Target

How to identify the target (recipient) actor:

1. Locate the object of the main clause of the report to be coded. The object, if present, is the target (recipient) actor of the event. The target may be a direct or indirect object, depending on event category and information provided in the text.

   • There is no hard and fast rule about the assignment of the target actor; it may be a person, place or thing in either the direct or indirect object position.

     • The coder must consider the event category that has been assigned before determining the target.

2. Record the entire noun phrase occurring in the direct or indirect object position as the literal, "target value."

   • Note that many sentences are constructed without targets; therefore, it is possible that no target exists in the sentence being coded.

3. Specifics for the target actor are identified via 2 additional indicators (variables). Assign these micro-level values for the target actor:

   • "Target association" is the highest administrative unit information available about the source actor's administrative unit (national, regional or local).

   • "Target sector" conveys the noun class sector of the target of the interaction.

View target coding examples