Findley's research and teaching address civil wars, terrorism, and development. He uses field experiments, statistical and computational models, and some interviews. He conducts ongoing fieldwork in Uganda, South Africa, and Malawi.
Findley's publications appear in American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, International Studies Quarterly, British Journal of Political Science, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Peace Research, Public Choice, Complexity, Minnesota Law Review, and World Development, among others.