The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Melissa Graves, Frank Emerson, and Pat Hendrix discuss the history of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), how publicly available information (PAI) is being analyzed by students in the Department of Intelligence and Security Studies at The Citadel, and The Citadel’s Open Source Intelligence Conference which will be held October 23-25, 2024.

Recording Date: 26 Aug 2024

Research Questions:

• Where does academia fit within the OSINT landscape?
• What should students be allowed to collect?
• How can students be best kept safe during OSINT analysis?

Resources:

• Citadel’s Open Source Intelligence Conference October 23-25, 2024
• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence
• Melissa Graves bio
• Frank Emerson bio
• Pat Hendrix bio
• We Are Bellingcat: Global Crime, Online Sleuths, and the Bold Future of News by Eliot Higgins
• Alexei Navalny Russia Documentary (HBO)

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio: 

Melissa Graves is an Associate Professor in the Department of Intelligence and Security Studies at The Citadel and currently serves as the head of the department. Her research areas include national security legal issues, the US presidency’s relationship to the intelligence community, and intelligence analysis. She teaches a variety of courses on intelligence and legal issues. Her book, Nixon’s FBI: Hoover, Watergate, and a Bureau in Crisis, evaluates the historically complex and oftentimes fraught relationships between the President, Attorney General, and FBI Director.

Frank Emerson is a senior policy consultant and accomplished leader with almost three decades of experience in U.S. national security, intelligence, and foreign policy matters. He served overseas with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Department of State, driving worldwide operations, conducting diplomacy, and building diverse multi-agency international programs.

Dr. Michael Pat Hendrix is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Intelligence Analysis and Security Studies at The Citadel Military College. His research areas include intelligence analysis and communication and African national security issues. He teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses including analysis and research, open source intelligence, homeland security, and the department capstone.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.