I thank the editors of RIPE, the anonymous reviewers, Aida Hozić, Saori Katada, and @katjakleinberg.bsky.social for their valuable comments on earlier drafts. Here's the link to 50 free eprints:  www.tandfonline.com/eprint/NIKS7... (5)

Although opening the black box of negotiations could be challenging, it is not impossible. The field needs more work on data collection and comparative studies that explore the negotiation process prior to cooperation. (4)

I also indicate four open questions once we take the negotiation process into account – why negotiations don’t end; what factors or actors influence the process; how a negotiation triggers another; and how negotiations affect domestic politics and int’l relations. (3)

Doing so has several advantages. 1. Understand what shapes the negotiation process and non-cooperation; 2. Evaluate how the negotiation process affects domestic and int’l politics; 3. Reduce selection bias; 4. Bridge the gap between research and real-world dynamics (2)