Here are some tips to help master research, a core competency of the intelligence analyst.
Research is formalized curiosity…
- Use reliable sources when conducting OSINT (.gov sites are most consistently acceptable).
- Don’t focus on research that confirms your hypothesis; actively seek different perspectives and contradictory evidence.
- Be skeptical and read OSINT with a critical eye.
- As you conduct your research, take notes about variations in terms, and query those, too (e.g., homegrown violent extremist, HVE, domestic terrorist).
- When querying persons or companies, assume there are multiple spellings/variations. At the same time, never assume persons/companies with the same or similar spellings are identical to your subject. Cross-check all data.
- First reports are often wrong; never use initial reporting in disseminated intelligence without strong caveats.
- Read multiple accounts; there is a chance you’ll find just one or two additional facts that can enrich your analysis.
- Sometimes news media that are located in the same city as an incident took place will offer greater detail.
- Use original sources where feasible–for example, if you find an FBI statistic in a news article, go to FBI.gov.
- Beware of the slants and biases of mainstream news sources, opinion pieces passed off as “real” news, and satirical news sites.
- Don’t let time constraints cause you to stop your research prematurely; if time is of the essence, and if possible, elicit help from co-workers.
- Make the same query on different search engines to be sure you’re getting a complete set of data.
- Devise a system to organize your data; it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
- Before you cite a fact, check for recent reports to ensure the story hasn’t changed. For example, if you cite an arrest, but the subject was later acquitted, your credibility might be at stake. At the same time, be aware the press does not always follow up on stories, especially if the circumstances are less marketable than the original piece. “When it doubt, leave it out.”
- Consider the meaning of absent information.
- Put data into perspective by comparing and contrasting, and offering broader timeframes.
- If you’re using historic data, your research may slow or stop at some point as you move into the analysis and writing stages. On the other hand, if you’re using breaking news, you’ll probably need to add an “as of” date prior to dissemination, and then continue to monitor media reports and provide updates to your analysis, as needed.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) systems can aid with research, but check results. It can be a good pointer system, but it can also lead to false, absent, or weak results. If it does reference a Web site, go to the original source, be sure it answers your question, and then cite the original source, not the AI tool.