The Zemi Method
An evidentiary methodology for investigation and assurance.
The Zemi Method is a published, versioned evidentiary methodology governing digital forensic investigation and AI assurance. Its premise is that every claim relevant to a decision, including claims produced by an organization's own systems, is a hypothesis until evidence from an independent source supports it.
The method defines five governing principles, a six-phase investigative lifecycle with a mandatory human adjudication gate, a categorical classification of findings as known, assumed, or undetermined, and a standing defensibility check.
Version note: Version 1.1 is a pressure-test-driven author revision published on July 25, 2026. It is not peer reviewed or empirically validated. It adds controls for authority and scope, source completeness, disclosure authority, transfer integrity, retained custody, prior-work treatment, suspect/source narrowing, layered infrastructure, standards mapping, tool-derived outputs, derivative presentations, and AI role classification. External review and engagement-based validation remain open.
Worked Examples
Worked examples are synthetic supporting artifacts. They illustrate how the method operates and are not evidence of application in a real engagement.
Current Files
Prior Companion Versions
Earlier method and companion versions remain available for comparison. The Zenodo DOI records preserve prior publication packages.
Zenodo Records
The original Version 1.0 publication package and companion update are preserved as separate Zenodo records. The Version 1.1 Zenodo record will be added here after deposit.
SHA-256 Hashes
These hashes identify the exact files published or maintained here.
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Watson, K. V. (2026). The Zemi Method: An Evidentiary Methodology for Investigation and Assurance, Version 1.1. DOI pending Zenodo deposit.