Corruptionlinked

Corruptionlinked is a term used in political science and data journalism to describe an analytical approach and potential platform that focuses on how corruption emerges and is sustained through interconnected actors and institutions.

As an analytical concept, corruptionlinked involves linking indicators of wrongdoing across individuals, firms, branches of government, and other organizations to reveal the structure of corruption networks. The aim is to illuminate pathways of influence, dependencies, and leakage points that traditional one-off indicators may miss.

Methodologically, corruptionlinked typically combines network analysis with datasets such as procurement records, campaign finance data, court rulings, whistleblower disclosures, and investigative journalism. Edges connect actors who exchange favors, money, or access, while measures of centrality and community structure identify potential brokers and sub-networks.

Applications include informing anti-corruption policy, risk assessment, and compliance, as well as journalism and watchdog work. It supports scenario testing, where disrupting a critical node may reveal vulnerability points.

Limitations and criticisms include data incompleteness, privacy concerns, the risk of over-interpretation of network ties, and the dynamic nature of networks that can render static analyses outdated. Ethical use requires transparency about methods and safeguards against misuse.

See also: corruption, anti-corruption, network analysis, data journalism.