Signal & Shadow verification standards

Signal & Shadow is an independent forensic intelligence practice. This document defines the evidentiary and methodological standards that govern all Signal & Shadow outputs — including Shadow Analysis dossiers, Methods tutorials, The Signal weekly briefing, and all client-facing forensic audits.

These standards are published in the public interest. They are not aspirational. Every Signal & Shadow output is held to the benchmarks defined here before publication or delivery.

1. Evidence-based neutrality

All Signal & Shadow outputs are grounded exclusively in observable, verifiable data. The following constraints apply without exception:

No speculation. If a data point cannot be verified, it is marked DATA NOT ACQUIRED.
No adjectives. Descriptions must be measurable and observable, not qualitative.
Metrics replace descriptors. Quantities, coordinates, timestamps, and technical measurements are used in place of evaluative language.
Mandatory substitutions are applied to all outputs. Prohibited terms are replaced with neutral equivalents prior to publication.

Prohibited term

Mandatory substitution

Rationale

Explosion

Kinetic impact

Removes causal inference

Bloody / high-casualty

High-attrition

Removes emotive descriptor

Unusual

Statistical outlier

Introduces measurable framing

Violent

Observational descriptor only

Removes editorial judgment

2. Source grading — Admiralty 6x6 matrix

Every source used in a Signal & Shadow output is assigned an Admiralty Grade before the output is drafted. The grade is expressed as a letter (source reliability) and a number (information credibility).

Reliability

Label

Credibility

Label

Completely reliable

Confirmed by independent sources

Usually reliable

Probably true

Fairly reliable

Possibly true

Not usually reliable

Doubtful

Unreliable

Improbable

Cannot be judged

Counter-Narrative Discrepancies — instances where high-reliability sources (Grade A or B) provide conflicting metadata or timestamps — are flagged explicitly in the Admiralty Grade Triage section of every dossier.

3. Data provenance

All factual claims in Signal & Shadow outputs are tagged with one of three provenance categories:

Search-derived: information obtained via active OSINT query. Cited with source, platform, and retrieval date.
Training-derived: contextual information from model knowledge. Explicitly flagged. Not presented as current verified data.
File-derived: information extracted from an uploaded file or media artefact. Referenced with file ID and hash where available.

4. Auditability

Every Signal & Shadow forensic output includes a technical appendix sufficient for an independent analyst to reproduce the methodology. This appendix contains:

Tool logs and query strings used during analysis.
Raw SHA-256 hash values for all media artefacts examined.
SunCalc or equivalent chronolocation calculations where applied.
Satellite imagery cross-references with source, date, and resolution.
EMS-98 structural compromise assessments where relevant.

An output that cannot be reproduced by an independent analyst does not meet Signal & Shadow evidentiary standards.

5. Digital provenance and media integrity

All media artefacts examined under the Signal & Shadow framework are subject to the Media Integrity Protocol (MIP). The MIP assesses:

File metadata status — if metadata has been stripped by the host platform, this is recorded as METADATA STRIPPED BY HOST PLATFORM.
Artefact detection — ELA variance and FFT inconsistencies.
Codec fingerprinting.
Chronological markers.
C2PA Content Credentials status — reported as VALID, STRIPPED, or UNSIGNED.
Hard Bindings (SHA-256) and Soft Bindings (pHash / perceptual hash) for file matching and variant tracking.

6. Source attribution rules

Signal & Shadow applies the following attribution rules in all outputs:

Permissible attribution: official government statements, commercial satellite firms, news agencies, and intergovernmental organisations.
Social media handles are not credited in general summaries or narrative sections.
Social media handles are identified — with platform and username — in the MIP table and Admiralty Grade Triage sections only.

7. Zero-risk workflows

No Signal & Shadow workflow compromises source anonymity or exposes personally identifiable information (PII) without a clear, documented public interest justification. The following apply to all operational and training contexts:

The "Stop at the login" rule: Signal & Shadow does not cross the boundary between public OSINT and unauthorised access to private systems.
Operational security (OPSEC) is maintained during all technical discovery — including the use of dedicated virtual machines, passive lookup tools, and appropriate network hygiene.
Source anonymity is protected at all stages. Local LLMs or privacy-mode processing are used when handling material that contains PII or sensitive source data.

8. Framing

All Signal & Shadow outputs are framed as independent forensic audits or verified investigative dossiers. No Signal & Shadow output is framed as a submission to law enforcement or judicial authorities. Signal & Shadow operates as a private technical authority with evidentiary standards designed to withstand independent scrutiny.

9. Language standards

All Signal & Shadow outputs are produced in British English and adhere to AP Style. The following apply:

Sentence case is used for all headlines and subheadlines.
No terminal punctuation in headlines.
Simple language. Technical jargon is defined on first use.