Tactical Intelligence Studies Group
We are academics, engineers, managers and military analysts who look for better ways to find and deliver “the right information to the right people in the right time and the right form” – for various meanings of ‘right’. Our world is the tactical rather than strategic; what can we conclude from data that is drawn directly from the world, rather than from high-level socially constructed theories formed from other high-level theories.
The Tactical Intelligence Studies Group deeply assesses intelligence transfer. We want to find, review, and develop efficient, realistic, holistic and thorough practices for our own research. We have developed the Tactical Intelligence Cycle (TICycle), an adaption of the original intelligence cycle to partition and structure the transfer process.
Suppose we are given the task of researching a claim. We first efficiently search and find relevant and reliable information. Next, we attempt to synthesize and understand our collected knowledge by extracting key concepts and critically assessing each source. We loop between finding and understanding until we have exhausted the body of knowledge or feel we understand enough. Next, we explain what we have found through efficient teaching methods and use this to act accordingly.
The Tactical Intelligence Studies Group holds projects and conducts extensive research into the find, understand and explain components of the TICycle
Find
Much is already known by other people. What are good existing methods to review this? What should we beware of? What are the trade-offs again in time, effort, accuracy and costs? What are the templates and semi-mechanical processes that we can provide to people who want to find out something specific?
Understand
There are a range of structured techniques to analyse and synthesis and assess information. What mental tool-kits actually work well, and what do not? When we mitigate biases, what counter-biases do we introduce? What are the trade offs in time, effort, accuracy and resources? What evidence do we still need to collect to find out the answers to these? How do we better teach them – what are the metaphors and stepping stones we can use to help people re-wire their minds to think more effectively?
IT terminology and concepts can be impenetrable to outsiders. What are the metaphors, memes, analogies, stories, representations and so on that we can use to help non techs understand the ‘cyber situation’ within the overall intelligence picture?
Explain
Telling people something similar to what they already believe is boring and useless. Telling people something that is very different from what they believe is surprising, distracting and prone to rejection. How can we improve getting across the relevant key nuggets of new information effectively, efficiently and with a suitable level of conviction?
What can journalists, military intelligence, police, weather forecasters, engineers, politicians, social media analysts, data miners and academic researchers learn from each other? What should we not? Who else should we include?
The Tactical Intelligence Blog
Resources
Perhaps a near-peer state employs a ‘hacker’ team in Estonia. The team has a botnet hosted on compromised UK NHS computers. This botnet is used to attack a mobile phone software-defined radio in our area of operation to broadcast spoof GPS signals to mislocate receivers by 500 meters during critical operations…
Structured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis
This book showcases fifty-five structured analytic techniques ― five new to this edition ― that represent the most current best practices in intelligence, law enforcement, homeland security, and business analysis.
What we do
Gossip
Share information - without spamming everyone! Modelled on news sites such as SpaceDaily, we provide an irregular update of news and events that is easy to skim.
Seminars and Conferences
Meet physically and online; bring together experts and novices from different fields to plan, execute and understand better ways to provide front-line decision makers with what they need to know to be effective.
Research
Survey what is already known. Run experiments to test efficacy of analytic techniques. Measure performance of analysts when on task.
Disseminate
Write papers for journals; produce videos to introduce and explain; create training packages.
Tactical Intelligence Studies Group
We are academics, engineers, managers and military analysts who look for better ways to find and deliver “the right information to the right people in the right time and the right form” – for various meanings of ‘right’. Our world is the tactical rather than strategic; what can we conclude from data that is drawn directly from the world, rather than from high-level socially constructed theories formed from other high-level theories.
The Tactical Intelligence Studies Group deeply assesses intelligence transfer. We want to find, review, and develop efficient, realistic, holistic and thorough practices for our own research. We have developed the Tactical Intelligence Cycle (TICycle), an adaption of the original intelligence cycle to partition and structure the transfer process.
Suppose we are given the task of researching a claim. We first efficiently search and find relevant and reliable information. Next, we attempt to synthesize and understand our collected knowledge by extracting key concepts and critically assessing each source. We loop between finding and understanding until we have exhausted the body of knowledge or feel we understand enough. Next, we explain what we have found through efficient teaching methods and use this to act accordingly.
The Tactical Intelligence Studies Group holds projects and conducts extensive research into the find, understand and explain components of the TICycle
Find
Much is already known by other people. What are good existing methods to review this? What should we beware of? What are the trade-offs again in time, effort, accuracy and costs? What are the templates and semi-mechanical processes that we can provide to people who want to find out something specific?
Understand
There are a range of structured techniques to analyse and synthesis and assess information. What mental tool-kits actually work well, and what do not? When we mitigate biases, what counter-biases do we introduce? What are the trade offs in time, effort, accuracy and resources? What evidence do we still need to collect to find out the answers to these? How do we better teach them – what are the metaphors and stepping stones we can use to help people re-wire their minds to think more effectively?
IT terminology and concepts can be impenetrable to outsiders. What are the metaphors, memes, analogies, stories, representations and so on that we can use to help non techs understand the ‘cyber situation’ within the overall intelligence picture?
Explain
Telling people something similar to what they already believe is boring and useless. Telling people something that is very different from what they believe is surprising, distracting and prone to rejection. How can we improve getting across the relevant key nuggets of new information effectively, efficiently and with a suitable level of conviction?
What can journalists, military intelligence, police, weather forecasters, engineers, politicians, social media analysts, data miners and academic researchers learn from each other? What should we not? Who else should we include?
The Tactical Intelligence Blog
Perhaps a near-peer state employs a ‘hacker’ team in Estonia. The team has a botnet hosted on compromised UK NHS computers. This botnet is used to attack a mobile phone software-defined radio in our area of operation to broadcast spoof GPS signals to mislocate receivers by 500 meters during critical operations…
Resources
Structured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis
This book showcases fifty-five structured analytic techniques ― five new to this edition ― that represent the most current best practices in intelligence, law enforcement, homeland security, and business analysis.
What we do
Gossip
Share information - without spamming everyone! Modelled on news sites such as SpaceDaily, we provide an irregular update of news and events that is easy to skim.
Research
Survey what is already known. Run experiments to test efficacy of analytic techniques. Measure performance of analysts when on task.
Seminars and Conferences
Meet physically and online; bring together experts and novices from different fields to plan, execute and understand better ways to provide front-line decision makers with what they need to know to be effective.
Disseminate
Write papers for journals; produce videos to introduce and explain; create training packages.
Tactical Intelligence Studies Group
We are academics, engineers, managers and military analysts who look for better ways to find and deliver “the right information to the right people in the right time and the right form” – for various meanings of ‘right’. Our world is the tactical rather than strategic; what can we conclude from data that is drawn directly from the world, rather than from high-level socially constructed theories formed from other high-level theories.
The Tactical Intelligence Studies Group deeply assesses intelligence transfer. We want to find, review, and develop efficient, realistic, holistic and thorough practices for our own research. We have developed the Tactical Intelligence Cycle (TICycle), an adaption of the original intelligence cycle to partition and structure the transfer process.
Suppose we are given the task of researching a claim. We first efficiently search and find relevant and reliable information. Next, we attempt to synthesize and understand our collected knowledge by extracting key concepts and critically assessing each source. We loop between finding and understanding until we have exhausted the body of knowledge or feel we understand enough. Next, we explain what we have found through efficient teaching methods and use this to act accordingly.
The Tactical Intelligence Studies Group holds projects and conducts extensive research into the find, understand and explain components of the TICycle
Find
Much is already known by other people. What are good existing methods to review this? What should we beware of? What are the trade-offs again in time, effort, accuracy and costs? What are the templates and semi-mechanical processes that we can provide to people who want to find out something specific?
Understand
There are a range of structured techniques to analyse and synthesis and assess information. What mental tool-kits actually work well, and what do not? When we mitigate biases, what counter-biases do we introduce? What are the trade offs in time, effort, accuracy and resources? What evidence do we still need to collect to find out the answers to these? How do we better teach them – what are the metaphors and stepping stones we can use to help people re-wire their minds to think more effectively?
IT terminology and concepts can be impenetrable to outsiders. What are the metaphors, memes, analogies, stories, representations and so on that we can use to help non techs understand the ‘cyber situation’ within the overall intelligence picture?
Explain
Telling people something similar to what they already believe is boring and useless. Telling people something that is very different from what they believe is surprising, distracting and prone to rejection. How can we improve getting across the relevant key nuggets of new information effectively, efficiently and with a suitable level of conviction?
What can journalists, military intelligence, police, weather forecasters, engineers, politicians, social media analysts, data miners and academic researchers learn from each other? What should we not? Who else should we include?
The Tactical Intelligence Blog
Perhaps a near-peer state employs a ‘hacker’ team in Estonia. The team has a botnet hosted on compromised UK NHS computers. This botnet is used to attack a mobile phone software-defined radio in our area of operation to broadcast spoof GPS signals to mislocate receivers by 500 meters during critical operations…
Resources
Structured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis
This book showcases fifty-five structured analytic techniques ― five new to this edition ― that represent the most current best practices in intelligence, law enforcement, homeland security, and business analysis.
What we do
Gossip
Share information - without spamming everyone! Modelled on news sites such as SpaceDaily, we provide an irregular update of news and events that is easy to skim.
Research
Survey what is already known. Run experiments to test efficacy of analytic techniques. Measure performance of analysts when on task.
Seminars and Conferences
Meet physically and online; bring together experts and novices from different fields to plan, execute and understand better ways to provide front-line decision makers with what they need to know to be effective.
Disseminate
Write papers for journals; produce videos to introduce and explain; create training packages.