Intelligence Analysis Management - Preprocessing

Preprocessing

Some intelligence disciplines, especially technical ones, will analyze the same raw data in different ways, for complementary purposes. For example, a signals intelligence collection platform will record all the electromagnetic signals it received from an antenna pointed to a particular target at a particular time.

Assuming the target was a radar, the ELINT analysts would be focused on the purpose and coverage of the radar. The MASINT analysts, however, would be looking for patterns not in the intentional signals of the radar, or side frequencies that were inadvertently generated.

In like manner, if the target were a voice communication, the COMINT specialists would be concentrating on the content of the message, but acoustic MASINT technicians might be "voiceprinting" the spoken words to validate that it was really from the supposed source. While Morse code telegraphy is largely obsolete, each operator has a distinct rhythm known as a "fist". Experienced telegraph intercept operators could recognize radio deception when the fist failed to match the purported operator identity.

A very basic preprocessing step would be translating the collected material into the native language of the analysts, unless, as is desirable, the analysts are fluent in the language of the information.