Global Interorganizational Network Dataset from GDELT

We present the dataset on our research that explores the structural characteristics of the global interorganizational network, comprising multinationals, intergovernmental organizations, and international non-governmental organizations. We extracted the data from GDELT, which compiles media-reported events worldwide.

The dataset shows the interaction events between international organizations (e.g., the UN providing aid to the WHO or Amnesty International criticizing the World Economic Forum), as reported by the world media. The dataset can be useful for understanding the relational dynamics between the organizations and the degree of cooperation of each actor. It encompasses events from January 2018 to May 2021.

The research article, titled: “The ties that bind global governance: Using media-reported events to disentangle the global interorganizational network in a global pandemic”, is co-authored with Ryan Federo and published at Social Networks. Click here to learn more about it.

You have the dataset as follows: the legend, an exemplifying table, and a link to the file.

  • Control No.: Control variable to identify each row.
  • Created Day: The date when the event occurred (formatted as YYYY-MM-DD).
  • Object Name: the name of the receiver organization of the event.
  • Object Primary Type: the type of organization of the receiver (i.e., IGO, MNC, & NGO).
  • Subject Name: the name of the organization that performs the event.
  • Subject Primary Type: as Object Primary Type, but for the organization that performs the event.
  • Goldstein Scale: the Goldstein Scale score of the event, as coded and presented by GDELT.
Control No.Created DayObject NameObject Primary TypeSubject NameSubject Primary TypeGoldstein Scale
12018-01-01UNICEFIGOUNITED NATIONSIGO0
22018-01-01UNICEFIGOUNITED NATIONSIGO7.4
32018-01-01MICROSOFTMNCSAMSUNGMNC-10
42018-01-01SAMSUNGMNCMICROSOFTMNC-10
52018-01-01MICROSOFTMNCGOOGLEMNC3
62018-01-01UNITED NATIONSIGOWORLD BANKIGO3.4
72018-01-01UNITED NATIONSIGOAFRICAN UNIONIGO4
82018-01-01WORLD ECONOMIC FORUMNGOUNITED NATIONSIGO2.8
92018-01-01UNITED NATIONSIGOWORLD ECONOMIC FORUMNGO1.9
102018-01-01EMBRAERMNCBOEINGMNC-0.4
112018-01-01WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONIGOUNITED NATIONSIGO8
122018-01-01UNITED NATIONSIGOWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONIGO8
132018-01-01MICROSOFTMNCGOOGLEMNC4
142018-01-01CITIGROUPMNCCREDIT SUISSEMNC0
152018-01-01OPECIGOGOLDMAN SACHSMNC0.4
162018-01-01GOOGLEMNCLENOVOMNC7
172018-01-02MOTOROLAMNCSAMSUNGMNC-2
182018-01-02NOKIAMNCSAMSUNGMNC3
192018-01-02UNITED NATIONSIGOUNESCOIGO3
202018-01-02SAMSUNGMNCSONYMNC2.8

Feel free to use and share the data as you see fit. However, please cite and include a link to this page and GDELT.

Recommended citation: Federo, R. & Bustamante X. (2022) Global Interorganizational Network Dataset from GDELT. Accessible at: https://www.bustawin.com/interorg-network-dataset/.

Click here to download the whole CSV (zipped) dataset.


To ensure reliability of the data, we accounted for the confidence level that GDELT sets for each of the recorded interactions. The confidence level pertains to GDELT’s reliability measure of the likelihood that the data point actually captures the actual interaction between two actors. We iteratively explored the levels of confidence by taking a 20% random sample at each level that we stratified at 5% intervals (i.e., 100%, 95%, 90%, and so forth). We ultimately set the minimum confidence level at 75%, as we found it is the threshold at which the recorded events actually capture the interaction between the concerned international actors and the type of interaction in which they are engaged (i.e., cooperative/conflictive).

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