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DatNav: Guide to Navigating Digital Data in Human Rights Research

This guide is designed to help human rights researchers, journalists, students and philanthropists navigate and integrate digital data into their human rights work.

From online videos of rights violations to satellite images of environmental degradation, to eyewitness accounts disseminated on social media, we have access to more relevant data today than ever before. When used responsibly, this data can help human rights professionals in the courtroom, when working with governments and journalists, and in documenting historical record.

But integrating data collection and management into the day to day work of human rights work and documentation can be challenging, even overwhelming, for individuals and organisations.

The resource is the result of a collaborative project led by Amnesty InternationalBenetech, and The Engine Room, which WITNESS was invited to participate in.

The contributions from WITNESS are informed by our work with partners and allies around the world and seek to address specific issues they confront on a regular basis – such as video verification and ethical use of eyewitness media, video takedowns on online platforms, and developing well-organized catalogues of human rights footage, such as police abuse or war crimes.

For specific guidance on these issues, check out the sections:

  • “Verify, Verify, Verify” (p.24)
  • “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Preserving Online Videos and Photos” (p. 48)
  • “Organising Your Photo and Video Catalogue” (p. 51)

Also available in:

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