The data-raw
directory on the project's Github contains more information about the underlying data that assists
in merging in these codes.
The user will invariably need to be careful and ask why they want these data included. The issue here is that both have a different
composition and the merging process will not (and cannot) be perfect. We can note that a case like Gran Colombia is not too difficult to handle (i.e.
CoW does not have this entity and none of the splinter states conflict with CoW's coding). However, there is greater weirdness with a case like the unification of
West Germany and East Germany. Herein, Correlates of War treats the unification as the reappearance of the original Germany whereas
Gleditsch-Ward treat the unification as an incorporation of East Germany into West Germany. The script will *not* create state-year or dyad-year duplicates
for the Gleditsch-Ward codes. The size of the original data remain unchanged. However, there will be some year duplicates for various
Correlates of War codes (prominently Serbia and Yugoslavia in 2006). Use with care. You can also use
the countrycode
package. Whether you use this function or the countrycode
package, do *not* do this kind of merging without assessing
the output.