Pre-Investigation Readiness Checklist

Core idea

A seven-item checklist to confirm before starting an investigation, covering scope, OPSEC, legality, evidence handling, and bias.

Components

• I have a clear, documented research question and defined scope.
• I have a dedicated investigator browser profile with no personal accounts signed in.
• I am using a VPN or Tor for queries related to this investigation.
• I have an evidence preservation workflow in place.
• I understand the legal framework in my jurisdiction for this type of data collection.
• I have considered the potential impact of my findings on named individuals.
• I will actively seek disconfirming evidence, not just evidence supporting my hypothesis.

When to use

Immediately before commencing collection on any new investigation.

Example

Confirming a VPN is active and no personal accounts are signed into the investigator browser profile before running the first query on a suspect wallet.

Related

Investigation Risk Categories & Mitigations, Manage Both Digital Footprints (OPSEC), The OSINT Lifecycle