Survey to address perception of terrorism in Central Ohio

COLUMBUS - Do Central Ohio residents believe they are at risk of a terrorist attack? Do they think Homeland Security's color-coded advisory system is effective? Have they used government-sponsored websites such as www.ready.gov?

These and other questions are the subject of an online survey being conducted by Ohio State University researchers from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10. To take the survey, Central Ohio residents can simply visit the Columbus Terrorism Survey website at www.columbusterrorismsurvey.org.

Those who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for prizes including tickets to Ohio State men's basketball games, DVD players, and gift certificates to local restaurants.

The Columbus Terrorism Survey is part of a broader research project being conducted by Jason VanHorn and Mei-Po Kwan of the Ohio State Department of Geography. Researchers will compare the survey results with a spatial model that provides a vulnerability index of the Columbus area.

The object is to analyze whether residents' perception of where terrorists might strike matches the model's predictions of which spaces are truly vulnerable. Results are expected in Spring 2007.

The project is sponsored by the Mershon Center for International Security Studies and Department of Geography at The Ohio State University.

About the Mershon Center for International Security Studies
The Mershon Center for International Security Studies advances the understanding of national security in a global context by fostering interdisciplinary faculty and student research in three areas of focus: the use of force and diplomacy; the ideas, identities, and decisional processes that affect security; and the institutions that manage violent conflict. The Mershon Center is a unit of the Office of International Affairs at The Ohio State University.