SRL Swiss – Security Studies and Rule of Law Association – seeks to ensure that its human rights research, reports, case documentation, institutional submissions and public communications are prepared in a careful, transparent and verifiable manner.
Our work is guided by human rights standards, applicable legal frameworks, source evaluation, proportionality and respect for the dignity, privacy and security of the persons concerned.
1. Scope
This methodology applies, as appropriate, to:
- human rights reports;
- case documentation;
- submissions to national and international institutions;
- briefing notes and fact sheets;
- public statements and institutional communications;
- research and advocacy materials published by SRL Swiss.
The level and type of verification may vary depending on the nature of the publication, available evidence and the sensitivity of the subject.
2. Sources
SRL Swiss may rely on a range of sources, including:
- court judgments and judicial documents;
- legislation and official government records;
- United Nations and other international institutional documents;
- official statistics;
- correspondence with public institutions;
- reports by recognised human rights organisations;
- academic research;
- media and other open-source material;
- interviews, testimonies and information submitted by individuals;
- documents and supporting materials provided in connection with individual cases.
Where possible, primary and official sources are preferred for factual and legal propositions.
The reliability, relevance, origin and context of each source are considered before it is used.
3. Verification and Corroboration
SRL Swiss seeks to verify significant factual claims through more than one source where this is reasonably possible.
Where independent corroboration is not available, this limitation should be reflected in the language used.
Information that cannot be independently verified is not automatically treated as established fact merely because it has been reported by an individual, organisation, media outlet or public authority.
Where relevant, the date, origin and status of the source are considered in assessing its evidential value.
4. Facts, Allegations and Analysis
SRL Swiss seeks to distinguish clearly between:
- verified or documented facts;
- allegations or claims made by identified sources;
- legal interpretation;
- institutional assessment;
- advocacy positions or recommendations.
Disputed allegations should be attributed to the relevant source and should not be presented as established fact unless supported by sufficient evidence.
Where SRL Swiss provides its own legal or institutional assessment, this should be identifiable as analysis rather than presented as a neutral factual statement.
5. Legal Framework
Our legal analysis may draw on, where relevant:
- international human rights treaties;
- the European Convention on Human Rights;
- judgments of the European Court of Human Rights;
- United Nations treaty-body jurisprudence and recommendations;
- applicable Swiss law;
- domestic legislation and judicial decisions;
- international standards, guidelines and other relevant legal materials.
Legal authorities are assessed according to their relevance and legal status.
6. Alternative Views and Official Responses
Where a publication addresses disputed events, institutional responsibility or contested legal issues, SRL Swiss seeks, where reasonably practicable, to identify relevant official statements, responses or materially different accounts.
The inclusion of an official or alternative position does not mean that SRL Swiss endorses that position.
Similarly, the absence of a response should not by itself be treated as proof of an allegation.
7. Confidential Sources and Sensitive Information
Human rights documentation may involve confidential or sensitive information.
SRL Swiss seeks to protect the identity, privacy and security of individuals where disclosure could expose them or others to risk.
Names and identifying details may therefore be withheld, removed or anonymised.
Confidential information is handled in accordance with SRL Swiss’s Privacy & Data Protection policy.
8. Children and Vulnerable Persons
Additional care is taken where research or documentation concerns:
- children;
- victims of torture or serious ill-treatment;
- persons deprived of liberty;
- asylum seekers or refugees;
- persons facing threats or retaliation;
- other persons in vulnerable situations.
Public-interest considerations are balanced against safety, dignity and privacy.
9. Editorial Review
Before publication, SRL Swiss seeks, where practicable, to subject substantive reports and institutional submissions to internal review.
Review may include:
- checking factual accuracy;
- checking sources and citations;
- distinguishing facts from allegations and analysis;
- reviewing applicable legal standards;
- identifying privacy or security risks;
- checking consistency between the web page, title, date and attached document;
- reviewing language for clarity and proportionality.
For significant publications, SRL Swiss seeks to apply a two-person review principle where operationally possible.
10. Independence and Conflicts of Interest
SRL Swiss seeks to conduct its research and reporting independently.
Individuals involved in preparing or reviewing a publication should disclose any material conflict of interest relevant to that work.
Financial or other support should not determine the factual findings, legal analysis or conclusions of an SRL Swiss publication.
11. Limitations
Human rights research often takes place in circumstances where access to documents, witnesses or official information may be restricted.
Publications may therefore identify limitations such as:
- incomplete access to primary documents;
- inability to independently verify particular allegations;
- reliance on publicly available information;
- confidentiality restrictions;
- ongoing legal proceedings;
- differences between available accounts.
A limitation does not necessarily make information unusable, but it should be taken into account when assessing the strength of a conclusion.
12. Corrections and Updates
SRL Swiss is committed to correcting material factual errors in its published work.
Where a significant factual error is identified and verified, the publication may be corrected or updated.
Material corrections should, where appropriate, include:
- the date of the correction or update;
- a brief explanation of what was changed;
- an updated document or web version where necessary.
Minor typographical, formatting or non-substantive editorial changes may be made without a separate correction notice.
Requests for corrections concerning SRL Swiss reports or documentation may be sent to:
A request should, where possible, identify the relevant publication, the information believed to be inaccurate and any supporting documentation.
SRL Swiss will assess correction requests on the basis of the available evidence.
13. Continuing Review
This methodology may be updated as SRL Swiss’s research activities, publication practices and institutional responsibilities develop.
The current version published on the SRL Swiss website applies.
Last updated: September 2026
Security Studies and Rule of Law Association – SRL Swiss
Geneva, Switzerland
Research and documentation: reports@srlswiss.com
General enquiries: info@srlswiss.com