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Source Interview Guide for Confidential Due Diligence and Market Research

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HIGH-QUALITY SOURCE INTERVIEWS

Precision Insights operates under strict ethical standards aligned with international legal frameworks. We uncover what only insiders truly know. By speaking directly with people who have direct experience, we collect detailed perspectives and facts that aren't found in news articles, reports, or online - making the invisible visible.

This guide defines the standards for conducting and submitting source interviews for confidential projects, including market research, geopolitics, and due diligence assignments. All interviews must be based on direct conversations with well-placed individuals. All quotes must be written exactly as they were spoken. We do not accept summaries, interpretations, or integration of prohibited external information.

1. CORE REQUIREMENTS

To conduct high-quality interviews:

• Speak only to human sources with direct, first-hand knowledge

• Write down exact quotes — word for word

• Ask for specifics — dates, numbers, timelines, named people

• Clarify vague responses through follow-up questions

• Keep all project details strictly confidential

• Meet deadlines as agreed

Before each assignment, you receive a reporting template for direct quotes from your interviews and support from a regional mentor. Mentors offer informal guidance on expectations and logistics but do not review, edit, or approve your work.

2. PROJECT TERMS

• Projects typically last 2–3 weeks, requiring 4–10 interviews

• Work is conducted on a freelance/independent contractor basis

• Invoices are submitted after a mandatory three-day integrity review

• Payments are processed weekly (Fridays)

• All invoicing uses our provided template

3. CONFIDENTIALITY & ETHICS

All contributors must:

• Keep every assignment and source identity strictly confidential

• Never publish or share interview transcripts or findings

• Never represent yourself as affiliated with Precision Insights

• Never list this work on CVs, LinkedIn, or any platforms

• Work independently with full discretion

4. QUALITY CONTROL & REVIEW

All completed interviews pass through an independent integrity and quality control review before payment. Third-party reviewers check submissions for clarity, consistency, and prohibited content. Our detection tools identify:

• Inserted public material

• Paraphrased or rewritten speech

• AI-generated language

This ensures your reporting reflects what sources actually said, without summaries, edits, or external content.

5. REPORTING INTEGRITY: WHAT IS PROHIBITED

The following are strictly prohibited and result in termination and non-payment:

• Using or mixing public material (websites, news, reports, documents, social media) within interview material

• Paraphrasing or summarising what a source said rather than quoting directly

• Distorting or altering quotes to improve language, tone, or clarity

• Mixing input from multiple sources into one source voice

• Representing one source as multiple sources

• Inserting commentary, background, or personal interpretation into source quotes

• Conducting interviews only by written message exchanges (email, text, WhatsApp)

• Using AI tools to draft, polish, rephrase, or improve quotes

• Fabricating or altering any content

Every submission undergoes a mandatory three-day integrity and quality control review by independent assessors and specialised detection tools. Our analysis team have already conducted internet searches and have comprehensively read relevant online public information. If significant concerns arise, an enhanced integrity review will be triggered, which may extend the evaluation process by several weeks before final determination.

ASSIGNMENT PROCESS

Step 1: Project Start

• Review the project questions

• Sign two contracts: (1) ethics & confidentiality, (2) scope of work

• Receive the source list template and reporting format

• Confirm understanding with your mentor before starting

Step 2: Source Selection

Submit your proposed source list within 2 days. Each source must:

• Have direct knowledge of the topic

• Hold a position relevant to the interview questions

• Be professionally known or referred through trusted contacts

• Be able to give current, specific information

Good Example: "Financial Controller at XXX Mining Corporation, 13 years' experience. Directly manages operational budgets and supplier payments. Professional contact through Chamber of Commerce since 2019. Has specific knowledge of new payment systems and local content requirements."

Poor Example: "Manager who knows about mining." (Unverifiable and vague)

Step 3: Interviewing

Timeframes

• Submit your first interview within 3 days of source list approval

• Wait for feedback before proceeding

• Complete all interviews within 2–3 weeks

• Submit follow-up answers within 48 hours

Format Requirements

• Record interviews where permitted; otherwise, take detailed notes

• Use full direct quotes — no summaries or fragments of statements

• Begin transcript by stating the interview language

• Use the provided template — no changes, no blank sections

• Do not add your own interpretation or explanation

How to Get Specifics: Ask

• "Can you give me a specific example?"

• "What exactly changed — and when?"

• "How do you know this?"

• "What was your direct role?"

• "Can you walk me through it step by step?"

Right: "I personally reviewed 45 permit applications in March 2024. I approved 30 and rejected 15."

Wrong: "The permit process is better now."

ANTI-CORRUPTION & ETHICAL CONDUCT

The following are strictly prohibited:

• Offering payment, gifts, or incentives for information

• Promising any financial, reputational, or political benefit

• Misrepresenting your identity or affiliations

• Pressuring or coercing anyone to speak

• Sharing project materials or findings with any source

If a source requests compensation, politely decline and immediately inform your mentor.

MENTOR SUPPORT STRUCTURE

Each interviewer is paired with a regional mentor who can:

• Explain how the project works and what's expected of you

• Answer questions about what content is not allowed

• Offer advice on how to approach and interview difficult-to-reach sources

• Help with practical matters (invoicing, using templates)

• Provide encouragement when you face challenges

Mentors do not review or approve interviews, nor do they suggest specific questions or content. Their role is strictly supportive - helping you navigate the process while maintaining the independence and integrity of your work.

INTEGRITY & PROFESSIONALISM

Precision Insights works in environments where integrity matters as much as access. We rely on your professionalism to uphold the trust our clients place in us, the integrity of interview material — and in you.