OSINT Methodology research

60 papers · Research category

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) turns publicly available information into material that can support an investigation. The methodological questions matter as much as the tools: how information was found, whether it can be verified, and what conclusions the available evidence can support.

Scope of this collection

This collection contains papers assigned to ALEX’s OSINT Methodology research category. It brings together work on information collection, validation, linkage and the organisation of investigative work. It is a subject collection, rather than a list of papers selected for one particular kind of investigation.

Using this research

Use the bibliography to compare collection approaches, examine validation methods and trace the research behind an investigative technique. Consult the original paper for its data, assumptions and limitations before applying a method. A classification in this collection does not establish that a tool is suitable for a particular case.

References reproduce the metadata held by ALEX. Missing author, year or source details are identified in the listing. Publication years are shown as recorded; collection and retrieval dates are not substituted. Follow the original source to verify a citation.

Bibliography

Showing 1–50 of 60 papers, ordered by publication year (newest first), then title.

Earlier research · five years or older Historical reference

Age markers as of 2026-11-06.

An Evidence-Native OSINT Risk Assessment of Items Concerning Peaceland Foundation in the HNPW 2026 Report
WEI MENG; TING LIU (2026) · Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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Analysis of public safety risk evolution based on open-source intelligence
GAO Yang; XU Chencheng; CHEN Zequan; GAO Wenbing; WANG Zhankun; TANGChao; WANG Xinzhi (2026) · Journal of Safety Science and Resilience
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Automated Regulatory Compliance Assessment for Open-Source Software: A Machine-Readable Policy Approach Applied to the Cyber Resilience Act
Antoine Sacré; Dara Tith; Benoit Hosselet; Jean-Noël Colin (2026) · Applied Sciences
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Beyond training and techniques – searching for an OSINT-tailored pedagogy and education
Giangiuseppe Pili (2026) · Canadian Foreign Policy Journal
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Chemical threat detection from open-source intelligence using a large language model: a zero-shot feasibility evaluation, with radiological assessment precluded by data sparsity
Damian Alexander Honeyman; Zubair Akhtar; David James Heslop; Chandini Raina MacIntyre (2026) · International Journal of Data Science and Analytics
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Current State and Possible Development Directions Of Open-Source Intelligence
Grzegorz JASKULA (2026) · Communications of International Proceedings
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Cyber Open Source Intelligence in Counter-Terrorism: A Systematic Literature Review and Indonesian Case Study Analysis
Vedaniar Zahra Danardini Mulia; Rizal Amrullah (2026) · Security Intelligence Terrorism Journal (SITJ)
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Dataset Hasil Identifikasi Paparan Informasi pada Website SMA-SMK-MA Negeri di Kota Malang
Ahmad Raffi Athalla; Rifqy Halim Amanullah; Naufal Zaky Fathin Syuhada (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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Digital Footprints and Open-Source Intelligence: Insights from Open Data Exploitation
Mohammed Suhail A; Krishna Pingale; Silmi Ali (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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End-to-end automation of email intelligence in OSINT workflows: Architecture and implementation
Bengisu Aydemir; Malek Malkawi; Reda Alhajj (2026) · Array
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ENTERPRISE OSINT ДЛЯ УПРАВЛІННЯ РИЗИКАМИ, МОНІТОРИНГ ЦИФРОВОГО СЛІДУ КОМПАНІЇ ТА СПІВРОБІТНИКІВ
Валерія Миколаївна Слатвінська; В’ячеслав Ігорович Бевза (2026) · INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
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Hidden Harm—Exploring the Utility of Geostatistical Analysis to Identify Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
Antoinette Keaney-Bell; Colm Walsh (2026) · Behavioral Sciences
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Industrial Intelligence Assessment of Production Capacity and Industrial Operational Power
Ignacio Iliev (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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Inteligência analítica no policiamento ostensivo: cruzamento de dados abertos para apoio à tomada de decisão na PMPA
Rogério Fernandes Oliveira; Kerlyson Carlos Viana Araujo; Marcos de Jesus Rodrigues Farias; Eder Bruno Bezerra Barros (2026) · Revista ft
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Intelligence Theory 2026
ÇAĞDAŞ INAL (2026) · Figshare
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Intelligence-Led Early Warning Systems And National Security: A Strategic Framework for Preventing Emerging Security Threats in Nigeria and West Africa
Sabiu Lawal (2026) · Demagogi Journal of Social Sciences Economics and Education
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Mapping Connections: How Maltego and Spiderfoot Revolutionize OSINT
Daniel Rosehill; Gemini 3.1 (Flash); Chatterbox TTS (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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Methodology of the informational and analytical documentating of open sources in the process of verification of sanctions evasion schemes
M. Sydoruk (2026) · Visnyk of Kharkiv State Academy of Culture
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NationFiles & Naciro Predictive Intelligence Research
Sven Schmidt (2026) · OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
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Real-Time Geopolitical Risk Analysis and the System Latency Problem: Architectural Framework of the Naciro Predictive Engine
Neawolf Media Group; Sven Schmidt; Sven Neawolf (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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Research Project: Real-time Geopolitical Stability Modeling
Neawolf Media Group; Sven Schmidt (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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Scaling Up Complex Sensemaking and Problem-Solving Through Crowdsourcing and Human-AI Collaboration
Anirban Mukhopadhyay (2026) · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech)
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Spatial Intelligence Blind Spots: Auditing Open Geospatial Data for Urban Service Accessibility and Decision Stability
Florina Dutt; Subhajit Das (2026) · Proceedings of the 2nd ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on Spatial Intelligence for Smart and Connected Communities
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Tantangan Reliabilitas OSINT dalam Intelligence Collection dan Implikasinya terhadap Ketahanan Wilayah Jakarta
Stanislaus Riyanta (2026) · Jurnal Ketahanan Nasional (Study Program of National Resilience, Graduate School Universitas Gajah Mada)
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Targeting the Human Factor: OSINT in Healthcare
Marie Soukupová (2026) · European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security
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The application of OSINT methodologies in criminal investigations: successful case studies from the practice of foreign law enforcement agencies and civil society institutions
Y. M. Kalandyrets; I. A. Titko (2026) · Analytical and Comparative Jurisprudence
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The architecture of transactional survival: middle power security substitution and sovereign asset exchange in Horn
Gizachew Wondie Gifayehu (2026) · Third World Quarterly
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The Global Re-Evaluation Framework
Neawolf Media Group; Sven Schmidt (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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Transforming investigative journalism through OSINT: A trace-based approach to reconstructing cold cases
Riesta Oktarina; Jokhanan Kristiyono; E. Rizky Wulandari; Anam Miftakhul Huda; Sri Widayati (2026) · Jurnal Studi Komunikasi (Indonesian Journal of Communications Studies)
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Who Can See the Earth? Earth Observation's Defense-Market Dependence and Civilian Access to Commercial Satellite Imagery
Stanford University; Lara Rudar; Rose Gottemoeller; Marshall Burke (2026) · Stanford Digital Repository
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Closing Cases with Open-Source: Standing Investigative Mechanisms
White (2024)
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OSINT Research Studios: A Flexible Crowdsourcing Framework to Scale Up Open Source Intelligence Investigations
Anirban Mukhopadhyay; Sukrit Venkatagiri; Kurt Luther (2024) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
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Use and Abuse of Personal Information, Part I: Design of a Scalable OSINT Collection Engine
Elliott Rheault; Mary Nerayo; Jaden Leonard; Jack Kolenbrander; Christopher Henshaw; Madison Boswell; Alan J. Michaels (2024) · Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy
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Open source intelligence and AI: a systematic review of the GELSI literature
Riccardo Ghioni; Mariarosaria Taddeo; Luciano Floridi (2023) · AI & SOCIETY
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Open-source intelligence: a comprehensive review of the current state, applications and future perspectives in cyber security
Ashok Yadav; Atul Kumar; Vrijendra Singh (2023) · Artificial Intelligence Review
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Sedition Hunters: A Quantitative Study of the Crowdsourced Investigation into the 2021 U.S. Capitol Attack
Yu et al. (2023)
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Supporting High-Stakes Investigations with Expert-Led Crowdsourcing
Venkatagiri (2023)
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Values and Value Conflicts in the Context of OSINT Technologies for Cybersecurity Incident Response: A Value Sensitive Design Perspective
Thea Riebe; Julian Bäumler; Marc-André Kaufhold; Christian Reuter (2023) · Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)
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Compete, Collaborate, Investigate: Exploring the Social Structures of Open Source Intelligence Investigations
Belghith et al. (2022)
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Collegiate Social Engineering Capture the Flag Competition
5+
Aunshul Rege; Rachel Bleiman (2021) · 2021 APWG Symposium on Electronic Crime Research (eCrime)
Collection: APWG.org eCrimes Research · Original collection
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Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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CrowdSolve: Managing Tensions in an Expert-Led Crowdsourced Investigation
5+
Venkatagiri et al. (2021)
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Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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CySecAlert: An Alert Generation System for Cyber Security Events Using Open Source Intelligence Data
5+
Author metadata incomplete (2021) · Springer
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Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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Combating Human Trafficking via Automatic OSINT Collection , Validation and Fusion
5+
Author metadata incomplete (2020)
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Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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Open-Source Intelligence Educational Resources: A Visual Perspective Analysis
5+
Jhon Francined Herrera-Cubides; Paulo Alonso Gaona-García; Salvador Sánchez-Alonso (2020) · Applied Sciences
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Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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The Not Yet Exploited Goldmine of OSINT: Opportunities, Open Challenges and Future Trends
5+
Javier Pastor-Galindo; Pantaleone Nespoli; Felix Gomez Marmol; Gregorio Martinez Perez (2020) · IEEE Access
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Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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GroundTruth: Augmenting Expert Image Geolocation with Crowdsourcing and Shared Representations
5+
Venkatagiri et al. (2019)
Paper details
Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
Source link not recorded in ALEX.
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Cyber Intelligence and OSINT: Developing Mitigation Techniques Against Cybercrime Threats on Social Media
5+
Abel Yeboah-Ofori; Allan Brimicombe (2018) · DOI landing page
Paper details
Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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Open-source intelligence for risk assessment
5+
Hayes (2018)
Paper details
Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
Source link not recorded in ALEX.
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OSINT-based Data-driven Cybersecurity Discovery
5+
Author metadata incomplete (2018)
Paper details
Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
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REAPER: an automated, scalable solution for mass credential harvesting and OSINT
5+
Blake Butler; Brad Wardman; Nate Pratt (2016) · 2016 APWG Symposium on Electronic Crime Research (eCrime)
Collection: APWG.org eCrimes Research · Original collection
Paper details
Research context
This work reflects the evidence and technical environment at the time of publication. Its methods and insights may remain valuable, while some findings or practical guidance may have been refined or superseded by subsequent research and developments. Please consult more recent sources before applying it to current research or investigations.
View paper · Open ALEX record · Source page

Explore another perspective

These collections offer a different way into the library; their bibliographies need not contain the same papers.

Digital Forensics & Evidence · Research category
Forensic Investigation · Investigation type

OSINT Methodology research

Scope of this collection

Using this research

Bibliography

Closing Cases with Open-Source: Standing Investigative Mechanisms

Sedition Hunters: A Quantitative Study of the Crowdsourced Investigation into the 2021 U.S. Capitol Attack

Supporting High-Stakes Investigations with Expert-Led Crowdsourcing

Compete, Collaborate, Investigate: Exploring the Social Structures of Open Source Intelligence Investigations

CrowdSolve: Managing Tensions in an Expert-Led Crowdsourced Investigation

GroundTruth: Augmenting Expert Image Geolocation with Crowdsourcing and Shared Representations

Open-source intelligence for risk assessment

Explore another perspective