Disinformation Starter Kit

The 'Disinformation Starter Kit' by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is a practical toolkit designed for civil society groups to track online disinformation. It outlines a four-stage process: preparation (defining strategy), data collection (using keywords and actor lists), spotting false information (refining recall and precision), and spotting false behaviour (identifying platform manipulation). The guide emphasizes that while automated tools can assist, analysts should rely on impressionistic appraisal of profiles, posts, and points of view to identify 'inorganic' behaviour. It also provides a directory of open-source tools for investigating domain ownership and website content, while cautioning against the undue amplification of disinformation during reporting.

• Effective disinformation tracking begins with a strategy document that defines the issue area, vulnerable narratives, forms of disinformation, and likely origins and targets.
• Data collection can be achieved through various means, ranging from high-barrier platform APIs and academic partnerships to low-barrier subscription tools, free analytics tools, and on-platform search functions.
• Analysts must balance 'recall' (how much existing disinformation is collected) and 'precision' (how much of the collected data is actually disinformation), using iterative probability sampling and keyword refinement to improve both.
• When reporting on disinformation, researchers should avoid 'undue amplification' to prevent inadvertently helping disinformation agents achieve their goal of gaining coverage.
• Platform manipulation, or 'false behaviour', is difficult to prove definitively; analysts should look for a combination of indicators across an account's profile, posting patterns, and point of view to suggest 'inorganic' activity.
• The document distinguishes between disinformation (deliberately false information created to harm), misinformation (false information spread unintentionally), and malinformation (factual information released to discredit or harm).

APA

Miller, C., & Colliver, C. (n.d.). Disinformation Starter Kit. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/isd_101.pdf

Chicago

Miller, Carl, and Chloe Colliver. Disinformation Starter Kit. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, n.d. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/isd_101.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Miller |first1=Carl |last2=Colliver |first2=Chloe |title=Disinformation Starter Kit |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/isd_101.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{millernddisinformation, author = {Miller, Carl and Colliver, Chloe}, title = {{Disinformation Starter Kit}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/isd_101.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }