kinds of weapons identified can have important implications for identifying the type of attacks the respondent witnessed (aerial bombing, shelling, rocket attacks, etc.).  Accuracy and precision This is an important component of any project protocol. Make sure that the questions you ask are specific and your approach to ascertaining facts is rigorous. For example, if all investigators are using the same survey instrument to interview, make sure all investigators read the questions in the same way, with little improvisation. This will ensure that there is little bias and can safeguard against misunderstanding or imprecision in your work.  Impartiality and objectivity Strive to always be impartial and objective. Impartiality requires that you do not demonstrate political biases or views about the responsibility of particular parties during the documentation process. Doing so is likely to undermine the credibility of your project, lead the respondents to particular answers, or discourage respondents from assisting you.15 Even if you do have pre-existing views about the role of various parties in a conflict, you should not be influenced by those views when eliciting and evaluating testimony and other evidence. Instead, be objective and rely on human rights standards.16 For example, do not ask leading questions, or questions that pre-empt the response. Instead of: “What human rights violations has the Syrian Army committed in your area?” ask: “Have you witnessed anyone being harmed? What kind of harm? By whom?” The importance of impartiality extends to the perception of you by respondents. For example, respondents may make assumptions about your political or religious affiliation based on your appearance, nationality, name, or the area in which your organization operates. These assumptions may even make the respondent fearful. It is therefore critical to counter those perceptions by maintaining a neutral and impartial position. If you are specifically questioned by the respondent as to your background, you should exercise careful judgment as to whether you share personal information. In all cases, you should not state false information, but rather, keep responses short. You should emphasize your neutrality and lack of political affiliation. 7