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: The Zemi Method, Version 1.0 remains unchanged. The foundations companion was updated to Version 1.1 on July 18, 2026 to address contemporaneous and parallel work, including Brett Shavers' FACT Attribution Framework, and to narrow related positioning claims.
Current Files
Archival Version 1.0 Record
The Zenodo DOI record preserves the original Version 1.0 publication package. The Version 1.0 companion remains available for comparison.
Zenodo DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21418434
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73b5ab638bea58bfc50407e2f132a8954687f4155711fe541a074b0d109f8a379a73facc72b2b2107b443341c81f7eaa25388177eaf849f0743d013744f455ea039ccfec8aca3186efaf3042851b2545a4856e3db43acc09a895b11c6599460bPreferred Citation
Watson, K. V. (2026). The Zemi Method: An Evidentiary Methodology for Investigation and Assurance, Version 1.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21418434