How We Work

Sourcing Standards

Every report published by Open Source Intel is drawn from open-source intelligence, meaning information that is publicly available and independently verifiable. Our source material includes:

• Official statements and government communications: press releases, military briefings, diplomatic communiqués
• Verified imagery and video: geolocated footage, satellite imagery with timestamp verification, authenticated field video
• Field reporting and on-the-ground signals: dispatches from verified contacts in active conflict zones
• Open-source databases: flight tracking, maritime tracking, seismic data, radio, video, photo intercepts from publicly accessible frequencies
• Corroborating accounts: cross-referencing claims across multiple independent sources before publication

We do not publish single-source claims as confirmed reporting. When a claim originates from one source and cannot yet be independently verified, we label it as unconfirmed and attribute it to its origin.

Verification Process

Before any report is published, it passes through a verification process:

1. Source evaluation: Is the source known and reliable? Has this source been accurate in the past? Does the source have direct access to the information being claimed?
2. Corroboration: Can the claim be confirmed through at least one independent open source? If not, it is labeled as unverified and attributed.
3. Context check: Does the claim make operational and geographic sense? Is it consistent with what we know about the situation on the ground?
4. Editorial review: A senior editor reviews the report before publication. Only major breaking events with high-confidence sourcing bypass this step for speed, and are reviewed immediately after publication.

What We Know, What We Don't, What We Assess

Reporting on active conflicts requires distinguishing between established fact, developing intelligence, and analytical assessment. We make these distinctions explicit:

• Confirmed: Verified through multiple independent sources or official confirmation
• Reported: Claimed by a credible source but not yet independently verified
• Assessed: Our analytical judgment based on available evidence, presented as analysis rather than fact

When we get something wrong, we correct it. See our Corrections Policy and our corrections log.

Anonymous and Confidential Sources

We use anonymous sourcing only when the information cannot be obtained on the record and the source faces a credible risk from identification. Anonymous tips serve as intelligence leads that direct our investigation, but we do not publish claims based solely on anonymous sourcing without corroboration from open sources.

When we report information from unnamed sources, we provide as much context as possible about why the source is credible and why they cannot be identified.

AI and Automation

We use automated tools to organize and enrich content on this website, generating titles, summaries, topic tags, and entity links (people, places, organizations) from our published reports. This enrichment does not replace our editorial process; it organizes content that our team has already verified and published. Editors review automated enrichment and correct errors when they occur.

Our reporting and analysis are produced by human journalists and analysts. We do not use generative AI to write articles, generate images, or produce editorial content.

Attribution

Most of our reporting is published under the Open Source Intel byline because our work is collaborative: intelligence reports often draw on multiple analysts, sources, and verification steps. Individual analysis pieces carry the byline of the author.

Some contributors operate under protected identifiers rather than their legal names. This is standard practice in open-source intelligence work, where contributors may face security risks from identification. Our editorial leadership takes responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of all published content regardless of byline.

Editorial Categories

Content on this site is organized into the following categories:

• Breaking: Real-time reports on developing events
• Analysis: In-depth assessment of events, trends, and strategic implications
• Investigation: Original research and open-source investigation
• Briefing: Structured intelligence summaries on specific topics or regions

Corrections Policy

We correct errors of fact promptly and transparently. When a substantive correction is made:

• The correction is noted at the top of the affected article or post
• The original text is preserved with a strikethrough so readers can see what changed
• The date and nature of the correction are disclosed
• The audience is notified of the correction publicly on our X account

Minor corrections (typos, formatting, non-substantive clarifications) are made without notation.

A running log of corrections is maintained on our Corrections page.

To report an error, contact us at [email protected].