There is a brief update on the current (February 2021) situation of CAIN. It includes a note of the consultation that was held in 2019, and the discussions around the options for CAIN.
CAIN Logo CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet - cain.ulster.ac.uk) is an Archive / Web site which provides a wide range of information and source material on the Northern Ireland conflict (from 1968 to 2007) and politics in the region. The Archive also contains some general information on Northern Ireland society. The CAIN Project began in 1996 and the Web site was first made available on-line in March 1997.
There are CAIN Flyers / Leaflets available with background information on various aspects of the work of CAIN.
Location
CAIN is located on the Magee Campus of
Ulster University (www.ulster.ac.uk).
Institutional Relationships
image of the INCORE logo CAIN is based within INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute - www.incore.ulster.ac.uk), which is part of the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences, within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, in Ulster University.
image of the ARK logoCAIN was an associate of ARK (Access Research Knowledge - www.ark.ac.uk) from 2000 to 2024. ARK is a resource involving staff from Ulster University and Queens University Belfast.
Development of an Archive / Web site on 'the Troubles' and politics
The main 'product' of the CAIN Project is the CAIN Archive / Web site. CAIN staff were also part of the team which developed the Accounts of the Conflict (accounts.ulster.ac.uk) Archive / Web site
Target audience - Higher Education sector and beyond
The target audience was initially the Higher Education sector in the United Kingdom (UK). However the site is available free to anyone with Internet access and over half of users are from outside the UK.
Background information on the conflict
Those who are new to the subject of the Northern Ireland conflict will find a range of information and source material that will provide a useful introduction to the topic.
Guidance and information for researchers
It is also hoped that those who are carrying out academic research on the subject of 'the Troubles' will find the CAIN Archive a useful resource.
CAIN has been funded by a number of organisations:
For full details see the page on CAIN Funding.
Other groups and individuals:
A number of other groups and individuals have provided support to CAIN. For example, within Ulster University the following groups had an input into the Project:
ARK (2000-2024);
Centre for the Study of Conflict (1977-2000);
Educational Services; and
INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute) (1996-present).
Further Information
More particular information on the early development of the CAIN Project (details of staff, list of papers, access statistics, promotional activities, etc.) can be found on the Project Background page.
The following information on the layout and content of CAIN site is intended for first-time users or anyone who is having problems finding information.
Near the top of each web page on the CAIN site is a 'navigation' or 'status' bar which will help you to move between the main sections and also act as a reminder of your position in the site. An example of a status bar is as follows:
This particular status bar shows that the user is looking the [Introduction] page which is one of the pages associated with the HOME page [CAIN_HOME].
At the bottom of each page are a series of 'buttons' which provide links to: CAIN home page; information about CAIN; the site index; the site map; answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs); the search page; and contact details:
If you are unsure about the location of particular information you should consult the 'help' page which contains links to the main index page and a site map. If you are still having problems you should try the full-text search facilities, which allow you to search for particualar words or phrases across the whole site. As a last resort you could contact the CAIN Director.
The remainder of this web page provides an outline of the CAIN Web site. You should use the 'BACK' button on your browser to return to this page.
Main Sections of the CAIN Web Site
Material contained in the above sections comes from 3 main sources:
The 'Background Information' on the conflict contains a number of sections:
Introductions
Brief introductions to the Northern Ireland Conflict
Background on Northern Ireland society
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Guides
Guide to carrying out research on Northern Ireland
Guide to other Web sites containing information on the conflict and politics
List of acronyms
Glossary of terms related to the conflict and politics
Other Background Information
Bibliography of the conflict
Other bibliographies, databases, and electronic services
Chronology of main events
Abstracts on prominent organisations
Biographies of people prominent during 'the Troubles'
Database of those killed
Political initiatives
Policy initiatives
Political 'solutions'
Election results
Government Reports, and Acts of Parliament
The media and the conflict
Personal accounts of the conflict
The arts and the conflict:
Political Wall Murals in Northern Ireland
Examples of Political Posters, 1968-1999
Symbols used in Northern Ireland
Photographs
The CAIN Archive provides information on major events:
The CAIN Archive also provides information on a number of major issues: