An important part of any investigation is verifying pieces of evidence that you or your team have managed to collect, be it images, videos, or statements made by witnesses or court documents. In most cases, easier said than done. There are a number of variables that determine the difficulty of verifying, say an image. The […]
Investigation as civil practice
Resources
When do you stop verifying?
Maps & the Open Source
Maps are, perhaps, the most common and important tool for any open source investigator. The reason for this is the versatility, simplicity, and effectiveness of using maps for gathering and visualizing information/evidence. For myself (Robin), it was also my introduction to OSINT with the Tibet Research Project and one of my first ever OSINT guides […]
Getting Started in Open Source Research
If you are new to the world of OSINT (OOSI, OSI, etc.) and are looking to get started, this is the guide for you. Published by Bellingcat, this comprehensive guide will help you get started and get a feel for what it means to do open source research. It also includes a many additional resources […]
OCCRP’s Aleph
When trying to find documents relevant to your investigation, it can be crucial to know where to look. One of the places to look for information is Aleph. Run by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Aleph is one the most useful databases to look public records, leaks, you name it. Take a look […]
Verification Handbook
Verification is one of the single most important steps in an investigation. There will be other useful sources for verification added here, but a useful one to start off with is the Verification Handbook. Free online, this handbook provides you with the very basics of verification. Recommended to anyone just getting started or in a […]
Digital Witness
Digital Witness: Using Open Source Information for Human Rights Investigation, Documentation, and Accountability is a must-read for anyone new or old to the field of OSINT and human rights investigations. The book goes into great detail about a number of various tools and methodologies. It teaches you about the importance of verification and archiving. Written […]
Verification & Social Media
Verification is the practice or process in an investigation of confirming the accuracy or reliability of sources or content. A source could be a video, a picture, news story, social media post, etc. and the method of verification is dependent on your source. For example, if you have an image that you need to verify […]
