Methodology
GLAN and Bellingcat have been breaking new ground in the fight against impunity for atrocity crimes through ensuring that open source investigations can give rise to admissible, reliable evidence. Through years of collaboration, we have developed and tested a step-by-step methodology for investigators to follow, which will ensure that courts can put aside any scepticism and place appropriate trust in open source information. Its aim is to ensure that any material discovered by Bellingcat’s dedicated Justice and Accountability Unit is gathered in accordance with rules on admissibility of evidence so as to make it suitable for use in future legal proceedings and other accountability processes. It is the product of years of testing and development and has benefitted from input from legal and investigative practitioners, and the process can be adopted and used by investigators anywhere.
On 15 December 2022, GLAN and Bellingcat launched the publication of the Methodology, which can be downloaded below:
Origins
This collaboration began during a 2018 workshop hosted by GLAN, Swansea University, and Garden Court Chambers to consider the potential for digital evidence in the fight for accountability for atrocities in Yemen. Work on the Methodology began shortly afterwards when lawyers at GLAN undertook a review of evidentiary principles in consultation with investigators at Bellingcat, with a view to developing a set of simple steps which investigators could take to comply with those principles. Over the next four years, the methodology was tested through a hackathon, investigations, and a mock hearing. The collaboration and the development of this methodology have also given rise to a separate workstream within Bellingcat for accountability-focused investigations; this is known as the Justice & Accountability Unit.
Hackathon participants collating and verifying evidence across a number of controversial airstrikes while following a methodology designed by GLAN
Want guidance on how to conduct open source investigations?
If you or your organisation are conducting open source investigations and would like guidance on how to adopt the methodology for your own needs, please get in touch with us.
