Analysis of a Training Package for Law Enforcement to Conduct Open Source Research

Law enforcement officials (LEOs) in the UK conduct open source research (OSR) as part of their routine online investigations. OSR, in this instance, refers to publicly available information that is accessed via the Internet. As part of the Research, Identifying and Tracing the Electronic Suspect (RITES) course provided by the UK’s College of Policing, LEOs are introduced to the Open Source Internet Research Tool (OSIRT); a free software tool designed to assist LEOs with OSR investigations. This paper draws on analysis from questionnaires and observations from a RITES course; mapping them to Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. Results showed the positive impact the RITES course had in transferring knowledge back on-the-job, with LEOs applying knowledge learned to real-life investigative scenarios. Additionally, results showed OSIRT integrated both in the RITES course and into the LEOs investigative routine.