Nuclear Forces, Policies, and Weapons

The Federation of American Scientists has created the â€Å"Nuclear Forces† website, which contains interesting information on nuclear topics. Probably, the aim of creating such website was in making people aware of nuclear policies and nuclear threats in the world. Accessing the website means accessing the information and links to nuclear guides of several countries (Iran, North Korea, Ukraine, etc.). It is crucial to pay attention to the website sources and resources, when its content is analyzed. The website provides the links to the two summary tables – nuclear weapons capabilities and special weapons capabilities. Objectively, it is rather difficult and problematic for the non-specialist to analyze the table of nuclear weapons capabilities. These difficulties are connected with the complex structure of the table. Simultaneously, the summary of the special weapons capabilities provides comprehensive information about the countries, which possess and can utilize the weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, biological, etc.). The table seems to lack any relevant or peer reviewed references, this is why it can hardly be used as the source of professional research. The website also provides the links to the Nuclear Notebook (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists), Nuclear Facts and Figures, etc. The information found on this website can become a starting point of any research in the area of nuclear forces, policies, or weapons. Its data can become a valuable source of information, but professional researchers should approach it very critically. This does not mean that the information is misleading. One may recommend including peer-reviewed publications into the website content. This will add professionalism to the website in general. Information on the website is organized so that it should be easily accessed and read. However, some links are outdated and require being either updated or deleted at all. In the world where nuclear technologies are updated daily, the content of such websites also requires regular reviews. Otherwise, this information will lose its relevance and utility. References Federation of American Scientists. Nuclear forces guide. Retrieved 07 January 2008 from http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/