World-leading Research

Our research looks at big and broad-ranging topics and answers important questions through rigorous analysis and strong theoretical approaches.

With access to expertise in a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods, our people apply their academic and methodological skill to help us understand the political worlds of today—and shape those of the future.

Funding opportunities

Research Excellence

REF

DPIR achieved excellent scores in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, confirming the excellence of our research. The proportion of Oxford’s research outputs judged to be world-leading has also risen significantly since the last REF exercise in 2014.

Pluralism

DPIR's diverse community bridges International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory. It creates a rich intellectual environment for interdisciplinary engagement.

Global Expertise

Our research community holds in-depth, area-specific expertise in the politics of Europe, Russia and the Former Soviet Union, the US, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

A nexus for big questions and big ideas. We develop innovative new ways for gathering, processing and analysing data; we create new theoretical frameworks; and our research projects tackle some of the most-pressing challenges around the globe.

Research Networks

OxPo network

Programme for Global Leadership

Centre for Democratic Resilience

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Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

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Oxford Computational Political Science Group

Yeandle, A. and Doyle, D. (2026) “Migration, remittances and petty corruption in Africa”, International Studies Quarterly [Preprint].

Green, E. and Harding, R. (2026) “Political Business Cycles and Democratization: Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa”, Comparative Political Studies [Preprint].

Available at https://doi.org/10.1177/00104140261448128

Capoccia, G. (2026) “Critical Junctures”, in O. Fioretos, T. Falleti, and A. Sheingate (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Historical Institutionalism. Oxford University Press, pp. 89–106.

Available at https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199662814.013.5

Kim, W., Chae, S. and Sandler, T. (2026) “Do non-UN peacekeeping operations work in conjunction with UN peacekeeping troops to reduce civilian casualties?”, Conflict Management and Peace Science, 43(3), pp. 286–308.

Available at https://doi.org/10.1177/07388942251353419

Hussein, H. (2026) “Track wars’ environmental eff ects in real time”, Science [Preprint].

Available at https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aeg9532

Fleming, T., Goet, N. and Zubek, R. (2026) “UK House of Commons Standing Orders Dataset, Version 4.0.0, ParlRulesData Project”.

Fleming, T. and Zubek, R. (2026) “Dail Eireann Standing Orders Dataset, Version 1.0.0, ParlRulesData Project. 2026”.

Nielsen, P. and Zubek, R. (2026) “Danish Folketing Standing Orders Dataset, Version 1.0.0, ParlRulesData Project. 2026”.

Quint, F. et al. (2026) “Bystanders and Reporters: Who Acts Against Illegal Online Content?”, Social Media + Society, 12(2).

Available at https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051261437497

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