Resume<\/p>\n
Research on Global Security Threats: Methodological Perspectives in Security Studies<\/strong><\/p>\n PhDr. Ivana Oleck\u00e1, Ph.D., <\/em>Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, Faculty of Security and Law, Department of Criminology<\/em><\/p>\n doc. PhDr. Josef Smol\u00edk, Ph.D., MBA, LL.M., MSc., Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, Faculty of Security Management, Department of Security Studies<\/em><\/p>\n Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n Contemporary global security threats constitute a complex set of phenomena whose impacts transcend national borders and encompass both traditional military risks and non-traditional threats such as cyber-attacks, pandemics, climate change, and hybrid operations. Effective analysis of these threats requires the integration of diverse theoretical frameworks within security studies alongside methodological plurality, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches. The authors of this text understand security studies as a reflexive, applied, empirical-analytical discipline situated at the intersection of explanatory and policy-oriented research, combining elements of both basic and applied knowledge. At the theoretical level, it draws primarily on the social science traditions of international relations and political science and seeks to understand the emergence and functioning of security phenomena, whereas at the practical, applied level it produces strategic assessments, scenarios, risk assessments, and policy briefs that are applicable in public administration, the military, NATO, think tanks, and the private sector. This paper systematically presents the methodological tools suitable for assessing and predicting global security threats, ranging from statistical and regression models to system dynamics and agent-based modelling, network analysis, content analysis, and expert-based methods, as well as scenario analysis and foresight. Ethical and practical limitations of research are also considered, particularly data availability, politicisation of threats, and the dynamic nature of the security environment.<\/p>\n