Centre for Research on Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CR-CHIS)
The Centre for Research on Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CR-CHIS) is a pioneering research centre dedicated to advancing the understanding of effective operational practice, ethical frameworks, and methodologies surrounding the management, deployment and protection of covert human intelligence sources (CHIS). This will include research in both a historical and contemporary context.
The definition of covert human intelligence sources adopted is deliberately wide. It recognises that different jurisdictions adopt different nomenclatures. Accordingly, it includes informants, agents, agents of influence, confidential sources, undercover operatives, assisting offenders, cooperating witnesses and covert hotlines. This CR-CHIS brings together experts in intelligence, ethics, law, psychology, and technology to address the complexities of recruiting, handling, and managing human sources within covert operations, including covert action and investigations.
We aim to support research that may ultimately inform evidence-based practices and policies that balance operational effectiveness, public trust, and human rights.
Covert human intelligence plays an increasingly critical role in addressing modern security threats, from national security to counterterrorism to serious organised crime. As such, our Centre aims to be a leader in academic and practical advancements in the field. It will act as a hub for dialogue and analysis of the use of covert human intelligence sources by bringing together a network of researchers and commentators within and beyond the collection discipline Through rigorous interdisciplinary research, partnerships with government and private sector organisations, and comprehensive academic and vocational training programs, we are committed to setting the standard for innovation in intelligence practices.
By fostering a deeper understanding of the use of covert human intelligence sources, the CR-CHIS aspires to become a global hub for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners navigating the evolving challenges in source use. Research will include an exploration of the opportunities arising from their deployments, the associated risks and ethical considerations involved. We welcome collaborations and insights that will help shape the future of ethical and effective covert human intelligence operations in the private and public sectors.
Board of associates
Dr Ian Stanier – The University of Buckingham (BUCSIS), UK
Dr Jordan Nunan – University of Northampton, UK
Dr Brandon May – Florida Tech University, USA
Professor Julian Richards – Director of BUCSIS, UK
Professor Rob Dover – University of Hull
Dr Colin Atkinson – University of West of Scotland, UK
Dr Paul McFarlane – UCL, UK
Andre Kahlmeyer – BUCSIS PhD Candidate
Jo Hayton (Pseudonym 1 – Senior Practitioner) – Intelligence / LEA
Tracey Tennant (Pseudonym 2 – Practitioner) – Intelligence / LEA
Mohammed Miah (Pseudonym 3 – Practitioner) – Intelligence / LEA
Mel Green (Pseudonym 4 – Practitioner) – Intelligence / LEA
Ewan Duncan – UK
Dr Lee Moffett – University of Northumbria, UK
Dr Samantha Newbery – University of Salford, UK
Professor Lorraine Hope – University of Portsmouth, UK
Covert Human Intelligence Source Research Papers
- Burnett, B., Forktus, E. & Gioe, D.V. (2024). Spying (in)spires: The dwindling likelihood of an Oxford spy ring to rival the Cambridge Five, Contemporary British History, 38:1, 45-70, DOI: 10.1080/13619462.2023.2259319
- Dover, R. and Stanier, I. (2021) Coming in from the Cold? The Contested Role of Juvenile Informants in Intelligence Operations (Pre-Print)
- Eftimiades, N. (2023). China’s Espionage Recruitment Motivations – Getting Rid of the MICE. Institute for European and American Studies. December 2023.
- Moffett, L., Oxburgh, G. E., Dresser, P., & Gabbert, F. (2024). Developing a narrative theory of deception for the analysis of mock-Covert Human Intelligence Source (CHIS) accounts. The Police Journal, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X241232880
- Serscikov , G. (2023). HUMINT Operations Abroad: Challenges to Japan’s Intelligence Services, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, DOI: 10.1080/08850607.2023.2214325
- Serscikov, G. (2024). ‘Tell him that he is different’: how U.S.intelligence tried to recruit the Soviets in Iran, Journal of Intelligence History, 23:1, 20-39, DOI: 10.1080/16161262.2022.2129824
- Stanier, I. & Nunan, J. (2021) The impact of COVID-19 on UK informant use and management, Policing and Society, 31:5, 512-529, DOI: 10.1080/10439463.2021.1896515
- Stanier, I. & Nunan, J. (2021) FIREPLACES And Informant Motivation. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Stanier, I. & Nunan, J. (2023): Exploring the Motivation of the United Kingdom’s Domestic Extremist Informants, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, DOI: 10.1080/1057610X.2023.2195064
- Stanier,I., Nunan, J. & May, B. (2024). An exploratory study into cell approaches for intelligence collection from detainees within an English Police Custody Suite. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice.
Enquiries
For enquiries about any of our activities, please contact Dr Ian Stanier.