DIRECTORY / OPEN SOURCES
Thirty starting points for researching an entity, legal text, dataset, image or web trace, with each service’s evidentiary limit.
Search sources01 / Choose a source for the question
A register records what was filed or published. An archive shows a capture. A map represents a dataset. None alone establishes every aspect of a claim. Define the question, jurisdiction and period, then retain the URL and access date.
02 / DIRECTORY / OPEN SOURCES
No source matches these filters.
Independent, non-exhaustive selection. Links identify public services or services operated by their institutions; they imply no partnership. Descriptions checked September 2026.
03 / OSINT
Each route starts with a real question and opens services in a useful order. Its final note keeps conclusions proportional.
Compare identifier, registration and published notices rather than relying on a trade name.
Matching registers document filings, not necessarily today’s actual operations.
Separate French and EU law, then record the version in force on the relevant date.
A current consolidated text or summary does not replace the version applicable to the period.
Start with the TED notice, then seek relevant European or French public data for context.
A notice, dataset and performed contract are three different things.
Search relevant trademark collections, then distinguish patents from commercial signs.
A filing alone establishes neither current validity nor freedom to operate.
Compare current domain registration with archived versions of a precise page.
Domain registrant and content author may differ; captures remain partial.
Compare map landmarks, satellite acquisitions and observation layers with their dates.
Views with different resolutions and processing cannot be treated as identical photographs.
Find the project and deliverables in CORDIS, then select Eurostat statistics by dataset code and period for context.
Sector statistics do not measure project success; a deliverable is not necessarily a product.
Start with an Espacenet publication, look up any relevant PCT application in PATENTSCOPE, then check the European procedure in the EPO Register.
A family links publications; protection depends on each application, grant and territory.
OSINT / Keep
A screenshot alone is hard to check. These eight templates identify the minimum fields another reader needs to reproduce a source check.
04 / OSINT
The same discipline applies to a company register, satellite image or archived page.
State the claim, exact entity, period and jurisdiction. Avoid searching only a common name.
Use a stable identifier and open the act, notice, filing or dataset beyond the search snippet.
Record URL, publisher, publication or acquisition date, access date, version and status.
Compare with an independent source and separate established fact, declaration, clue, no result and hypothesis.
05 / FAQ
No. Coverage, publication delays, name variants and jurisdiction may explain it. Record the search and try other identifiers or registers.
It documents a captured version and supports dated comparison. It does not certify the content’s truth or the site’s completeness.
Keep the precise document URL, entity identifier, document date, version or status and access date. A search-results page alone is fragile.
Access varies by service, feature and volume. Some tools, including Copernicus Browser, may require a free account. Check the source’s terms.
The dataset may have been revised, or selected dimensions, units and periods may differ. Keep the code, selections, extraction date and method note before comparing.
No. PATENTSCOPE documents the international publication, among other records. Protection depends on subsequent procedures, decisions and territories; check the relevant registers.
