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Analysis Methodology ​

The Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) strives to prevent impunity, promote redress, and facilitate principled reform in Syria and beyond.

This guide, along with unverified labels, verified labels, and workflow, forms the written part of SJAC's methodology.

INFO

SJAC's primary methodology supports criminal accountability. For missing persons investigations, see Missing Persons.

Overview ​

Bayanat is designed to archive and analyze documentation of violations (human rights, humanitarian law). Documentation can come from several sources in various formats.

Bayanat processes content as either Bulletins (items of documentation) or Actors (information about individuals). Once processed, items are grouped into Incidents, which represent the stories and atrocities with all the details.

When documentation is processed, it is enriched through SJAC's methodology built on international law standards to enable future use in accountability mechanisms (such as trials).

Bulletins ​

A Bulletin is any piece of documentation that provides information or contains evidence. When analyzing Bulletins, every detail is important: every word, image, and sound.

Priority-Based Analysis ​

SJAC uses a priority system based on Content and Reliability labels.

Low Priority ​

Items tagged with: Non-Incident content, Post-Incident with no/weak evidence, Interviews, Reports, Media, Promotional content.

Applicable fields: basic fields, related Actors, and Labels.

High Priority ​

Items tagged with: Post-Incident with signs of recent incident and some evidence, Post-Incident with strong evidence, Incident with some/weak or strong evidence.

Applicable fields: basic fields, related Actors, related Bulletins, titles, and Labels.

Processing Steps ​

  1. Access and review documentation, establish priority
  2. Validate existing fields against the source. Flag with Bad import if errors found
  3. Check uploaded Media
  4. Complete applicable fields with data from source and documentation
  5. Add Events
  6. Add Labels (most important step, be comprehensive)
  7. Add location information
  8. Add Related Actors and Related Bulletins
  9. Add comment: "First data entry using [source info]"
  10. Save

Titles ​

Compose a brief description of what actually occurred:

  • "Anti-government demonstration"
  • "Assad forces torture 3 men"
  • "Shelling hits buildings"
  • "Rebels attack tank"

Descriptions ​

The Description provides a detailed summary without requiring review of the full documentation. Use facts shown in the documentation only. No judgments, guesses, or independent conclusions.

Checklist:

  • Overall description, including violations and post-incidents
  • Important conversations summarized/translated
  • Identifiable materials described (with timestamps)
  • Weapons, vehicles described (with timestamps)
  • Time and location markers
  • Other relevant notes

Actors ​

When analyzing Actors, every detail matters. Information is used for identifying victims and perpetrators, and for missing persons programs.

Processing Steps ​

  1. Find the actor in the source, check source link
  2. Enter Names (Name, Nickname, First, Middle/Father's, Family/Last)
    • Missing names: add "UNIDENTIFIED" to Name field
    • Multiple persons: add "MULTIPLE PERSONS" to Name field
  3. Enter Description
  4. Add Labels (be comprehensive)
  5. Add Events
  6. Complete all other fields (leave blank if no information)
  7. Minor/Adult: based on age at documentation (under 18 = Minor)
  8. Add Related Actors and Related Bulletins
  9. Add comment: "First data analysis from existing Actor" or "First data analysis newly created"
  10. Save

Labels for Actors ​

Each Actor will likely have multiple Labels. Primarily Unverified Labels, with a few Verified Labels as applicable.

Descriptions for Actors ​

Each Actor must include a description. Citing relationships to other Actors or outside media is acceptable, but do not add information from another Actor or Bulletin.

Checklist:

  • Overall description with violation information
  • Other names (additional nicknames, mother's name)
  • Family information
  • Additional location information
  • Occupation/professional information
  • Military information (number, division, unit, location)
  • Affiliations (group name, role, how determined)
  • Narrative information about Events (detention details, etc.)
  • Other relevant notes