Dr Brian Phillips
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Email
brian.phillips@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 873504
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Location
5.006, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
Tuesday 1-3pm in my office, 5.006. Or by appointment.
Profile
Biography
My research focuses mostly on organizational dynamics of terrorism, civil conflict, and crime. You can find my work in the Journal of Politics, Comparative Political Studies, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, and other journals. My co-authored book "Insurgent Terrorism: Intergroup Relationships and the Killing of Civilians" was published by Oxford University Press. Currently I am one of the co-Principal Investigators on the ESRC-funded Multilingualism, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution in Africa () project. I am also writing a book manuscript with Hyeran Jo on terrorist designation, and editing the book What Do We Know About Terrorism? (Bloomsbury) with an excellent group of authors. I am an Associate Editor of Terrorism and Political Violence and on the editorial board of Perspectives on Terrorism. Previously I served a five-year term as Associate Editor of International Studies Quarterly. Projects I have worked on have been funded by the US National Science Foundation and the Mexican Presidency. My research has been discussed in The New York Times, El Pa铆s, The Guardian, and other outlets. Before university, I was enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps infantry for four years. If you are interested in doing a PhD under my supervision, see .
Appointments
糖心Vlog
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Reader, Department of Government, 糖心Vlog (1/10/2020 - present)
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PGR Director, Department of Government, 糖心Vlog (1/8/2023 - 1/8/2024)
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Co-Organiser, IR/Conflict Weekly PGR Workshop, 糖心Vlog (1/10/2022 - 1/5/2024)
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International Relations/Conflict Group Lead, Department of Government, 糖心Vlog (1/10/2018 - 30/7/2023)
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Senior Lecturer, Department of Government, 糖心Vlog (1/10/2018 - 30/9/2020)
Other academic
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Associate Professor of International Relations, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (2016 - 2018)
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Assistant Professor of International Relations, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (2011 - 2016)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Civil conflict
Terrorism
Organised crime
Conferences and presentations
Invited to expert meeting with policy practitioners at Geneva Academy
Invited presentation, Expert Meeting on Armed Group Coalitions, Geneva, Switzerland, 7/12/2023
Presented research to Tech Against Terrorism (United Nations funded) staff in virtual meeting
Invited presentation, Presented my research on the Facebook/Meta terrorist list in virtual meeting, London, 3/8/2023
Presented research to Meta (Facebook) staff in virtual meeting
Invited presentation, Presented my research on the Facebook/Meta terrorist list, Menlo Park, United States, 2/8/2023
Presented research to Meta/Facebook Oversight Board staff in virtual meeting
Invited presentation, Virtual meeting with staff of the Oversight Board, the supervision mechanism for Meta/Facebook/etc., 13/7/2023
Research presentation to Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism staff in virtual meeting
Invited presentation, Presented my research on Meta/Facebook's terrorist list in virtual meeting, 5/7/2023
Invited talk at ITAM, Mexico City
Invited presentation, 9/2/2023
Invited talk at START center, University of Maryland
Invited presentation, START terrorism center talk series, University of Maryland, 23/2/2022
Invited talk at the University of Maryland START Center
Invited presentation, START terrorism center talk series, University of Maryland, START Center, College Park, United States, 3/2/2021
Invited talk at the University of Glasgow
Invited presentation, Invited talk at the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom, 13/11/2019
Invited talk at University of Oxford
Invited presentation, Department of Politics and International Relations IR Speaker Series, IR Speaker Series, Oxford, United Kingdom, 17/10/2019
Invited talk at International Institute for Strategic Studies, London
Invited presentation, How Does Leadership Targeting Affect Militant Groups?, London, United Kingdom, 18/6/2019
Invited workshop at University of Warwick
Invited presentation, Facets of Political Violence and Peacebuilding, Coventry, United Kingdom, 4/5/2019
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Violent Non State Actors: Violence, Crime and Conflict (GV211)
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Doctoral Research Seminar in International Relations (GV970)
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Government
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 27/11/2024
Degree subject: Government
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 2/11/2023
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 22/12/2022
Publications
Journal articles (27)
Phillips, B., (2025). Who are the terrorism researchers? A study of scholars in an evolving field, 1970-2019. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 1-28
El Masri, M. and Phillips, BJ., (2024). . Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. 47 (8), 838-861
Feyyaz, M. and Phillips, B., (2024). . Terrorism and Political Violence, 1-17
Phillips, BJ., (2023). . Terrorism and Political Violence. 35 (2), 409-432
Garriga, AC. and Phillips, BJ., (2023). . Journal of Conflict Resolution. 67 (9), 1675-1703
Phillips, BJ. and Schiele, A., (2023). . Terrorism and Political Violence. 36 (5), 699-715
Conrad, J., Greene, KT. and Phillips, BJ., (2023). . Journal of Conflict Resolution. 68 (9), 1884-1908
Phillips, BJ. and Greene, KT., (2022). . International Studies Review. 24 (3)
Conrad, J., Greene, K., Phillips, BJ. and Daly, S., (2021). . Defence and Peace Economics. 32 (6), 757-772
Phillips, BJ. and R铆os, V., (2020). . Latin American Politics and Society. 62 (1), 1-24
Phillips, BJ., (2019). . Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. 42 (11), 997-1019
Phillips, BJ., (2019). . Terrorism and Political Violence. 31 (6), 1255-1265
Asal, V., Phillips, BJ., Rethemeyer, RK., Simonelli, C. and Young, JK., (2019). . Journal of Conflict Resolution. 63 (7), 1710-1735
Phillips, BJ., (2019). . International Interactions. 45 (2), 316-343
Asal, V. and Phillips, BJ., (2018). . Conflict Management and Peace Science. 35 (2), 111-131
Phillips, BJ., (2018). . Perspectives on Terrorism. 12 (1), 46-58
Phillips, BJ., (2017). . Comparative Political Studies. 50 (10), 1358-1389
Phillips, BJ., (2017). Deadlier in the U.S.? On Lone Wolves, Terrorist Groups, and Attack Lethality. Terrorism and Political Violence. 29 (3), 533-549
Phillips, BJ., (2016). 驴Qu茅 explica la supervivencia de los grupos terroristas? Alianzas y competencia. Revista CIDOB d' Afers Internacionals. 2016 (112), 99-126
Phillips, BJ., (2015). Civil war, spillover and neighbors鈥� military spending. Conflict Management and Peace Science. 32 (4), 425-442
Phillips, BJ., (2015). How Does Leadership Decapitation Affect Violence? The Case of Drug Trafficking Organizations in Mexico. The Journal of Politics. 77 (2), 324-336
Phillips, BJ., (2015). Enemies with benefits? Violent rivalry and terrorist group longevity. Journal of Peace Research. 52 (1), 62-75
Phillips, BJ., (2015). What Is a Terrorist Group? Conceptual Issues and Empirical Implications. Terrorism and Political Violence. 27 (2), 225-242
Phillips, BJ., (2014). Terrorist Group Cooperation and Longevity. International Studies Quarterly. 58 (2), 336-347
Garriga, AC. and Phillips, BJ., (2014). . Journal of Conflict Resolution. 58 (2), 280-306
Asal, V., Deloughery, K. and Phillips, BJ., (2012). When Politicians Sell Drugs: Examining Why Middle East Ethnopolitical Organizations Are Involved in the Drug Trade. Terrorism and Political Violence. 24 (2), 199-212
Savun, B. and Phillips, BJ., (2009). Democracy, Foreign Policy, and Terrorism. Journal of Conflict Resolution. 53 (6), 878-904
Books (1)
Asal, V., Phillips, BJ. and Rethemeyer, RK., (2022). Insurgent Terrorism: Intergroup Relationships and the Killing of Civilians. Oxford University Press, USA. 0197607063. 9780197607060
Book chapters (4)
Conrad, J., Greene, KT., Phillips, BJ. and Daly, S., (2023). Competition from Within. In: On Terrorist Groups. Routledge. 121- 136
Jo, H., Phillips, BJ. and Alley, J., (2020). . In: The Power of Global Performance Indicators. Editors: Kelley, J. and Simmons, B., . Cambridge University Press. 271- 299. 9781108763493
Phillips, BJ., (2019). . In: The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism. Editors: Chenoweth, E., English, R., Gofas, A. and Kalyvas, S., . Oxford University Press. 385- 400. 9780198732914
Phillips, BJ., (2018). . In: When Does Terrorism Work?. Editors: Muro, D., . Routledge. 52- 70. 9781315648422
Grants and funding
2025
How political violence affects women
糖心Vlog (QR Impact Fund)
2023
Multilingualism, Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities of Practiced Linguistic Diversity
Economic and Social Research Council
2019
Forced Disappearances in Mexico
糖心Vlog (GCRF)
Forced Disappearances in Mexico
糖心Vlog (GCRF)
Contact
Academic support hours:
Tuesday 1-3pm in my office, 5.006. Or by appointment.
