osint

name	osint
description	Open-Source Intelligence research methodology -- multi-wave, progressively deepening investigation with structured intel output
version	1.0.0
triggers	["osint on","do osint","investigate","intelligence on","research on","dig into","deep dive on"]

OSINT: Open-Source Intelligence Research

Purpose: Conduct structured, multi-wave open-source intelligence research on a subject (person, organization, event, or topic) using publicly available sources. Produce a formatted intelligence briefing with sourced analysis and prediction matrices.

Pattern: The Investigative Spiral -- each wave narrows focus, increases depth, and builds on prior findings.

---

Scope & Ethics

This skill is for research using publicly available information only:

• News media, government databases, court records
• Academic publications, think tank analyses
• Public social media, corporate filings
• Sanctions lists, wanted databases, org charts

Never:

• Attempt to access private/authenticated systems
• Dox private individuals
• Generate information that enables targeting or violence
• Fabricate or speculate beyond what sources support

---

Methodology: The Four Waves

Wave 1: Broad Reconnaissance

Goal: Establish baseline profile. Cast wide net.

Launch 3-4 parallel WebSearch queries covering different angles:

WebSearch: "$SUBJECT profile background biography"
WebSearch: "$SUBJECT latest news [current year]"
WebSearch: "$SUBJECT [domain] structure leadership"
WebSearch: "$SUBJECT [government/legal] status charges"

Output: Basic identity, timeline, key relationships, current status.

Wave 2: Targeted Deep Dive

Goal: Drill into key figures, relationships, and dynamics identified in Wave 1.

Launch 3-4 parallel WebSearch queries on specific findings:

WebSearch: "[Key Figure A] role connection to $SUBJECT"
WebSearch: "[Organization] structure members sanctions"
WebSearch: "[Event/Conflict] details timeline analysis"
WebSearch: "[Financial/Legal] aspect indictments court records"

Supplement with WebFetch on high-value URLs found in Wave 1 (government profiles, think tank reports, court documents).

Output: Detailed profiles of key figures, org charts, relationship maps.

Wave 3: Analytical Sources

Goal: Get expert analysis, academic research, and predictive frameworks.

Target authoritative analytical sources:

• Think tanks: Brookings, ACLED, InSight Crime, CFR, ICG, RAND
• Government: DEA, State Dept, Treasury/OFAC, DNI/NCTC, FBI
• Academic: university research centers, peer-reviewed journals
• Investigative: Bellingcat, OCCRP

WebSearch: "$SUBJECT [analytical angle] analysis expert assessment"
WebFetch: [think tank URL] "Extract all analytical details about..."
WebFetch: [government URL] "Extract complete profile/designation..."

Output: Expert predictions, historical parallels, structural analysis.

Wave 4: User-Directed Drill-Down

Goal: Go deep on whatever angle the user requests.

This wave is triggered by user direction ("dig deeper into X"). Apply the same multi-parallel search pattern but focused entirely on the requested angle.

Output: Exhaustive detail on the specific sub-topic.

---

Source Hierarchy

Prioritize sources by reliability:

Tier	Source Type	Examples	Trust Level
1	Government primary	DEA, State Dept, OFAC, court records	Highest (official)
2	Academic/Think tank	Brookings, ACLED, university research	High (peer-reviewed)
3	Quality investigative	InSight Crime, Bellingcat, OCCRP	High (methodology-driven)
4	Major news wire	AP, Reuters, AFP, NPR, PBS	Medium-high (editorial standards)
5	Regional/specialized	Domain-specific news outlets	Medium (domain expertise, less editorial rigor)
6	Social media/unverified	X/Twitter, Telegram, anonymous sources	Low (corroborate before using)

Rule: Never state something as fact from Tier 6 alone. Always triangulate across tiers.

---

Output Structure: Intelligence Briefing

Standard Report Sections

# OSINT [PROFILE/BRIEFING/ANALYSIS]: $SUBJECT

## 1. IDENTITY / OVERVIEW
[Basic profile, aliases, DOB, origin, physical description if known]

## 2. TIMELINE / HISTORY
[Chronological key events, rise to prominence, arrests, etc.]

## 3. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
[Org chart table: Name | Alias | Role | Status | Reward]
[Key relationships, family connections, alliances]

## 4. OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS
[How they operate, territorial control, revenue streams, methods]

## 5. CURRENT DYNAMICS
[Breaking news, recent developments, ongoing conflicts]

## 6. SCENARIO ANALYSIS
[Prediction matrix with probability, timeline, triggers]
| Scenario | Probability | Timeline | Trigger |

## 7. KEY METRICS
[Numbers table: members, revenue, territory, etc.]

## 8. SOURCES
[All URLs as markdown hyperlinks, organized by tier]

Formatting Standards

• Tables for structured data (org charts, metrics, scenarios)
• Bold for key names, terms, and emphasis
• Tiered headers for scannable structure
• Source links always included at bottom
• Prediction matrices with probability ratings (LOW/MEDIUM/MEDIUM-HIGH/HIGH/CERTAIN)

---

Error Recovery

Problem	Recovery
WebFetch returns 403/blocked	Fall back to WebSearch for same info from different sources
Source contradicts another	Note the contradiction, cite both, assess which is more reliable
Paywall blocks key article	Search for the same story on wire services (AP/Reuters) or quote the preview
Limited English sources	Search in the subject's native language, translate key findings
Information is stale	Note the date, flag as potentially outdated, search for updates

---

Modifiers

Modifier	Values	Default	Description
@depth:	1-4	3	Number of research waves
@focus:	string	broad	Initial angle to emphasize
@output:	report, brief, profile	report	Output format (full report, executive brief, or identity profile)

---

Usage Examples

# Full OSINT research
/osint "subject name"

# Quick profile only
/osint @depth:1 @output:profile "target name"

# Focused angle
/osint @focus:finances "organization name"

---

Origin

Extracted from a real OSINT research session (Feb 2026). The session involved 4 progressive research waves, 27 parallel web searches, and 10 deep article extractions, producing 2 structured intelligence briefings with prediction matrices, org charts, and link analysis. The multi-wave parallel search methodology proved significantly more effective than sequential single queries.

---

Part of the Claude Code Skills collection -- skills extracted from real AI-assisted development sessions.