Course
DFRLab Digital Sherlocks
Digital Forensic Research Lab, Atlantic Council
A free, three-month, instructor-led online program on open-source investigation and information-integrity monitoring, by application only. Excellent if you qualify; government and for-profit staff do not.
Digital Sherlocks is an annual cohort: two to three live sessions a week for about three months, more than twenty modules from foundations to advanced tools, and a global alumni network. It is aimed at civil society, journalists, researchers, and analysts who monitor their regional information environment, and it is free.
Worth it if
- You work in civil society, journalism, or research and monitor disinformation or conflict
- You want live instruction and a cohort without paying
- You will benefit from a global peer network afterwards
Skip it if
- You work for a government or a for-profit company; you are not eligible
- You cannot commit to live sessions for three months
- You need people search or breach techniques; the focus is information integrity and open-source investigation
What is inside
- 01
Foundations
Open-source investigation basics and the information-environment framing DFRLab uses.
- 02
Monitoring and analysis
Tracking narratives, networks, and coordinated behaviour across platforms.
- 03
Advanced tools
Sessions on specific tools and techniques, chosen by participants from the schedule.
- 04
Alumni network
Private groups and resources for confirmed graduates, plus occasional in-person gatherings.
What you will be able to do
- Monitor an information environment for coordinated manipulation
- Apply open-source verification to narratives, not just images
- Work with a network of peers across countries
How current it is
Eight online cohorts since 2020; the 2026 cohort is the first with sessions led by a university partner. The application window is annual and short. The lab's in-person summit, 360/OS, has not run since 2022.
- Updated
- 2026 cohort running; applications closed in May 2026
- Maintained
- Actively maintained
How to get the most from it
- 01
Watch for the application window
It has opened in spring and in late summer in different years. Follow the lab's announcements.
- 02
Write the application around your monitoring work
Eligibility turns on a commitment to monitor your regional information environment. Show it.
- 03
Attend enough to certify
The certificate needs minimum attendance. Block the session times before the cohort starts.
Strengths
- Free and instructor-led
- Strong on disinformation and narrative analysis
- A real global network
Limitations
- Competitive and annual
- Excludes government and corporate staff
- Session recordings are not public
Pair it with
- ReadEbookFreeAll levels
Verification Handbook
The disinformation edition covers the same ground in print, free.
- ReadCoursePaidIntermediate
Bellingcat Workshops
The paid alternative if you are not eligible or miss the window.
- ReadEbookFreeAdvancedArchived
A Field Guide to Fake News and Other Information Disorders
Methods for studying information disorder, free.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Who is eligible?
Civil society, journalists, researchers, and analysts committed to monitoring their regional information environment, with working English. Government and for-profit employees are not eligible.
When do applications open?
Once a year. The 2026 deadline was in May; earlier cohorts closed in July or September. Check the program page for the current window.
Learned the method? Practise it on real data
The resources above teach the craft. When you want to run real lookups across breach, people, domain, and crypto sources without opening a dozen vendor accounts, that is what SearchIn is for.
- Free account, no card
- Credits never expire
- Refund unused balance in 7 days