Peer-reviewed journal articles
2025 The backlash against civil society participation in international organizations: The case of human rights complaints mechanisms. (with Steinert, Christoph V, University of Zurich). Accepted at British Journal of Political Science. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2025 Many hurdles to take: Explaining peacekeepers’ ability to implement human rights activities on the ground (with Sabine Otto, Uppsala University, and Constantin Ruhe, Goethe University Frankfurt). Journal of Peace Research. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2024 A Red Flag for Public Goods? The Correlates of Closing Civic Space (with Kristin Bakke and Neil Mitchell, both at University College London). Governance. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2024 UN peacekeeping upon deployment: Peacekeeping activities in theory and practice (with Sabine Otto, Uppsala University and Felix Kube, University of Konstanz). Cooperation and Conflict. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2024 Civil Society Under Attack: The Consequences for Horizontal Accountability Institutions (with Jessica Johansson und Thomas Richter, both at GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies). Studies in International Comparative Development Open Access Publisher’s version.
2023 Peacekeepers without helmets: How violence shapes local peacebuilding by civilian peacekeepers (with Allard Duursma, ETH Zurich). Comparative Political Studies 57(5): 778-817. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2023 (UN-)protected Elections – Left for Good? Withdrawal of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and its Effects on Violence during Electoral Periods in War-Affected Countries (with Jana R. Kissling, University of Zurich / ETH Zurich). Journal of International Peacekeeping 30(2): 165-197. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2023 UN Peacekeeping and Democratization in Conflict-Affected Countries (with Robert Blair, Brown University, and Jessica Di Salvatore, Warwick University). American Political Science Review 117(4): 1308-1326. Preprint version. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2022 Introducing the Peacekeeping Mandates (PEMA) Dataset. (with Jessica Di Salvatore, Warwick University, Magnus Lundgren, Stockholm University and Kseniya Oksamytna, City University of London). Journal of Conflict Resolution 66(4–5), 924–951. Abstract. Preprint version. Website.
2022 When do UN peacekeeping operations implement their mandates? (with Robert Blair, Brown University, and Jessica Di Salvatore, Warwick University). American Journal of Political Science 66(3): 664-680. Abstract. Preprint version. Publisher’s version.
2021 Protecting the Vote? Peacekeeping presence and the risk of electoral violence (with Hanne Fjelde, Uppsala University). British Journal of Political Science 52(3), 1113-1132. Abstract. Open Access Publisher’s version.
2021 Keeping electoral peace? Activities of United Nations peacekeeping operations and their effects on election-related violence. Conflict Management and Peace Science 38(5): 580-604. Abstract. Preprint version. Publisher’s version.
Winner of the 2017 Dina Zinnes Award from the SSIP Section of the International Studies Association, USA; Winner of the Credric Smith Prize 2017 from the Conflict Research Society, UK
2020 Silencing Their Critics: How Effective Are Governments in Restricting Civil Society? (with Kristin M. Bakke, Neil Mitchell and Dominic Perera, all at University College London). British Journal of Political Science 51(3): 1270-1291. Abstract. Preprint version and replication material. Publisher’s version.
2020 Mitigating election violence locally: UN peacekeepers’ election-education campaigns in Côte d’Ivoire, Journal of Peace Research 57(1): 199-216. Abstract. Preprint version and replication material. Publisher’s version.
2020 United Nations peacekeeping locally: Enabling conflict resolution, reducing communal violence, Journal of Conflict Resolution 64(2-3): 344-372. Abstract. Preprint version and replication material. Publisher’s version.
2019 When States Crack Down on Human Rights Defenders (with Kristin M. Bakke and Neil Mitchell, both at University College London), International Studies Quarterly 64(1): 85-96. Abstract. Preprint version and replication material. Publisher’s version.
2016 From a Perpetrator’s Perspective: International election observers and post-electoral violence. Journal of Peace Research 53(2): 226-241. Abstract. Preprint version and replication material. Publisher’s version.
Peer-reviewed book chapters
(Forthcoming). Peacekeeping and Elections. In: Han Dorussen (ed.). Peacekeeping and International Relations. London: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Other publications
2025 Invited book review: UN Mediators in Syria: The Challenges and Responsibilities of Conflict Resolution by Fadi Nicholas Nassar. Political Science Quarterly Read here.
2023 UN Peacekeeping at 75: Achievements, Challenges, and Prospects, International Peacekeeping (with Allard Duursma, Corinne Bara, Nina Wilén, et al.). International Peacekeeping Read here.
2020. “Governments Around the World Are Restricting Rights, Using the Pandemic as Cover,” The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage (with Neil Mitchell and Kristin Bakke), May 6, 2020. Read here.
2019 From disaggregated findings to „bigger picture“ and spatial modeling implications in peacekeeping research. Reply to „Violence reduction or relocation“ by Laura Peitz and Gregor Reisch. Read here.
2018 Shrinking Civic Space in Africa: When Governments Crack Down on Civil Society. GIGA Focus Africa 4 (Nov). Read here.
2018 Book review: Matanock, Aila M. 2017. Electing Peace. From Civil Conflict to Political Participation. Africa Spectrum 53(2): 135-138. Read here.
2015 Why the 2015 Presidential Election Was Peaceful, Africa at LSE Blog, Part of the African Elections series. Read here.
Hannah Smidt 