Addressing Challenges in a Dangerous World: Developing a Design Science Artifact for Advancing Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Research

Abstract

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), deriving intelligence from public data, has gained scrutiny since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Despite numerous attempts at standard definitions, research around technology-driven intelligence gathering and analysis remains ambiguous. This paper uses a Design Science Research (DSR) approach to categorize the technology-driven intelligence construct. Analyzing sixty studies via structured literature review, three domains were identified: maturity, Intelligence Cycle phase, and use case. The resulting framework, developed into a trend radar, was evaluated with expert interviews, revealing technological gaps in planning/direction and dissemination/integration phases. While intelligent support technologies were noted, practical implementation lags behind theory. The human factor remains central to OSINT. Findings suggest future research should develop applications for underserved phases and examine why proven applications are not widely adopted, considering legal, ethical, political, and social factors. This study contributes to technology-driven intelligence literature as a knowledge base, research gap identifier, and guide for further research.