A Decadal Survey of the Social and Behavioral Sciences A Research Agenda for Advancing Intelligence Analysis (2019) / Chapter Skim
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Introduction
Introduction
Pages 15-28
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From page 15... ...
Looking beyond the intentional actions of people and entities, moreover, intelligence analysts must seek to understand such developments as global climate change and the growth of autonomous technology. In concert with these developments, the tools available to intelligence analysts for understanding, forecasting, and mitigating security risks are also evolving.
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From page 16... ...
Academic disciplines including international relations and political science, statistics, public policy, anthropology, public health and epidemiology, environmental science, sociology, demography, economics, psychology, neuroscience, and many more contribute in essential ways to the work of the intelligence analyst. A National Academy of Sciences committee recently summarized the value of SBS research for national priorities: "Nearly every major challenge the United States faces -- from alleviating unemployment 1AI is commonly understood to refer to a machine performing functions that previously could be performed only by human intelligence.
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.2 To develop a systematic understanding of the potential benefits of these disciplines for national security, ODNI requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conduct a decadal survey of SBS research with applications to national security. The objective was to develop understanding and direction regarding resources from these disciplines with the greatest potential to augment and support the intelligence process and national security, as well as to identify lessons that could be learned from the application of the decadal survey process in this context.
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The Decadal Survey of Social and Behavioral Sciences for Applications to National Security is the first application of this approach to SBS fields. It was planned as an opportunity for the IC to benefit more systematically from relevant research produced across these numerous fields, as well as for researchers in these fields to consider critical applications for their work of which they may not previously have been aware.
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The final report will be based on the committee's consideration of broad national security priorities; relevant capabilities of elements within the se curity community to support and apply SBS research findings; cost and technical readiness; likely growth of research programs; emerging SBS data, procedures, personnel, and other resources; and opportunities to leverage related research activities not directly supported by government. The committee will specify a range of relevant work that could be useful to the IC for their consideration in developing future research priorities.
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The Summit on Social and Behavioral Sciences for National Security brought together researchers, members of the IC, and government officials to explore a sampling of research relevant to national security and consider its possible benefits and limitations, and to engage in structured discussions of strategic challenges faced by the IC. The summit, which was summarized in a published document, was intended in part to broadcast the goals for this decadal study within both communities (NASEM, 2017a)
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While most of these projects have focused on technological issues, a current pilot program, Exploring the Development of Ana lytic Frameworks, is focused on creating innovative products that draw on research in the social and behavioral sciences to produce, for example, educational tools for junior analysts, guidance for intelligence assessments of real-world situations, and briefings for policy makers. For more information, see the following: • Intelligence Community Studies Board: http://sites.nationalacademies.
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White Papers An established component of the decadal survey process is the use of calls for white papers from relevant communities to solicit ideas and comments on specific topics. The committee issued two such calls: the first for input on the key questions, needs, and challenges for intelligence analysis that members of the IC regard as having the highest priority; the second focused on research solutions -- concepts, methods, tools, techniques, and new ideas that could advance knowledge -- in SBS fields relevant to a variety of analytic challenges and needs.
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Workforce development and intelligence analysis 6. Understanding narratives for national security purposes 4The work of many decadal committees has been supplemented by expert panels, also appointed by the National Academies, to represent particular scientific or technical communities; they examine aspects of the parent committee's charge in detail.
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One area of need was for support in taking advantage of developing research and technology to improve the skills and tools of intelligence analysts. The areas in which members of the IC cited a desire to improve included (1)
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Identification of Opportunities for Strengthening National Security Through this multistep filtering process, we identified a set of key opportunities SBS research offers for strengthening national security -- specifically by supporting the work of the intelligence analyst. The intelligence analyst's key function is to make sense of information about the world that can be used to protect the United States.
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Opportunity 1: Emerging Ways to Answer Intelligence Questions Advances in SBS research offer promising ways to glean answers to intelligence questions from the vast streams of information to which analysts potentially have access. New developments in such fields as cognitive and behavioral science, linguistics, psychology, and communication are providing the basis for knowledge and skills that can significantly enhance existing means of understanding many of the social phenomena important to national security.
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Opportunity 4: Preparing the Analytic Workforce for Future Challenges The opportunities described in this report will pose considerable new challenges for the analytic workforce even as they provide powerful new capabilities. A significant body of existing research offers insights into how the workforce can be prepared to absorb and exploit the range of information made possible through new tools for sensemaking and the capabilities brought by collaborative computing.
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From page 28... ...
. Social and Behavioral Sciences for National Security: Proceedings of a Summit.
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