How to Excel at Intelligence Analysis: Intelligence in the Knowledge Society International Conference

Abstract Easy-to-use and commonly available software tools may significantly improve the way intelligence analysts do their job. This is especially true when quantitative assessments - which involve statistical and mathematical calculations - are required by decision makers. The possibility to chart and display results in an intuitive way will facilitate reporting and communication, minimizing ambiguities and the necessary narrative to make sense of collected information. This paper shows how to efficiently leverage MS Excel to produce elegant and accurate intelligence reports for early-warning tasks. As an example, information collected from social media is used in order to update coherently the estimates of the risk of a war between the USA and North Korea.