Investigation Methodology
Finding (Intelligence)
A finding is a verified piece of intelligence or evidence that has been validated and documented during an investigation. Findings differ from raw data in that they have been analyzed, contextualized, and assessed for reliability. Professional investigators document findings with source attribution, confidence levels, and relevant metadata to support conclusions and legal proceedings.
Related OSINT terms
- Case FileA case file is an organized collection of all documents, evidence, notes, and intelligence related to a specific investigation. Effective…
- OSINT (Open Source Intelligence)Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information gathered from publicly available sources. These sources include…
- Evidence RecordAn evidence record is a preserved, attributable item of source material captured during an investigation — the page, document, listing…
- Possible MatchA possible match is a candidate record, profile, name or identifier that shares attributes with the subject of an investigation…
- Information GapAn information gap is a question the available evidence does not answer: no source was found, a source exists but…
- BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) is a communication format originating from military intelligence that presents the most important information or…
- Investigation Notes (Encrypted)Investigation notes are structured records created by investigators to document observations, hypotheses, interview summaries, and analytical conclusions during a case.…
- Investigative SkillAn investigative Skill is a focused, repeatable investigation workflow that answers one defined research question — for example, which public…
- Evidence-First InvestigationEvidence-first investigation is an approach in which every finding is tied to an inspectable source before it is presented, and…
- Provenance (Evidence)Provenance is the documented origin and history of a piece of evidence: where it was found, when it was retrieved…
Related Skills
Investigative Skills in Nexus that apply Finding to a live case.
- Public-Source ResearchFind and compare public information about a subject, separating findings from assumptions and gaps.Pro & Agency
- Enhanced Public Web SearchDiscover different types of web references and examine available original sources behind relevant results.Pro & Agency
- Deep Public ResearchCombine relevant web, news, publication and directory evidence into a focused, cited investigation.Pro & Agency
- BLUF Situation BriefPresent the bottom line first, followed by the evidence, assessment and limitations that support it.Pro & Agency
- Public Social-Profile EnrichmentCompare known profile candidates using biographies, usernames, public links, professional details and conflicting signals.Pro & Agency
- News and Adverse-Media TimelineOrganize public reporting into a sourced timeline that separates established events, allegations and conflicting accounts.Pro & Agency