Open Source Research
Collaboration with Chris Osieck on Medium articles
With Chris Osieck, I have published the following articles:
Geolocating conflicts in Fall 2022 with various methods, and a preview of the new tool Atlos
Analysis of the whitewashing of human rights violations in Xinjiang, China
With Chris, I assist in the research and investigation, and organize the material to form a readable narrative. I edit the material using the AP style and in American English. I suggest improvements, propose additional research to make our findings airtight, and ensure that people mentioned are given the right of reply. Additionally, I optimize images, ensure information is archived, and verify that what we say can be proven.
We are flattered and fortunate to have our work shared by journalists from the New York Times and the BBC, and researchers at Bellingcat. Additionally, our work on Xinjiang was included in the Uyghur Human Rights Project's bibliography and adapted for a Dutch audience by De Groene Amsterdammer.
Moderation for Bellingcat
I'm proud to donate my time to Bellingcat, one of the foremost organizations analyzing open-source information in the world. Besides publishing their own investigations, Bellingcat teaches their methodology to journalists and human rights advocates (as well as the general public). This methodology explains how freely available data and imagery can confirm — or dispute — statements of governments, media, and civil society groups.
Bellingcat's research includes discovering responsible parties for incidents such as the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Aklah, and the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Additionally, they have created a framework for best practices in preserving digital evidence for use in human rights court cases and track incidents of civilian harm in Ukraine.
I was recruited to help moderate Bellingcat's 20,000+ member Discord server, which requires monitoring content posted by users, helping new members onboard, enforcing the rules, answering user questions about both Bellingcat and their own research, and assisting in the direction and information architecture of the server. I have launched initiatives within the community to monitor gender-based violence and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and also assist members with preparing their research for publication.