▪️ Who is the Bellingcat Volunteer Community for?

The community is a good fit for individuals who aready have a foundational understanding of open source research, whether gained through professional experience, academic work, or self-directed learning. You don't need to be an expert; many of our members are here to grow their skills alongside peers who share their curiosity and commitment to the craft. We strongly believe that you do not need to be an expert to have something to share that will be insightful for other members in the community.

That said, this community is best suited for those who are comfortable learning independently and can apply basic open-source investigation concepts without step-by-step guidance. If you're just starting to explore open source research, we'd recommend building your foundations first: our Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit, Bellingcat's community on a public Discord server, and free online resources are a great place to start.

▪️ How do you choose and what do you hope to see from the volunteer researchers? Do you look for a diverse set of skills or target specific projects?

Our community's mission is to democratise open-source investigative work by fostering a community where everyone, from diverse backgrounds and expertise, can active participate. While we don't expect everyone to be an expert in every area, our members typically share a specific investigative mindset. A successful volunteer researcher profile includes:

• Specialised Expertise: Proficiency in technical or scientific methods that can be applied to open source research—such as data analysis, remote sensing, mapping, scraping, visual verification, or automation.

• Investigative Awareness: An understanding of what makes information publishable and how journalistic organisations operate.

• Editorial Sensitivity: Strong news awareness and a keen sense of timing, relevance, and the needs of a global audience.

• Ethical Rigor: A deep commitment to harm minimisation, informed consent, and "do-no-harm" principles.

• Collaborative Focus: The ability to work effectively within defined project scopes and follow specific instructions when needed, contributing to a team goal rather than pursuing isolated investigations.

• Knowledge Exchange: A willingness to share your unique skills with the community while learning from others in return.

• Professional Mindset: An understanding that the community is a specialised research lab where accuracy and methodology are prioritised, all while staying connected and supportive towards your fellow collaborators.

Occasionally, we require niche technical skills or specific language proficiencies for targeted investigations. In these cases, we prioritise our current members; however, we may also reach out to qualified candidates on our waitlist or members of our public Discord server for on-demand support. For long-term projects in our pipeline, we align our needs with our recruitment cycles and, if applicable, will communicate specific project requirements to candidates during the onboarding process.

▪️ Are there any geographic restrictions or language requirements?

No, our community is global, with members contributing from all over the world. However, we ask that you prioritise your personal safety based on your local context. Depending on your country of residence or citizenship, you should carefully consider your own security concerns and legal risks before deciding to participate in our community and specific investigative projects.

Since our community is international and English is the primary language used across Bellingcat and its community, members are expected to be comfortable communicating (both in writing and speaking) in English. That said, we are fully aware that for the majority of our members, English is a second or third language (yey!). We do not expect technical perfection; grammatical errors are completely normal and will not impact your standing in the community. We value the clarity of your insights far more!

▪️ Can students or early-career researchers apply?

Yes, absolutely. As long as you are 18 years or older, you are welcome to apply. We value the fresh perspectives brought by students, early-career researchers, and those looking to pivot their careers into the open-source field.
If you are just starting out, we highly recommend reviewing these two sections to ensure our community aligns with your current goals and skills:

• Who is the Bellingcat Volunteer Community for? – This helps you understand the commitment and culture.

• How do we select researchers and what skills are we looking for? – This outlines the diversity of expertise we aim to bring together.
  
  

▪️ If I do not get selected for in the next onboarding cycle, can I re-apply?

Your application remains valid for 12 months from submission, eliminating the need for re-application. We will review and consider your application for upcoming recruitment cycles (bi-annual, quarterly or on demand). However, please note that due to the high volume of applications and limited capacity to onboard new members, you may be contacted at a significantly later date than your submitted application. If  it's been  more 12 months, and perhaps your skills and interests have evolved in the meantime,  you can of course re-apply.

▪️ How long does my membership last?

There is no fixed "expiration date" for your membership. While we onboard new members in groups to ensure a smooth introduction to the community, you are welcome to remain a member for as long as you find the experience valuable. However, to ensure our community remains vibrant and manageable, we maintain an active-participation policy. You can continue your participation indefinitely, provided you remain engaged with the community’s projects or knowledge-sharing activities.

▪️ How can I withdraw my application if I no longer wish to be considered?

You can withdraw your application at any time by contacting volunteer@bellingcat.com with your request. Upon receipt, we will process your withdrawal accordingly. If you choose to withdraw, we won't be able to contact you further, and you would need to reapply if you wish to be considered in the future.

▪️ What kinds of risks are related to this work?

Our work involves scrutinising powerful entities, which may result in threats of surveillance, acts of espionage, or hacking attempts. These risks are inherent in investigative journalism, and while we prioritise the safety of our community, volunteers should be aware of the challenges associated with exposing truth in sensitive geopolitical matters. Future members of our community are expected to exercise caution and acknowledge the potential scrutiny and threats that may arise from engaging in work that challenges powerful interests. Bellingcat, through our Volunteer Community, remains committed to supporting its community and mitigating risks, but volunteers should consider the unique nature of our investigative focus before joining.

▪️ How do you mitigate risks to volunteer contributors and preserve confidentiality?

• Minimising Exposure to Graphic Content: We prioritise your mental well-being by providing content warnings, blurring sensitive media, and sharing graphic material only when essential. While accidental exposure is an inherent risk of investigative work, volunteers can always opt out of projects involving sensitive content.

• Digital Security Standards: We provide concrete tools and protocols to safeguard your digital footprint. To maintain a secure environment, we require members to keep their contact data current and meet minimum activity levels. However, you maintain full control over how much personal information you share with other peers in the community.

• Member-Only Resources: New members gain access to personal community accounts,  on demand  security training sessions and blog posts. These resources are designed to help you isolate your investigative work from your personal accounts and protect your private identity.

• Support Channels: We provide secure, dedicated lines of communication to our team. This ensures that any security concerns or potential risks can be addressed promptly and effectively by our staff.
  
  

▪️ How much are contributors informed about the overall goal they're working towards?

We inform volunteer researchers of what we hope to accomplish in each project. In return, we ask our members to maintain confidentiality regarding any internal community information, activities, or projects unless such information has already been made available to the public via official Bellingcat's platforms.

▪️ How does Bellingcat manage ethical standards, prevent conflicts of interest, and deter bad actors?

• Rigorous Onboarding & Verification: We prioritise a safe, high-integrity environment. Before joining, every new member must pass a multi-step verification process and complete mandatory security and privacy compliance. We expect all volunteers to strictly adhere to our community guidelines and security requirements at all times throughtout their participation.

• Conflict of Interest Safeguards: To maintain investigative independence, individuals currently serving in any military, police force, or intelligence service are not eligible for membership. We evaluate government employees and professional journalists on a case-by-case basis to mitigate potential conflicts and ensure our community's work remains impartial.

• Editorial & Sourcing Standards: All volunteer researchers are required to follow Bellingcat’s Editorial Standards in their research. This ensures that every piece of information is sourced, processed, and verified according to the same ethical rigor applied to our professional investigations.
  
  

▪️ Do I need to use my real name if my work is published by Bellingcat?

Yes. To maintain the trust of our audience and partners, Bellingcat’s Editorial Standards and Bylines Policy require that everyone who contributes finding to a published piece—whether staff or volunteer—is named. Transparency about who we are and how we source our information is fundamental to our investigative integrity.

We fully respect that personal or professional circumstances may make public attribution difficult. If using your full name is a concern, please discuss this with us before joining our community. However, please be aware that individuals who are unable to comply with our bylines policy may not be able to contribute to Bellingcat publications.

▪️ What training can be expected during or after onboarding?

Upon joining, new members can expect access to a community-exclusive knowledge base. We provide resources covering various topics, with a strong emphasis on digital security, geolocation basics, and project-specific guidance. We continuously expand learning opportunities and welcome suggestions for future resources from our members.

▪️ Is any training or support provided to volunteer researchers to help them conduct project-specific tasks?

Depending on the project, we offer instructions and necessary documentation for contributors, along with live group meetings to facilitate task completion. Additionally, group chat or one-to-one correspondence is available for seeking support with any questions or issues.

▪️ What are the learning opportunities if we are accepted to the Volunteer Community?

Our community thrives on a give-and-take culture where learning is a mutual exchange rather than a passive benefit. While we provide exclusive member-only resources, it a peer-learning environment that is based on all members sharing their unique techniques, lessons learned, and best practices. You will have access to live practical training sessions, exclusive workshops, and an on-demand library of video and text-based guides, but the most significant growth happens through the active sharing of skills among our global community of volunteer researchers.

▪️ Can volunteers join Bellingcat workshops? Are there opportunities to learn from more experienced members of staff and the community?

Volunteers do have opportunities to learn from more experienced staff and community members through their participation, but to encourage genuine engagement, we don’t offer formal training incentives right from the start. Instead, we prioritise offering support and guidance to help new members integrate into the community. This includes exclusive live and on-demand learning sessions exclusive to our members. 

For those who contribute consistently, we’ve recently developed a benefits program that includes access to Bellingcat’s workshops as a reward for ongoing commitment. Please note, participation in the project is voluntary, and members are not paid for their contributions.