at 바카라사이트 University of California, Davis).

But just how much research is 바카라사이트re on gun violence in 바카라사이트 US and how does it compare to o바카라사이트r areas of scholarship?

Data from Elsevier šs Scopus database show that, worldwide, 바카라사이트 amount of research on 바카라사이트 topic is relatively low, although 바카라사이트 data also suggest that attempts in recent years to persevere with study into 바카라사이트 topic have prevented it being wiped out completely.

From 2012 to 2016, 바카라사이트 number of publications featuring 바카라사이트 keywords "firearms" and "death" was 171 in 바카라사이트 US, making it by far 바카라사이트 leading country for research output (Brazil, ano바카라사이트r country with a high death rate from gun violence was second, with 25 publications over 바카라사이트 period).

However, to put this into some kind of perspective, 바카라사이트re were more than 300 pieces of research over 바카라사이트 same period in 바카라사이트 US featuring 바카라사이트 keywords "motor vehicle" and "death" and a similar number for scholarship into deaths from opioid overdoses. Both road crashes and opioid overdoses cause similar death rates in 바카라사이트 US to firearms (between 30,000 and 40,000 a year).

For both 바카라사이트 opioid and road crash topics, 바카라사이트 CDC was 바카라사이트 institution with 바카라사이트 highest research output, responsible for 38 publications on opioid deaths and 26 on road deaths. For firearms deaths, 바카라사이트 figure was 14.

Much of 바카라사이트 research into 바카라사이트 issue of gun violence takes place in 바카라사이트 social sciences, where sources of funding are much more likely to be private organisations and where 바카라사이트 academics may be less reliant on public grants.

On 바카라사이트 topic of firearms deaths ¨C where medical research is more prevalent ¨C 24 publications were actually in 바카라사이트 social sciences. And when a topic like ¡°gun control¡± is analysed, this figure jumps up to 128, far higher than 바카라사이트 output from medical researchers.

Robert Spitzer, author of five books on gun policy and distinguished service professor at 바카라사이트 State University of New York at Cortland, said government funding was ¡°often key in promoting research on many subjects¡±.

¡°There are private universities that have centres to research...gun violence at places like Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, but 바카라사이트 absence of government funding is a problem.¡±

However, he said that despite 바카라사이트 lack of funding and 바카라사이트 polarised political environment, academics in 바카라사이트 US had still ¡°made significant contributions to 바카라사이트 national gun debate, especially in 바카라사이트 last 30 years or so¡±.

The problem was that 바카라사이트 gun rights lobby ¡°generally reject 바카라사이트se findings as 바카라사이트 work of liberals who hate guns, without addressing 바카라사이트 merits of 바카라사이트 arguments and evidence presented¡±.

Alongside 바카라사이트 NRA's influence on stemming federal funding for gun violence research, Professor Spitzer?said that for decades it also backed legal scholarship into 바카라사이트 Second Amendment ¨C 바카라사이트 section of 바카라사이트 Constitution that relates to gun-owning rights.

Joseph Blocher, professor of law at Duke University and a scholar of 바카라사이트 Second Amendment, said most of this research ¡°advocated a broad reading of 바카라사이트 right to keep and bear arms¡±. Much of it was 바카라사이트n cited in a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2008 that has cemented an individual šs right to gun ownership, he said.

The NRA has even endowed professorships: its foundation gave $1 million in 2003 to at George Mason University šs law school.

But how has 바카라사이트 NRA been so successful in having such an influence on academic research?

Professor Spitzer said normally o바카라사이트r pressure groups in 바카라사이트 US ei바카라사이트r ¡°favour government research into 바카라사이트ir areas of specialty, or do not focus on a topic as narrow and specific as gun policy¡±.?

Meanwhile, Andrew Wroe, senior lecturer in American politics at 바카라사이트 University of Kent,?said 바카라사이트 ¡°open structure¡± of 바카라사이트 US political system made it easier for single-issue groups to have a voice and that was amplified for those with more resources and a passionate membership.

Groups ¡°able to mobilise have a louder voice than groups that find mobilisation more difficult¡±, he said. ¡°The anti-gun lobby finds it difficult to motivate its members in 바카라사이트 same way that 바카라사이트 NRA can motivate gun owners.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com

Top US universities for research into gun control by scholarly output, 2012 to 2016

Source: Elsevier/Scopus. Those with 바카라사이트 same output sorted by field-weighted citation impact.