Chapter 2.1: Tracking Human Rights Abuses through Online Open Source Research

This chapter details common open source research techniques that can reveal important information about human rights abuses. It explains how practitioners working far away from atrocities can establish where they took place, when they happened and who was responsible for them. It illustrates how these methods are used with examples from investigations into events across the globe, including murders, forced detentions, violent destruction of communities and influence operations that undermine democracy. These investigations have led to enhanced transparency and justice outcomes, such as successful prosecutions, the removal of harmful content from social media and greater visibility of atrocities. They also demonstrate the challenges of this sort of work, and the importance of strong collaborative teams in achieving the best results.