Who did What to Whom?

The methodology behind OpenEvSys is based upon a tried-and-proven approach to human rights abuse documentation, namely "Who did what to whom?" This question implies a victim, a perpetrator, and an act that brings them together. Focusing on this question allows us to systematically break down events into ways that will allow for better documentation and analysis. From this, we derive a whole host of roles a person can assume. Take a glance at this graphical model we've developed that provides an overview of the OpenEvSys methodology:

Pairing our initial question with this model, we can modify the question to: "Who (perpetrator) did what (act) to whom (victim)"? In essence, we've created a relational system that allows you to better understand these types of events. All violations are inherently tied together by an actual act (or omission of one). But we also understand that there are times when acts are linked to each other and can only be understood in conjunction with each other. Thus, we introduced Events, allowing you to encompass an unlimited number of acts, victims, and perpetrators into a single entity. This represents the core model behind OpenEvSys. The other roles and formats allow for a completion of the tapestry of acts that represents a human rights violation, giving you a fuller understanding of the circumstances behind any event.