This publication is a revision of the HURIDOCS standard formats : a tool for documenting human rights violations published in 1993. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE, by Kofi Kumado, HURIDOCS Chairperson ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The HURIDOCS Network The HURIDOCS Mission Information Handling Tools Training Programme 2. MONITORING AND DOCUMENTING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS: SOME BASIC CONCEPTS 2. 1 Introduction 2.2 Two Approaches to Monitoring 2.3 How Human Rights Are Violated 2.4 Using the “Events” Methodology to Monitor Violations 2.5 What Happened and Who Did What to Whom? 2.6 Organising the Event Information 2.7 What Actions Were Taken in Response and Who Did What? 2.8 Additional Information 2.9 Examples 2.10 The Various “Events” Elements in Database Terms 2.11 Naming the Entities and Categorising the Types of Links 3. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES USED IN THE DOCUMENTATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS EVENTS 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Information Flow Information Handling Tools and Techniques Standard Formats and Databases Benefits of Using Standard Formats Different Kinds of Databases Data Entry 4. HURIDOCS STANDARD FORMATS FOR MONITORING OF HUMAN RIGHTS EVENTS 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Fields 4.3 Field Tags 4.4 The Formats 5. THE EVENTS MICRO-THESAURI 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Events Micro-Thesauri Local Terminologies How to Develop Local Micro-Thesauri Rules in Assigning Huridocs Codes Expanding the Hierarchical Lists IV IX 1 1 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 8 8 10 12 13 14 18 20 21 21 23 23 24 25 25 28 28 29 29 35 42 42 45 45 46 48 iii

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