Core competencies are the basic cognitive building blocks that are required of a good intelligence analyst. Much has been written on the elements that make an individual an effective analyst and throughout this course you will have the opportunity to build these skills as well. Objectivity Objectivity refers to the ability to be fair and…
Category: Intelligence
Sources of Intelligence Information
Intelligence collection is an important component of intelligence analysis. The adage “Garbage in, garbage out” applies here: if the information you collect is not valid, your analysis based on it will be flawed or useless. Intelligence is often identified based on the source that was used to collect it. For instance, you may have seen…
The Intelligence Cycle
Introduction The Intelligence Cycle is a process to help you visualize the steps involved in the production of intelligence. Intelligence should be thought of as the output, while information or raw data is the input. The data goes into a system, is processed (by human beings) and emerges intelligence. Intelligence is commonly thought of as…
Manage Stress Like a Marine
Introduction Nobody knows stress management like the US military. Stress management has been recognized as an important part of ensuring an effective fighting force since the First World War. The US Marine Coprs manual MCRP 6-11C, “Combat and Operational Stress Control” (2010) is one part of this program. Bite-sized takeaway: Know yourself and your team…
Key Assumptions Check for Intelligence Research
The Key Assumptions Check is a simple way to begin an intelligence analysis or research project. Despite its simplicity, it is also extremely powerful, because it allows us to question the underlying assumptions that we make influencing our decisions and thought processes. Because of confirmation bias, we often exclude information from our worldview or from…