Introduction to the CAIN Website

Update on CAIN

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.

There are CAIN Flyers / Leaflets available with background information on various aspects of the work of CAIN.

Institutional Relationships

Background on the CAIN Project

CAIN-ConflictArchive on theINternet
CAIN is the acronym given to the Archive / Web site, and the Project which is developing the Archive.

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.

Funding

CAIN has been funded by a number of organisations:

• 2024: Department for Communities

• 2023: Department for Communities

• 2021: Reconciliation Fund, DFAT

• 2021: Department for Communities

• 2020 - 2021: Initiatives of Change Committee in Ireland

• 2020: Reconciliation Fund, DFAT

• 2019 - 2020: Reconciliation Fund, DFAT

• 2019 - 2020: ARK

• 2018: Reconciliation Fund, DFAT

• 2016 - 2017: Ulster University

• 2017: CRC

• 2016: Reconciliation Fund, DFAT

• 2013 - 2014: European Union's PEACE III programme

• 2013 + 2014: Reconciliation & Anti-Sectarianism Funds, DFAT

• 2010: AHRC

• 2006 - 2012: ESRC

• 2006 - 2008: AHRC

• 2002 - 2005: The Atlantic Philanthropies

• 2002: University of Ulster

• 1998: DENI & CCRU

• 1996 - 1997: eLib
  

For full details see the page on CAIN Funding.

Original Partners on CAIN Project

Original Partner Institutions:
The development of CAIN was initially undertaken (1996-1997) by threepartner institutions:
theUniversity of Ulster, (now Ulster University)
theQueen's University of Belfast, and
theLinen Hall Library.

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).

Objectives

The CAIN Project has a number of objectives:

1. Establish and promote a resource of use to researchers, teachers, students and librarians

2. Encourage those who hold relevant information to contribute to the service

3. Collaborate with and link to other initiatives

4. Explore content, design and technical issues

Key Benefits

The main benefits of CAIN are:

1. Improve access to information and source materials

2. Assist in preparation of learning materials

3. Encourage active learning

4. Promote the awareness, value and use of networked information

5. Reduce pressure on library resources

Trends in the topic area

There is a growing interest in:

1. Conflict and peace studies

2. Political studies, and

3. Irish Studies

   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.

Navigation / Finding Information

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.

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.

Outline of the CAIN Internet Site

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

• Background information on the conflict

• Key Events

• Key Issues

Material contained in the above sections comes from 3 main sources:

• material which was initially published in paper format; example

• text written by members of the CAIN Team; example

• text written specially for the CAIN Web site; example

Background Information

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

Key Events

The CAIN Archive provides information on major events:

• Civil Rights Campaign (1964 to 1972);

• Derry March (5 October 1968);

• People's Democracy March (1 January 1969 to 4 January 1969);

• Deployment of British Troops (14 August 1969 to 31 July 2007);

• Internment (1971 to 1975);

• 'Bloody Sunday' (30 January 1972);

• Introduction of Direct Rule (30 March 1972);

• 'Bloody Friday' (21 July 1972);

• Sunningdale Agreement (6 December 1973 to 9 December 1973);

• Ulster Workers' Council Strike (May 1974);

• Dublin and Monaghan bombs (17 May 1974);

• IRA Truce (9 February 1975 to 23 January 1976);

• Constitutional Convention (8 May 1975 to 5 March 1976);

• United Unionist Action Council (UUAC) Strike (3 May 1977 to 13 May 1977);

• Hunger Strike (1981);

• Northern Ireland Assembly (November 1982 - June 1986);

• Anglo-Irish Agreement (15 November 1985);

• Brooke / Mayhew Talks (April 1991 to November 1992);

• Peace Process (1993 to the present);

• Omagh Bomb (15 August 1998).

Key Issues

The CAIN Archive also provides information on a number of major issues:

• Abstentionism by Republicans

• Children and Young People

• Collusion between Security Forces and Paramilitaries

• Commemoration related to the conflict

• Community Relations in Northern Ireland

• Cross-Community / Mixed Marriages in Northern Ireland - Report on Cross-Community Marriage in Northern Ireland (1992)

• Discrimination

• Education

• Employment

• European Union
      'The European Union and Relationships Within Ireland', J. Ingraham (1998)
      Result of The 2016 Referendum on the European Union
      Documents related to the Brexit issue

• Housing

• Law and Order / Administration of Justice
        Restorative Justice

• The Media and the conflict

• Minority Languages in Northern Ireland

• Parades in Northern Ireland

• Policing

• Policy Initiatives

• Politics, Political Parties, and the Electoral System

• Population demographics

• Reconciliation

• Segregation

• Sport

• Victims, Survivors
        (See also earlier section: Victims of the Conflict)

• Violence

• Women and the conflict

Use Made of the CAIN Web Site

Access Statistics- full details of visits / page views (1996-present)

1. During 2020 there were an average of 72,000 unique visitors per month who generated an average of 232,000 page views each month

2. one third of users are from Britain and Ireland; one third from the USA; and one third from Europe and the rest of the world
   (The access statistics exclude 'non-viewed' traffic.)