Practical dimension of issues related to assessing the reliability of sources and the trustworthiness of data and information

Abstract

The phases of preparation, analysis, integration, initial interpretation of data and intelligence are relatively widely described in the literature. Only the field of assessing the certainty of sources and the reliability of data and intelligence has not kept pace with the development of other elements in the domain of information operations. In view of the increasing intensity of activities carried out by potential adversaries, the methods, techniques and tools currently in use should be critically evaluated and their limitations identified, and attempts should be made to develop and implement new processes and procedures. Above all, the capacity to prepare and communicate increasingly accurate assessments of the certainty of sources and the reliability of data and information must be enhanced. Therefore, it is necessary to: quantify the accuracy of the information, prepare new procedures and software, study the degree of information redundancy, its completeness and level of diagnosticity. Acquisition and analytical apparatus staff must be aware of existing limitations and search for ways to solve problems. Such a search should not focus on one-size-fits-all methods, but on a pragmatic approach to each element.