Emerging data sources and the study of genocide: a preliminary analysis of prison data from S-21 security-center, Cambodia

The geographical and historical analysis of mass violence, such as genocide, has been limited by incomplete data sets. Accordingly, geographers and other social scientists have in recent years attempted to synthesize disparate sources of information in order to provide more robust analyses of the patterns and trends of mass violence. In this article we explore the limitations and opportunities of a unique data set associated with the Cambodian genocide (1975–1979). Specifically, we detail the development of a database using information from a security-center (S-21) associated with the Cambodian genocide (1975–1979). Our intent is to highlight both the challenges and benefits of data analysis in the context of genocide, thus contributing both to the epistemological issues associated with the rigorous analysis of inchoate data sources and also to our concrete knowledge of atrocities associated with Cambodia.