The ABCDE framework is a structured model for analyzing disinformation or influence operations. It helps break down complex cases into manageable, comparable elements.
Here’s an overview:
What “ABCDE” stands for
| Letter | Focus | Key Questions / Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| A = Actor | Who is behind the content or campaign? | What kinds of actors are involved (state, non-state, activists, bots)? What is their reach, capacity, or intent? |
| B = Behaviour | What actions are they taking? | Are the actors coordinating? Are they disguising identity, using bots, amplifying content? Often the DISARM Framework is used to map this |
| C = Content | What is being communicated? | Type of narratives, themes, misinformation, disinformation, manipulative framing, imagery, language used |
| D = Degree | How widespread / distributed is it? | Scope, scale, cross-platform spread, number of users reached, target segments |
| E = Effect | What is the impact or harm? | What risks or consequences are observed or likely (reputational, social, security, institutional, personal) |
Origins & Uses
- The ABCDE framework is endorsed by organizations like Debunk.org as part of their methodology for disinformation analysis.
- It is also included in the UNHCR Information Integrity Toolkit as a tool to assess disinformation, misinformation, or harmful speech in humanitarian / displacement settings.
The idea is to give analysts, policy makers, civil society, platforms, etc. a common language and structure so that disinformation incidents are described in comparable ways and so responses can be more coherent.
Relationship with other frameworks
- The ABCDE model is somewhat analogous to the “ABC” framework (Actors, Behaviors, Content) proposed earlier (e.g. by Camille François). But ABCDE adds D = Degree (distribution / scale) and E = Effect (impact / harm) to capture how broadly something spreads and what consequences it causes.
- In practice, analysts may use ABCDE together with other toolkits (like the DISARM framework) so that the “Behavior” component is further broken down into tactics, techniques, etc.