Gathering dark secrets,hidden and dirty information: Some methodological notes on studying political assassinations

Very little sociological research has been carried out on political assassinations and the methodological experience in sociology regarding this issue is consequently very limited. This paper presents an analytical summary of the methodological problems and experiences which were encountered during three years of research on the sociological and criminological patterns of political assassinations by Jews in Palestine and Israel between 1882–1988. Similar methods could be used to study other phenomena where the information can be characterized as secret, dirty and hidden.