The Starbursting Technique
The Analytical Starbursting technique is a structured method for exploring all the dimensions of a topic, scenario, or problem by focusing entirely on questions, rather than answers. It is a divergent thinking tool that encourages deep inquiry and helps investigators, analysts, or teams identify unknowns, challenge assumptions, and expand the scope of exploration before reaching conclusions.
What Is Starbursting?
Starbursting works by placing a central idea, issue, or lead at the center of a six-pointed star (or more, depending on complexity), and then generating questions radiating outward from each point. These questions are not random; they follow journalistic prompts and analytical categories:
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
How?
Each of these categories becomes a spoke in the star, and for each spoke, you brainstorm multiple questions that begin with that keyword.
For example, if your central focus is: "A suspicious domain name surfaced in a disinfo campaign", your Starbursting questions might look like:
Who registered the domain? Who is promoting it? Who benefits from the narrative?
What is the domain’s content strategy? What other infrastructure is linked to it?
Where is the server hosted? Where is traffic coming from?
When did the domain become active? When were similar campaigns launched?
Why is the content framed this way? Why does it target this audience?
How does the domain avoid detection? How is it spreading?
This creates a rich map of investigative directions before any answers lock in.
Why Starbursting Matters in OSINT
In OSINT investigations, analysts often jump to answer generation too early. They form hypotheses based on pattern recognition or previous experience, then seek confirmation. This can limit exploration and introduce cognitive bias.
Starbursting enforces question-first thinking. It pushes the analyst to surface unknowns they may otherwise ignore and helps resist early narrative closure. It promotes:
Deeper discovery before forming conclusions
More creative hypotheses
Better lead validation
Uncovering weak signals and indirect links
This is especially useful in adversarial contexts like disinformation, cybercrime attribution, or tracking coordinated inauthentic behavior—where oversimplified narratives can lead to misattribution or missed infrastructure.
How to Use Apply Starbursting
Start with a clear central idea or observation.
Example: A social media account matching past adversary patterns.
Draw or visualize a star with six (or more) spokes.
Label each spoke with one of the key interrogatives.
Generate at least 3–5 questions per spoke.
Focus on breadth, not precision at this stage. Avoid jumping to answers.
Review your questions.
Prioritize the most disruptive or revealing ones. You can use this list as a framework for hypothesis testing, collection planning, or structured analysis.
Iterate.
As new data emerges, repeat the process with updated focus.
Starbursting vs. Other Techniques
Where ACH refines conclusions and the 5 Whys trace causes, Starbursting expands the field of questions. It pairs well with questionstorming (as seen in the RISE intellectual curiosity framework), which emphasizes disruptive inquiry to challenge assumptions.
When to Use Starbursting
Use this technique when:
Beginning an OSINT investigation
Reassessing a stalled case
Exploring a new lead with uncertain significance
Collaborating with a team and seeking structured exploration
Auditing attribution logic or detecting gaps in analytic rigor
Final Thought
Starbursting reinforces a curious, methodical mindset in OSINT. It aligns perfectly with human-first analysis by placing structured inquiry at the center of investigation. When used consistently, it strengthens your investigative discipline, expands your analytic coverage, and guards against shallow or biased conclusions.
Email us if you'd like me to send you our Starbursting Worksheet, which comes in a visual and list format at [email protected]!
