PANOPTIS Academy · Investigation Guide
Journalist & Researcher Investigation Guide
Reveal the corporate history and relationships behind a story.
Guide overview
Follow Discover, Verify, Connect, Analyse, Assess and Decide to build an evidence-led and proportionate understanding.
Who this guide is for
- Investigative journalists
- Business reporters
- Researchers
- Media teams
Discover
Find the subject
What this step means
Identify the exact subject and define the decision or question.
What should you do?
- Record the exact legal name and company number
- Capture trading names, addresses and contact details
- Define the purpose and scope of the investigation
Company Intelligence establishes the core subject and legal record.
Do not rely on a trading name alone.
Verify
Confirm identity
What this step means
Confirm identity, legal status, officers and control information.
What should you do?
- Check company status and incorporation date
- Review directors and PSCs
- Compare official details with supplied documents
Company and Officer Intelligence bring verification evidence together.
Verify material facts with authoritative sources.
Connect
Reveal relationships
What this step means
Explore connected people, companies and addresses.
What should you do?
- Review other appointments
- Identify shared addresses
- Map related entities and recurring names
Relationship Intelligence visualises connected entities and preserves context.
A connection is not automatically suspicious.
Analyse
Build understanding
What this step means
Review history and chronology for relevant patterns.
What should you do?
- Check previous names and officer changes
- Review filing activity
- Note charges, insolvency and strike-off events
Timeline Intelligence combines company, officer and filing events.
Chronology supports questions but does not prove causation.
Assess
Evaluate risk
What this step means
Evaluate significance, risk and evidence gaps.
What should you do?
- Separate fact from inference
- Consider alternative explanations
- Identify further evidence or specialist checks
Executive Investigation Intelligence produces explainable findings and recommendations.
Risk indicators are prompts, not conclusions.
Decide
Make informed decisions
What this step means
Document the conclusion and next action.
What should you do?
- Record evidence and limitations
- State unresolved questions
- Choose proceed, control, escalate or decline
The Investigation Workspace preserves the investigation record.
Review due diligence when circumstances change.
How PANOPTIS helps
Bring the full investigation together.
PANOPTIS combines Company, Officer, Relationship, Timeline and Executive Investigation Intelligence inside one coherent workspace.