SOLD OUT: How to Start Your Career in Open Source Investigations

Two hour webinar
Oct. 2, 2026, 11 am – 1 pm EST New York time/ 5 -7 pm CEST Amsterdam time
Price: Eur 50

This webinar has now SOLD OUT!

The magic of open source investigations like the ones that Bellingcat publishes is that they’re built using information that is openly available to anyone with an internet connection. This simple fact is what has allowed individuals from all types of different backgrounds to make discoveries about important geopolitical events and collaborate on award-winning investigations.

If you’re reading this, chances are that you are interested in joining the global ranks of investigators and volunteers like the ones at Bellingcat. But, how do you do that? How do you start a career in the field of open source investigations?

What to expect:

In this webinar, Bellingcat’s Giancarlo Fiorella will walk you through a set of practical steps that you can begin to take today in order to do just that.

You’ll learn from Giancarlo’s own experience, first as a part-time Bellingcat volunteer, to a full-time paid staff member, to his current role as Director of Research and Training. He’ll share a concise list of strategies that got him to where he is today, pitfalls to consider throughout your journey, and much more.

Experience level:

In the past several years we received numerous questions from students, early career professionals, experienced managers and people about to retire: How do I start to learn about open source? How can I start working in the field? How can I help? If you’re also wondering where to start your journey in open source investigations – this webinar is for you.

Logistics:

The webinar will be led by experienced Bellingcat researchers who will guide you through the material. They have extensive open source research experience and are passionate about sharing their knowledge with you.

Zoom webinar joining details will be shared with participants in the week before the training.

Want to learn more about open source research:

In case you would like to learn more about our in-person and online workshops, please check our website for upcoming training best matching your needs.

Cancellation

Please look closely at the cancellation and event policies in Eventzilla before you take the leap.

FAQs

Why Bellingcat?

Bellingcat is a global collective that has uncovered facts to hold power to account — we share everything, including our methods, because truth belongs to everyone.

Bellingcat began by analyzing footage of chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian civil war back in 2014. In recent years we have worked on covering various topics from civilian harm in Ukraine, through wildlife trafficking in South East Asia, the recruitment of child soldiers in Africa to the luxurious life of Kinahan cartel leaders living openly in Dubai despite an international manhunt.

We turn that same curiosity into a teachable research skill. Combined with practical knowledge of techniques and tools, that’s what this workshop teaches you to do.

How do you screen participants?

We manually approve all applications after registration. We do basic due diligence checks on our participants to be sure that our trainers and all other participants are comfortable with their participation. Members of any police, military or intelligence service are not permitted registration at our workshops, and we allow government employees to join on a case-by-case basis.

Bellingcat reserves the right not to disclose the reasons for declining participation.

That said, the vast majority of participants are approved without any issue.

Who usually attends your workshops?

We have a pretty interesting mix of participants at our trainings. Between a third to a half come from private companies or the corporate world. Among those, we have plenty of information security researchers, corporate security investigators, lawyers, due diligence experts, and other professions. Journalists are the next-most popular profession for our workshops, and then we have a mix of human rights/NGO researchers, academics and students, and even retirees just curious about what this whole OSINT thing is all about.

Can I get an invoice?

In case you need an invoice, please send us an email to [email protected].

Can I receive a certificate for the workshops?

Sure! Just email us ([email protected]) after the workshops, and we’ll send you a PDF certificate.

Can I receive a recording of a workshop?

We do not record our workshops, or allow others to record them. However, we do provide copies of our training slides to participants after the completion of the training for their personal reference.

Can I gift a workshop seat to someone else?

Sure! We have had quite a few people buy workshop attendance for a loved one as a birthday or Christmas gift. Just let us know the name of the person who you are buying the seat for when registration so that we can do a basic due diligence check on them (see the Screening section up above). Feel free to email us at [email protected] to make sure we have their proper contact details so they get all of the invitation information on time.