CAIN Web Service
Description of the Structure of the Database
The page contains details of the variables that are contained in the database of deaths. Malcolm Sutton's information was originally in the form of a text file and this formed the basis of the database used by the CAIN project. The transfer between the two systems provided the opportunity to present some of Sutton's information in a different form and also to make some minor changes to the structure of the data. So, for example, there were some changes to the labeling of particular variables and to some information, such as geographical location, being extracted from the description field and presented as a new variable. These changes are highlighted below.
| Variable Description: |
date of death / incident |
| Variable Label: |
date_short |
| Value Labels: |
(none; date format 14-Jul-1969) |
The database follows Sutton's procedure for recording the date. In the majority of cases the date of incident (shooting or bombing) is also the date of death. However there are a number of cases where people were injured and died one or more days later. The date recorded depends on whether or not other people were killed in the original incident. Where someone was injured and died later as a result of an incident that caused the deaths of one or more people, then the injured person's name is recorded under the date of the incident (alongside the other dead) but a note also gives the date of death. Where someone was injured in a separate incident and died on a different date, the date of death is given and a note gives details of when they were originally injured.
| Variable Description: |
forename of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
forename |
| Value Labels: |
(none; text) |
In most cases only a single forename has been included.
| Variable Description: |
surname of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
surname |
| Value Labels: |
(none; text) |
| Variable Description: |
age of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
age |
| Value Labels: |
(none; number 0 to 99 and -9 where age is unknown) |
A number 0 (zero) for 'age' represents those children less than 1 year old. For people whose age is unknow a code of -9 was used.
| Variable Description: |
age group of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
age_summary |
| Value Labels: |
(0-16, 17-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-39, 40-59, 60-99, and not_known) |
This is an additional variable that was extracted from the information in Sutton's data. These age groups are not of equal length. The group 0-16 years represents all children. There were large numbers of deaths in the age groups 17-19, 20-24, and 25-29.
| Variable Description: |
gender of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
gender |
| Value Labels: |
Male |
Male |
| |
Female |
Female |
This is an additional variable that was extracted from the information in Sutton's data.
| Variable Description: |
religion of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
religion |
| Value Labels: |
Catholic |
Catholic (person from the Catholic community) |
| |
Protestant |
Protestant (person from the Protestant community) |
| |
nfNI |
not from Northern Ireland killed in Northern Ireland |
| |
nfNIB |
not from Northern Ireland killed in Britain |
| |
nfNIE |
not from Northern Ireland killed elsewhere in Europe |
| |
nfNIRI |
not from Northern Ireland killed in Republic of Ireland |
The information on religion was based on Sutton's data but a number of changes where made. The main change was to allocate a religion code to members of the security forces who were originally from Northern Ireland (mainly the RUC and the UDR). It was decided not to include the religion of those people were originally from outside Northern Ireland because of the lack of information. This field (nfNI) mainly applies to British soldiers who were not from Northern Ireland but were killed while on duty in the region. However it also includes a few members of the IRA who were originally from the Republic of Ireland, together with a few civilians from various countires, who were killed in Northern Ireland.
| Variable Description: |
summary of religion of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
religion_summary |
| Value Labels: |
Catholic |
Catholic |
| |
Protestant |
Protestant |
| |
nfNI |
not from Northern Ireland |
This variable is a summary of the religion variable. The category nfNI includes all those who were not originally from Northern Ireland but who were killed in the region, together with all those killed in other countries.
| Variable Description: |
status of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
status |
| Value Labels: |
Civilians: |
| |
(Civ) |
Civilian (Civ) |
| |
(CivPA) |
Civilian Political Activist (CivPA) |
| |
British Security Forces: |
| |
(BA) |
British Army (BA) |
| |
(xBA) |
ex-British Army (xBA) |
| |
(TA) |
British Army Territorial Army (TA) |
| |
(BP) |
British Police (BP) |
| |
(PO) |
Prison Officer (PO) |
| |
(xPO) |
ex-Prison Officer (xPO) |
| |
(RAF) |
Royal Air Force (RAF) |
| |
(RIR) |
Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) |
| |
(RN) |
Royal Navy (RN) |
| |
(RUC) |
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) |
| |
(xRUC) |
ex-Royal Ulster Constabulary (xRUC) |
| |
(UDR) |
Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) |
| |
(xUDR) |
ex-Ulster Defence Regiment (xUDR) |
| |
Republican Paramilitary Groups: |
| |
(INLA) |
Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) |
| |
(xINLA) |
ex-Irish National Liberation Army (xINLA) |
| |
(IPLO) |
Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO) |
| |
(IPLOBB) |
Irish People's Liberation Organisation Belfast Brigade (IPLOBB) |
| |
(IRA) |
Irish Republican Army (IRA) |
| |
(xIRA) |
ex-Irish Republican Army (xIRA) |
| |
(IRAF) |
Irish Republican Army Youth Section (IRAF) |
| |
(REP) |
non-specific Republican group (REP) |
| |
(OIRA) |
Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) |
| |
(xOIRA) |
ex-Official Irish Republican Army (xOIRA) |
| |
(OIRAF) |
Official Irish Republican Army Youth Section (OIRAF) |
| |
(PLA) |
People's Liberation Army (PLA) |
| |
(rIRA) |
real Irish Republican Army (rIRA) |
| |
(SE) |
Saor Eire (SE) |
| |
Loyalist Paramilitary Groups: |
| |
(LVF) |
Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) |
| |
(LOY) |
non-specific Loyalist group (LOY) |
| |
(RHC) |
Red Hand Commando (RHC) |
| |
(UDA) |
Ulster Defence Association (UDA) |
| |
(xUDA) |
ex-Ulster Defence Association (xUDA) |
| |
(UVF) |
Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) |
| |
(xUVF) |
ex-Ulster Volunteer Force (xUVF) |
| |
Irish Security Forces: |
| |
(GS) |
Garda Síochána (GS) |
| |
(IA) |
Irish Army (IA) |
This table contains information on the status of the person killed. The main category is civilian. People who belonged to particular organisations have been grouped into four categories: British Security Forces, Republican Paramilitary Groups, Loyalist Paramilitary Groups, and Irish Security Forces. These categories form the basis for the status summary variable below.
| Variable Description: |
summary of status of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
status_summary |
| Value Labels: |
Civilian |
Civilians |
| |
British Security |
British Security Forces |
| |
Republican Paramilitary |
Republican Paramilitary Groups |
| |
Loyalist Paramilitary |
Loyalist Paramilitary Groups |
| |
Irish Security |
Irish Security Forces |
This is an additional variable that was extracted from the information in Sutton's data. For details of the actual orgainisations contained in these main categories, see the table above.
| Variable Description: |
organisation responsible for the death |
| Variable Label: |
organisation_responsible |
| Value Labels: |
British Security Forces: |
| |
(BA) |
British Army (BA) |
| |
(BP) |
British Police (BP) |
| |
(RAF) |
Royal Air Force (RAF) |
| |
(RUC) |
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) |
| |
(UDR) |
Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) |
| |
(USC) |
Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) |
| |
Republican Paramilitary Groups: |
| |
(CRF) |
Catholic Reaction Force (CRF) |
| |
(DAAD) |
Direct Action Against Drugs (DAAD) |
| |
(INLA) |
Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) |
| |
(IPLO) |
Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO) |
| |
(IPLOBB) |
Irish People's Liberation Organisation Belfast Brigade (IPLOBB) |
| |
(IRA) |
Irish Republican Army (IRA) |
| |
(REP) |
non-specific Republican group (REP) |
| |
(OIRA) |
Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) |
| |
(PLA) |
People's Liberation Army (PLA) |
| |
(PRA) |
People's Republican Army (PRA) |
| |
(rIRA) |
real Irish Republican Army (rIRA) |
| |
(RepAF) |
Republican Action Force (RepAF) |
| |
(SE) |
Saor Eire (SE) |
| |
Loyalist Paramilitary Groups: |
| |
(LRDG) |
Loyalist Retaliation and Defence Group (LRDG) |
| |
(LVF) |
Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) |
| |
(LOY) |
non-specific Loyalist group (LOY) |
| |
(PAF) |
Protestant Action Force (PAF) |
| |
(PAG) |
Protestant Action Group (PAG) |
| |
(RHC) |
Red Hand Commando (RHC) |
| |
(RHD) |
Red Hand Defenders (RHD) |
| |
(UDA) |
Ulster Defence Association (UDA) |
| |
(UFF) |
Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) |
| |
(UVF) |
Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) |
| |
Irish Security Forces: |
| |
(GS) |
Garda Síochána (GS) |
| |
(IA) |
Irish Army (IA) |
| |
Other: |
| |
(nk) |
not known (nk) |
This table contains information on the organisation responsible for the killing. Organisations have been grouped into four main categories: British Security Forces, Republican Paramilitary Groups, Loyalist Paramilitary Groups, and Irish Security Forces. In a number of cases it was not possible, from the information available, to ascribe a death to a particular organisation. Where this was the case the organisation is recorded as 'not known'. These main categories form the basis for the organisation responsible summary variable below.
| Variable Description: |
summary of organisation responsible for the death |
| Variable Label: |
organisation_summary |
| Value Labels: |
British Security |
British Security Forces |
| |
Republican Paramilitary |
Republican Paramilitary Groups |
| |
Loyalist Paramilitary |
Loyalist Paramilitary Groups |
| |
Irish Security |
Irish Security Forces |
| |
not known |
not known |
This is an additional variable that was extracted from the information in Sutton's data. For details of the actual orgainisations contained in these main categories, see the table above.
| Variable Description: |
description of incident |
| Variable Label: |
description |
|
Value Labels: |
(none; text) |
The text of this description is taken directly from Sutton's information. The description field usually consists of one or two sentences which give a basic description of the incident and its geographical location.
| Variable Description: |
geographical location where incident took place |
| Variable Label: |
location |
| Value Labels: |
Belfast East |
| |
Belfast North |
| |
Belfast South |
| |
Belfast West |
| |
County Antrim |
| |
County Armagh |
| |
County Derry |
| |
County Down |
| |
County Fermanagh |
| |
County Tyrone |
| |
Derry |
| |
Britain |
| |
Europe |
| |
Republic of Ireland |
This is an additional variable that was extracted from the information in Sutton's data. For the purpose of analysis areas within Northern Ireland was categorised into 11 geographical areas. The city of Belfast was divided into the four current parliamentary constituencies (Belfast North, South, East, and West), the city of Derry was recorded as a separate location, then remaining areas in Northern Ireland were divided into the six counties. Locations outside Northern Ireland were: Republic of Ireland, Britain, and elsewhere in Europe.
| Variable Description: |
keywords |
| Variable Label: |
keywords |
| Value Labels: |
(none; text) |
This is a hidden variable which was added to compliment the description field of Sutton. Certain key words have been added which people may use in doing a text search of the database. For example, the term 'Bloody Friday' was added to the keywords for those deaths that happened on 21 July 1972.
| Variable Description: |
full age of the person killed |
|
Variable Label: |
full_age |
| Value Labels: |
(none; number 0 to 99, not known (nk), weeks and months included for young children, and information such as 50s or 60s where exact age is not know) |
This information is based on the age as recorded by Sutton and includes text.
| Variable Description: |
identification number |
| Variable Label: |
ID |
| Value Labels: |
(none; number 1 to 3,523) |
This is an identification number that is automatically added by the database.
| Variable Description: |
photograph (where available) of the person killed |
| Variable Label: |
photo |
| Value Labels: |
(none; name of associated JPEG image) |
Note on the photographs:
Most of the photographs in this section were provided by family members, relatives or friends of the deceased to the local media at the time of death. The photographs were most probably taken by a member of the family, a relative or a friend. At the time the photographs were provided to the local media, the name of the photographer was not recorded. No payment was made for the photograph, and often the original image was never returned.
Copyright of the photographs
Copyright © of the images remains with the (unknown) original photographer. If anyone believes they own the copyright of any of the photographs in this section, and objects to its reproduction on this Web site, they should contact the CAIN Director.
Sources:
The photographs used were obtained from various sources including: newspapers, magazines, books, other publications, video, memorials, Web sites, etc.
Offer to remove photographs:
If the nearest relative of any of the deceased, objects to the use of a particular photograph then the image will be removed from this site. If the nearest relative would prefer a different photograph to be used this can be arranged.
Appeal for additional photographs:
If anyone has a photograph, or a series of photographs, of any of those killed during the conflict and would be willing to donate a (digital) copy to the Archive, please contact the CAIN Director. Please do not send original photographs by post.
Questions regarding these pages should be sent to the CAIN Director (m.melaugh@ulster.ac.uk)
© Malcolm Sutton
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