Table of Contents
Scholars Under Fire Variable Codebook
Research & Learn
Overview
FIRE researches targeting incidents involving scholars at public and private American institutions of higher education, including both community colleges, four-year institutions, and university affiliated research centers. Not all demands for sanction result in the scholar being penalized. In the database, we include incidents in which scholars were targeted, regardless of the results of their targetings. This codebook documents our methodology and allows researchers to understand exactly how each variable was coded. If you would like access to the data file, please email us at ScholarsUnderFire@thefire.org. We encourage researchers to use FIRE’s “Scholars Under Fire” data to conduct additional analyses and further our understanding of the targeting phenomenon.
Who is a scholar?
A scholar is any individual who engages in acts of scholarship within the academic domain and has an official affiliation with a college or university. This includes teaching at a college or university, conducting research and submitting the findings to the peer-review process, and/or discussing peer-reviewed scholarship at professional academic events (e.g., conferences, panel discussions).
For the purposes of this database, a scholar, based on this definition, includes: professors (assistant, associate, full, emeritus), lecturers (adjunct, clinical, instructors), postdoctoral researchers/research fellows/scholars at universities or university-affiliated research centers (e.g., Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Study, Stanford University’s Hoover Institute), attending physicians (medical doctors working in university settings), graduate students (master’s, doctoral, law), and medical trainees (medical students, residents, fellows).
We exclude deans and other administrators who have never held a faculty position, as well as researchers working for non-university-affiliated organizations.
What is a targeting incident?
We define a targeting incident as a campus controversy involving efforts to investigate, penalize or otherwise professionally sanction a scholar for ideological reasons. A case where the individual(s) or group(s) expresses opposition to a scholar’s speech, but does not make any demands that the scholar and/or institution take action to remedy the situation, is not considered a targeting incident, and thus is not included in the database.
What details are recorded for each targeting incident?
For each targeting incident recorded, we document what was being expressed (topic); who was being addressed or talked about (subject); the reason for the expression (intent), and where the scholar’s speech took place (context.). Additionally, we identified those who initiated the targeting incident (source); how they want the scholar sanctioned (demands); and whether the targeting incident was initiated by those to the political left or right of the scholar (politics). We also included how the scholar reacted to the targeting incident (response); how the institution or administration reacted (administrative response); and the result of the targeting incident (outcome).
Demographics and Other Information
| Variable Name | year |
| Variable Description | Year of incident. |
| Coding | Year of incident |
| Variable Name | scholar |
| Variable Description | Name of scholar. |
| Coding | Name of scholar |
| Variable Name | school |
| Variable Description | Name of the college/university where the scholar is employed. |
| Coding | Name of school |
| Variable Name | state |
| Variable Description | State of the college/university. |
| Coding | Name of state |
| Variable Name | comm_college |
| Variable Description | Is it a community college? |
| Coding | No Yes |
| Variable Name | school_type |
| Variable Description | Is it public or private? |
| Coding | Public Private |
| Variable Name | school_religion |
| Variable Description | Religious denomination of the college/university. |
| Coding | Nonsectarian Baptist Catholic Christian Evangelical Jesuit Lutheran |
| Variable Name | fire_rating |
| Variable Description | FIRE speech rating of college/university. |
| Coding | Warning Red Yellow Green No rating |
| Variable Name | chicago |
| Variable Description | Has the college/university adopted the Chicago principles? |
| Coding | No Yes |
| Variable Name | field_dept |
| Variable Description | Scholar’s academic field or department. |
| Coding | Name of department |
| Variable Name | rank |
| Variable Description | Scholar’s rank. |
| Coding | Graduate student Postdoctoral researcher Research fellow Volunteer Adjunct Lecturer Clinical Specialist Assistant Associate Full Emeritus Visiting scholar |
| Variable Name | tenure |
| Variable Description | Scholar’s tenure status. |
| Coding | Tenure not offered Untenured Tenure track Tenured Emeritus |
| Variable Name | gender |
| Variable Description | Scholar’s gender. |
| Coding | Female Male Something else |
| Variable Name | race |
| Variable Description | Scholar’s race/ethnicity. |
| Coding | American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Middle Eastern Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White Multiracial |
| Variable Name | pol_snctattmpt |
| Variable Description | Politics of the sanctioner(s) relative to the scholar? |
| Coding | 1 = To the left 2 = To the right 0 = Unclear or Irrelevant |
| Variable Name | petitions_sanction |
| Variable Description | Number of petitions calling for sanctioning the scholar. |
| Coding | Total number of petitions |
| Variable Name | psnct_signatories |
| Variable Description | Total number of signatories on all petitions calling for sanctioning the scholar. |
| Coding | If number of signatories is unknown, then “unknown”; If no petitions_sanction, then blank; otherwise, number of signatories |
| Variable Name | petitions_defend |
| Variable Description | Number of petitions defending the scholar. |
| Coding | Total number of petitions |
| Variable Name | pdfnd_signatories |
| Variable Description | Total number of signatories on all petitions defending the scholar. |
| Coding | If number of signatories is unknown, then “unknown”; If no petitions_defend, then blank; otherwise, number of signatories |
Intent of Scholar’s Expression
| Variable Name | accident |
| Variable Description | Were the scholar’s words or actions not intended to be expressed publicly? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | activism_change |
| Variable Description | Was the intent of the scholar’s words or actions to encourage activism and/or express support for a cause? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | benign_friendly |
| Variable Description | Was the intent of the scholar’s words or actions to make a joke and/or a friendly, innocuous remark? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | malicious_hate |
| Variable Description | Was the intent of the scholar’s words or actions to offend, upset, show contempt for, and/or approve of violence against a person or group? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | own_views |
| Variable Description | Was the intent of the scholar’s words or actions to criticize a person or group and/or to express a personal view on a controversial social issue? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | pedagogy |
| Variable Description | Was the intent of the scholar's words or actions to present sensitive, controversial, and/or difficult content (e.g., quoting racial slurs) to provoke discussion and learning? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | sci_inquiry |
| Variable Description | Was the intent of the scholar’s words or actions to discuss scholarship, conduct research and/or to present or test an idea? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | unclear |
| Variable Description | Was the scholar’s intent not clear? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Focus of Scholar’s Expression
| Variable Name | abortion |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression support for, or opposition to, abortion? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | climate |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression climate change and/or environmentalism? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | court |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression a court trial? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | covid |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression COVID- 19 origins, calling it the “China” virus, and/or the response to it? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | elections |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression the 2016, 2018, or 2020 elections, the Capitol Hill protest/riot, voting procedures, and/or ballot initiatives? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | foreign_affairs |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression international affairs and/or conflicts? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | free_speech |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression freedom of speech? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | gender |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression misogynist slurs, sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender inequality, transgenderism, and/or Title IX procedures? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | immigration |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression illegal immigration, laws restricting immigration, and/or differences between immigrants and non-immigrants, or non-citizens and citizens? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | inst_policy |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression institutional conflicts of interest, funding, grants, outside pressure, and/or DEI policy? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | israel_palestine |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of the expression Anti-Zionism, the BDS movement, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and/or Zionism? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | mental_health |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression psychological disorders or other mental-health issues? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | partisanship |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression explicit mention of a political candidate and/or party (e.g., conservatives, liberals, left, right)? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | police_protests |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of the expression BLM, ACAB, Defund the Police, Antifa, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, Back the Blue, and/or misconduct by or directed at the police? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | race |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression racial slurs, racial inequality, racial identity, historical racism, DEI, and/or BLM? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | religion |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression Catholicism, Christianity, Islam, and/or Judaism? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | second_amend |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression support for gun rights or gun control? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | socioecon_status |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression economic inequality? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | sexuality |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and/or other same-sex issues? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | terrorism |
| Variable Description | Was the focus of expression terrorists and/or terrorist activity? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Subject of Scholar’s Expression
| Variable Name | admin |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at administrators/the administration? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | asnppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Asian people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | blkppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Black people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | chinsppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Chinese people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | chrstppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Christians/Catholics? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | feminists |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at feminists? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | gradstdnts |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at a graduate/law student or student(s)? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | hspppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Hispanic people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | immigrant |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at legal and/or illegal immigrants? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | jewppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Jewish/Israeli people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | left |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at liberals, democrats, and/or Biden or Clinton supporters? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | lgbqppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at LGBQ people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | medical |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at doctors and/or other medical experts? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | men |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at men? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | musppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Muslims? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | natam |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Native Americans? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | palstppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at Palestinian people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | plaint_defend |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at a plaintiff and/or defendant in a court trial? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | police |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at police officers? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | politician |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at a politician or at politicians? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | pubfig |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at a public figure or at public figures? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | religfig |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at a religious figure or at religious figures? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | right |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at conservatives, republicans, and/or Trump supporters? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | scholars |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at another scholar or other scholars? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | transppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at transgender people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | ugstdnts |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at an undergraduate student or students? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | whtppl |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at White people? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | women |
| Variable Description | Were the words or actions directed at women? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Context of Scholar’s Expression
| Variable Name | classroom |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression the classroom or a virtual classroom, a course syllabus, and/or an exam? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | direct_interact |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression an in-person or otherwise direct interaction? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | email_text |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression an email, letter, or message to a student, scholar, administrator, or any combination of the above. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | oped_blog |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression an op-ed or blog? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | pro_responsible |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression a meeting, resolution, training, event, forum, and/or other setting? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | public |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression a public interview, speech, statement, or podcast? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | rally_protest |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression an on- or off-campus party, protest or rally? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | scholarship |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression peer-reviewed research, scholarship, book, conference, panel, talk, and/or symposium? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | socmedia |
| Variable Description | Was the context of expression social media? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Source of Targeting Incident
| Variable Name | src_actvst |
| Variable Description | Was a grassroots campaign or activist organization the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_admin |
| Variable Description | Was an administrator or the administration the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_alum |
| Variable Description | Was an alumnus/alumna or a group of alumni the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_anon |
| Variable Description | Was the source of the sanction attempt anonymous? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_corp |
| Variable Description | Was a corporation the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_fac |
| Variable Description | Was another scholar or a group of scholars the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_genpub |
| Variable Description | Was the general public the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_govt_pol |
| Variable Description | Was the government, a politician, or a group of politicians the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_grad |
| Variable Description | Was a grad/law student or were grad/law students the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_pubfig |
| Variable Description | Was a public figure or a group of public figures the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_stkprnt |
| Variable Description | Was a donor, stakeholder, and/or parent the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | src_ug |
| Variable Description | Was an undergrad student or were undergrad students the source of the sanction attempt? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Specific Demands
| Variable Name | dmd_apo_condem |
| Variable Description | Apology from scholar, condemnation of scholar by university, apology from university. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_chng_poli |
| Variable Description | Changes to university/official policies or practices, offer resources/space for affinity groups & race-based work, hire more racially diverse scholars. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_censor |
| Variable Description | Audit, change grades or curriculum, cancel or alter course, stop research study in progress or retract research/scholarship/book/op-ed or boycott the journal for refusing to retract. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_demote |
| Variable Description | Demotion and/or removal of emeritus status. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_list |
| Variable Description | Was there a list of demands? |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_suspend |
| Variable Description | Suspend, place on leave, remove from the classroom, restrict teaching duties. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_terminate |
| Variable Description | Fire, do not hire, resign, revoke tenure. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_train |
| Variable Description | Mandatory training for the scholar and/or all scholars. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | dmd_vague_investigate |
| Variable Description | Call for investigation and/or some vague, unspecified consequences. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Scholar’s Response
| Variable Name | prof_context |
| Variable Description | Assert that expression was misinterpreted or taken out of context. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | prof_deny |
| Variable Description | Deny that the incident occurred or was done by them. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | prof_leave |
| Variable Description | Voluntarily resign/step down, retire, take a voluntary leave of absence. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | prof_nocmnt |
| Variable Description | None/no comment |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | prof_notwrong |
| Variable Description | Refusal to concede any wrongdoing. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | prof_regret |
| Variable Description | Apologize, express regret; delete, hide, or otherwise modify evidence of expression. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | prof_sue |
| Variable Description | File/threaten to file a lawsuit or other form of grievance against the institution and/or those calling for sanctions. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Administration’s Response
| Variable Name | apologize |
| Variable Description | Issue a public apology and/or condemnation of the scholar’s expression, with or without mentioning the scholar by name, and explain that the university is trying to gather more information. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | chngexpress |
| Variable Description | Require/request that the scholar not express themselves that way again. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | investigate |
| Variable Description | Open an investigation. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | no_comnt |
| Variable Description | None/no comment. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | reqtrain |
| Variable Description | Require the scholar to participate in a training session or sessions. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | support |
| Variable Description | Publicly support the scholar’s expression, explicitly refuse to take action against the scholar, and/or criticize/disagree with the scholar’s expression, but state that it’s protected by the First Amendment and/or campus policies protecting free speech. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | suspend |
| Variable Description | Place the scholar on paid or unpaid leave; relieve the scholar of teaching duties; suspend the scholar indefinitely or for a certain period. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | terminate |
| Variable Description | Terminate scholar’s contract; fail to renew scholar’s contract; revoke the scholar’s contract extension. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
Outcome of Targeting Incident
| Variable Name | no_sanction |
| Variable Description | No sanction. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_censored |
| Variable Description | Forbidden from conducting research; course canceled or otherwise altered; research or op-ed retracted; publication delayed; disinvited; talk canceled or shut down; agreed not to engage in that expression again. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_demoted |
| Variable Description | Scholar demoted from position or lost emeritus status. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_investigated |
| Variable Description | Title IX or other investigation. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_left |
| Variable Description | Scholar resigned/stepped down voluntarily; retired. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_proftrain |
| Variable Description | Scholar took training(s). |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_reinstate |
| Variable Description | Scholar was reinstated after being suspended and/or terminated. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_suspended |
| Variable Description | Scholar placed on paid or unpaid leave; partially, temporarily, or permanently relieved of teaching duties; suspended indefinitely or for a certain period of time. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |
| Variable Name | out_terminated |
| Variable Description | Scholar not hired; contract terminated; contract not renewed; contract extension revoked; tenure revoked; forced resignation. |
| Coding | 0 = No 1 = Yes |