05
Forensic. Editorial. Open.
Built on CAAD's framework, adapted for African contexts by CfA's iLAB and PesaCheck. Reproducible. Citable. Open-licensed.
Step 01iLAB
Source identification
iLAB analysts identify candidate actors using OSINT, partner intelligence, and CAAD/DeSmog reference databases.
Step 02iLAB
Forensic analysis
Cross-platform content analysis, network mapping, and financial-flow tracing to verify actor classification.
Step 03iLAB
Narrative coding
Content is coded against the CfA narrative codebook for type, frame, and weaponised lexicon.
Step 04iLAB
Classification
Actors are placed into one of four categories: Newsfluencer, Sham Scientist, Puppet Think Tank, Dark Money.
Step 05iLAB
Editorial review
Investigation team and PesaCheck editors review each profile and debunk before publication.
Step 06iLAB
Open release
Reports publish to the portal with PDFs; structured data publishes to openAFRICA under CC BY-SA.