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Intelligence Analysis

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Intelligence analysis is the process by which the information collected about an enemy is used to answer tactical questions about current operations or to predict future behavior. RAND has helped the U.S. intelligence community streamline its processes and aided military analysts collecting and processing information on the battlefield.

Commentary

What ISIS Leaves Behind in Mosul Will Reveal a Lot

Nov 18, 2016

The capture of Mosul, Iraq, may produce a potential trove of information about how ISIS organized itself to run a large city. Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating this material will be a major effort, one of the most important as the city is liberated.
Report

Preparing for the Future of Air Force Intelligence Analysis

Apr 27, 2016

Given the recent focus on irregular warfare, it is essential that the United States Air Force has the capability to provide intelligence analysis in support of a broader range of operations. Past operations offer key lessons to help prepare for USAF intelligence in the future.

Explore Intelligence Analysis

Journal Article

Journal Article

Intelligence in a Data-Driven Age

The Intelligence Community is nearing critical decisions on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Jul 13, 2018
Report

Report

Defining Second Generation Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) for the Defense Enterprise

This report describes the evolution of open source intelligence, defines open source information and the intelligence cycle, and parallels with other intelligence disciplines, along with methods used and challenges of using off-the-shelf technology.

May 17, 2018
Report

Report

Assessing Competencies and Proficiency of Army Intelligence Analysts Across the Career Life Cycle

This report describes the development and implementation of a process to assess key analytic competencies and proficiency of the U.S. Army's analysts in the 35F military occupational specialty and the design of a protocol for ongoing evaluation.

Jul 27, 2017
Report

The Future of Sectarian Relations in the Middle East

Sectarianism is shaping developments across the Middle East. But sectarianism is only one lens for understanding the region's conflicts, and some of its drivers are amenable to policy interventions.

May 22, 2017
Commentary

Three Ways To Improve Australia's Intelligence Capability

Intelligence agencies should become centers of expertise, focus on what matters for their customers, and coordinate a network of partners. To better deliver on these three priorities, the Australian Intelligence Community should consider a leadership structure with authority to guide and coordinate these processes.

Apr 4, 2017
Report

Report

Assessing the Value of Structured Analytic Techniques in the U.S. Intelligence Community

This report argues for more systematic assessment of the structured analytic techniques employed by the Intelligence Community and provides a pilot study illustrating how they could be evaluated.

Jan 9, 2017
Commentary

The Case for Analyst Perspectives in the Intelligence Community

The intelligence community should give analysts a channel to convey their individual insights. This would give policymakers well-reasoned alternative views.

Oct 20, 2016
News Release

News Release

U.S. National Security Decisionmaking Processes Need Trimming

Increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the National Security Council is necessary as the country contends with many more state and nonstate actors, around-the-clock public scrutiny, and exploding nontraditional threats.

Apr 5, 2016
Report

U.S. National Security Decisionmaking Processes Need Streamlining

The U.S. national security system faces a range of management challenges. A leaner, more focused national security decisionmaking system can help the United States succeed in a period of tumultuous change.

Apr 5, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Using Causal Models in Heterogeneous Information Fusion to Detect Terrorists

We describe basic research that uses a causal, uncertainty-sensitive computational model rooted in qualitative social science to fuse disparate pieces of threat information.

Dec 14, 2015
Journal Article

Journal Article

Assessing and Evaluating DoD Inform, Influence, and Persuade Efforts: Guidance for Practitioners

This article aims to establish effective principles and best practices for the assessment of IIP efforts from across sectors and distill them for future application in DoD.

Oct 22, 2015
Journal Article

Journal Article

Prediction of Political Action by Means of Propaganda Analysis

A study to determine an opponent's initiatives through analysis of his propaganda.

May 27, 2015
Commentary

Predicting the 'Dangerousness' of Potential Terrorists

Predicting 'dangerousness' of potential terrorists is a hit-and-miss endeavor. Unless someone is waving a gun, it is extremely difficult. Even with direct access to the subject, parole boards, suicide prevention units, and even trained clinicians get it wrong.

Mar 2, 2015
Commentary

How Do We Deal with a Flood of Data?

Despite the battle-tested value of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, the amount of data they generate has become overwhelming to Navy analysts. If the Navy does not change the way it processes information, it will reach an ISR “tipping point”—as soon as 2016.

Jun 23, 2014
News Release

News Release

'Cloud' System Could Help Navy Analysts Consume Expanding Ocean of Data

The Navy has a growing demand for intelligence to help Navy vessels avoid collisions, pinpoint targets, and perform other vital tasks. But the amount of data it may collect in the future is more than it can process today. Cloud strategies offer promising options.

May 5, 2014
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

'Cloud' System Could Help Navy Analysts Consume Expanding Ocean of Data

The Navy has a growing demand for intelligence to help Navy vessels avoid collisions, pinpoint targets, and perform other vital tasks. But the amount of data it may collect in the future is more than it can process today. “Cloud” strategies offer promising options.

May 1, 2014
Report

Report

Modeling, Simulation, and Operations Analysis in Afghanistan and Iraq: Operational Vignettes, Lessons Learned, and a Survey of Selected Efforts

RAND conducted an examination of operations analysis, modeling, and simulation support to decisionmaking in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to illustrate how these tools can support decisionmaking in irregular warfare.

Feb 10, 2014
Research Brief

Research Brief

The Utility of Modeling and Analysis in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

RAND examined the utility of operations analysis, modeling, and simulation for supporting decisionmaking in counterinsurgency and irregular warfare, with the focus on Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Feb 10, 2014

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RAND Topic:
Intelligence Analysis

Topic Synonyms:
Analytic Tradecraft

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