Sampling bias in climate-conflict research

Abstract

Critics have argued that the evidence of an association between climate change and conflict is flawed because the research relies on a dependent variable sampling strategy 1-4 . Similarly, it has been hypothesized that convenience of access biases the sample of cases studied (the 'streetlight effect' 5 ). This also gives rise to claims that the climate-conflict literature stigmatizes some places as being more 'naturally' violent 6-8 . Yet there has been no proof of such sampling patterns. Here we test whether climate-conflict research is based on such a biased sample through a systematic review of the literature. We demonstrate that research on climate change and violent conflict suffers fro..