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Perhaps from a reductionist perspective, citizen investigations would not be considered anything new. It is a cocktail of tools, methodologies, and disciplines, that have existed for some time and that are used by the investigative journalist, the academic criminologist or the activist artist. Yet, when viewed holistically, citizen investigations are ground-breaking, radical, and perhaps, just getting started. The subject matter of an investigation will always focus on the abuse of power by state entities, corporations, and the people that run them. One of the most important and radical aspects of citizen investigations has been the ability to collaborate, share, and care – it is partially through these abilities citizen investigations have been somewhat successful in holding those in power to account.
Sophie Dyer and Gabriela Ivens article ‘What would a feminist open source investigation look like?’ explores citizen investigations through the perspective of intersectional feminism. They write about collaboration, transparency in methodology, care, and ethics in an effort to showcase how “intersectional feminist thought and activism can aid open source investigators in reimagining ways of working.” In addition to an important and thought-provoking article, the authors included plenty of resources, guides, and protocols for further reading and inspiration.
You can find their article here (free to read of course).
