Open Source Investigations Training
The Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley School of Law offers training courses and workshops on digital open source investigations to professionals across disciplines. Our trainers teach the methodology and techniques found in the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations and Digital Witness: Using Open Source Information for Human Rights Investigation, Documentation and Accountability, which serve as materials for the course. Our general training focuses on investigations into violations of international criminal, humanitarian, and human rights law. It involves a combination of theory and practice taught through lecture, case studies, and hands on exercises. For the time being, all trainings are offered virtually on Zoom.
For more information about courses, specialized classes, and modules in legal or general OSINT training, contact Lindsay Freeman. For information about training for journalists or on ethics and resiliency, contact Andrea Lampros.
Regular Courses
IICI/Berkeley HRC Course
In partnership with the Institute of International Criminal Investigations (IICI), Berkeley HRC offers a 28-hour open source investigation course for professionals across a variety of fields including, but not limited to, international human rights and criminal analysts and investigators, law enforcement, lawyers, and investigative journalists. Case studies and exercises focus on the investigation of violations of international criminal, humanitarian and human rights law. Scholarships are available for those with financial need. More information can be found here.
Berkeley AMI/HRC Course
In partnership with the Berkeley Advanced Media Institute at the Graduate School of Journalism, Berkeley HRC offers a 28-hour open source investigation course for professionals across a variety of fields including, but not limited to, human rights researchers, analysts and journalists. Scholarships are available for those with financial need. More information can be found here
Berkeley HRC Bootcamp
Berkeley HRC offers a 3-day (12 hour) open source investigation bootcamp, which provides participants with the course foundations and basic skills for conducting digital open source investigations. This course trains participants on how to think like a digital investigator, plan an online investigation, search and identify relevant online content, evaluate online sources and verify digital material.
Ethics and Resiliency Workshop
Berkeley HRC offers a 1-day (4 hour) workshop focused on ethics and resiliency in open source investigations, an often overlooked, but perhaps the most important aspect of conducting digital open source investigations, especially when dealing with human rights violations.
Private Berkeley HRC Training
We also provide ad hoc training courses for organizations on request. If you are interested, please reach out for more information.
Specialized Courses
Congressional Oversight Investigations
In partnership with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), we offer a 3-day open source investigation bootcamp, which teaches open source investigation techniques in the context of congressional investigations.
