The National Security and Defence Documents Dataset: A Hands-On Introduction for Researchers and Practitioners

How do states talk about security — and has that changed? This half-day workshop offers researchers and practitioners a first hands-on encounter with the National Security and Defence Documents Dataset (NSDDD): a unique resource spanning 118 countries and four decades of national security strategies, defence reviews, and strategic documents.

Participants will explore the dataset using purpose-built semantic search and text analysis tools, discovering what computational approaches can reveal about patterns in strategic language, threat framing, and geopolitical alignment — including the wave of new documents published in 2025. No prior technical experience is required: the session is designed to open up the dataset’s possibilities for scholars and policy professionals with substantive expertise in security and strategic studies.

By the end of the session, participants will understand what the dataset contains and how it was built, have direct experience using the search interface to pursue their own research questions, and be positioned to contribute to a collaborative discussion about the most promising directions for future research.

Agenda

14:00-15:00	Introduction to the dataset by Prof. Andrew Neal
15:00-16:00	Hands-on learning with the dataset tools, with in-person support
16:00-17:00	Participant findings from the hands-on session, Q&A, discussion, future directions