ITACG Intelligence Guide for First Responders 2nd Edition - ISE.gov

• Direct – The intelligence source has direct knowledge of the intelligence fact reported
or appears to be in the direct contact with those involved or knowledgeable.
• Indirect – Indirect access refers to any source access that is determined not to be
excellent or good.
Credibility. The term refers to the extent to which something is believable. This term is
commonly used with reference to sources of evidence, to evidence itself, and to hypotheses
based on evidence. The term reliability is sometimes used as a synonym for credibility, but this
causes difficulties. Reliability is only one attribute of the credibility of certain forms of evidence.
The credibility of sources of evidence is both context and time dependent. A person or a source
may be more credible regarding certain events and at certain times but not so credible regarding
other events or at other times. Typically, information may be assessed as being credible or
noncredible, or as levels of credibility (low credibility or high credibility).
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Reliability. A subcriteria of credibility applied to the primary source provides a likelihood that the
most recent reporting can be assessed to be an accurate representation of the events reported
on the basis of the past performance of the source. This subcriteria is an analyst’s judgment of
the intelligence source for a particular report. The following terms and amplifications are used
in describing source reliability:
• SOURCE: (U) An established source with indirect access, much of whose reporting has
been corroborated over the past eight years.
• SOURCE: (U) A collaborative source with excellent access, some of whose reporting
has been corroborated over the past two years.