Skip to page content

Information Operations

Featured

Information operations and warfare, also known as influence operations, includes the collection of tactical information about an adversary as well as the dissemination of propaganda in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent. RAND research has enabled military leaders and policymakers to develop strategies and policy frameworks to address the challenges of these military operations.

Commentary

The Irony of Misinformation: USIA Myths Block Enduring Solutions

Jul 7, 2022

Unlike Russia and China, the U.S. government has failed to institutionalize the importance of information in foreign policy. The United States lacks formalized leadership structures to tackle information issues head on, and a central organization to coordinate activities to understand, inform, and influence foreign audiences.
Commentary

How Cognitive Dissonance and Repression Shape Russian Perceptions of the Conflict in Ukraine

Jun 29, 2022

Cognitive dissonance theory offers a compelling explanation for one of the confounding phenomena emerging from the war in Ukraine—Russians who refuse to believe their Ukrainian family members' lived experiences of the war. How is it that of the two cognitions Russians are wrestling with, the Kremlin's manufactured truth often prevails?

Explore Information Operations

Report

Assessing and Evaluating Department of Defense Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade: An Annotated Reading List

To help broaden the expertise of U.S. Department of Defense assessment personnel and stakeholders, RAND produced a reading list for self-study in best assessment practices across a range of sectors.

Apr 17, 2015
Report

DoD Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade

The U.S. Department of Defense spends more than $250 million per year on efforts to inform, influence, and persuade. How effective (and cost-effective) are they? How well do they support military objectives? How could they be improved?

Apr 17, 2015
Report

Evaluating DoD Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade

The U.S. Department of Defense has struggled to assess the progress and effectiveness of its efforts to inform, influence, and persuade audiences in support of key national security objectives. Examples of strong assessment practices across sectors—including defense, marketing, public relations, and academia—can help address these challenges.

Apr 17, 2015
Journal Article

Integrating Apples, Oranges, Pianos, Volkswagens, and Skyscrapers: On the Relationships Between Information-Related Capabilities and Other Lines of Operation

This article describes the various possible relationships between IRCs and the capabilities of other lines of operation.

Feb 17, 2015
Commentary

Why 'Big Data' Can't Find the Missing Malaysian Plane

The failure to find the missing aircraft demonstrates anew the serious gaps in data coordination and challenges public assumptions about the thoroughness and simplicity of searching the world's data for answers.

May 1, 2014
Report

Redefining Information Warfare Boundaries for an Army in a Wireless World

The U.S. Army is studying ways to apply its cyber power and is reconsidering doctrinally defined areas related to cyberspace operations. Clarifying the overlap between network and information operations and other areas could inform Army doctrine.

Jan 16, 2013
News Release

U.S. Military's Efforts to Influence Afghan Population Have Grown Less Effective Over Time

The efforts of U.S. military information operations and psychological operations in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2010 grew less successful over time, as disenchantment with foreign occupation grew.

Apr 30, 2012
Report

U.S. Military's Efforts to Influence Afghan Population Have Grown Less Effective Over Time

The efforts of U.S. military information operations and psychological operations in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2010 grew less successful over time. The most notable shortcoming was the inability to counter the Taliban propaganda campaign against U.S. and coalition forces on the theme of civilian casualties.

Apr 30, 2012
Research Brief

Assessing Military Information Operations in Afghanistan, 2001–2010

This research brief offers an overview of the effectiveness of U.S. psychological operations in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2010, with particular attention to how well messages and themes were tailored to target audiences.

Apr 30, 2012
Research Brief

Addressing Commanders' Needs for Information on "Soft" Factors

A framework for thinking about commanders' critical information needs in countersurgency operations, offering practical ways for commanders to integrate influence activities into combined arms planning and assessment.

Dec 5, 2011
Commentary

Psychological Operations by Another Name Are Sweeter

The Department of Defense has decided to change the name of military psychological operations (PSYOP) and this is a good thing, writes Christopher Paul.

Jul 29, 2010
Report

Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Sources of Success in Counterinsurgency

Approaches to counterinsurgency from 30 recent resolved campaigns show that good counterinsurgency practices tend to "run in packs" and that historically, the balance of selected good and ineffective practices perfectly predicts the outcome of a conflict.

Jun 18, 2010
Report

Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Detailed Counterinsurgency Case Studies

Narratives on the 30 most recent resolved insurgencies, covering the period 1978 to 2008, and data on 76 factors hypothesized to be related to the success of counterinsurgency forces supplement analyses of historical and contemporary insurgencies.

Jun 18, 2010
Report

Understanding Commanders' Information Needs for Influence Operations

In order to improve the effectiveness of combined arms planning and assessment operations, ground commanders need information pertaining to cultural and other "soft" factors and practical ways to integrate such information into influence operations activities.

Oct 28, 2009
Report

Foundations of Effective Influence Operations: A Framework for Enhancing Army Capabilities

Aims to assist the U.S. Army in understanding

May 27, 2009
Report

Assessing Irregular Warfare: A Framework for Intelligence Analysis

An analytic framework and procedure for the intelligence analysis of irregular warfare (IW) environments that can serve as the basis for a subsequent IW intelligence analysis curriculum development effort.

Dec 11, 2008
Report

Changes Needed in Way the United States Conducts Military Interventions

In preparing for possible future military interventions, the United States needs to shift substantial resources to the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development, and military-civilian efforts must be integrated from top to bottom.

Sep 9, 2008
Report

U.S. Military Prone to Operations Not in Accord with COIN Doctrine

Similarities between the Vietnam War and current Middle East operations reveal our military is apt to engage in traditional warfare despite the more nuanced tactics called for by counter-insurgency doctrine.

May 10, 2008
Research Brief

Conducting Counterinsurgency Operations: Lessons from Iraq (2003-2006)

This research brief examines U.S. counterinsurgency operations in Iraq from 2003 to 2006, including U.S. failure to protect Iraqi civilians; implications for future conflicts; and recommends steps to improve U.S. counterinsurgency capabilities.

Feb 27, 2008
Research Brief

Applying Madison Avenue Principles and Recent Operational Experience to Counterinsurgency and Stability Operations

This research brief summarizes a study that examined successes from the commercial marketing industry and how those lessons might assist U.S. and coalition forces to improve shaping campaigns during stability operations.

Jul 11, 2007

Previous
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Next

RAND Topic:
Information Operations

Research conducted by