Our Research Process
ISAUnited Research Center's research process is built on clarity, discipline, and practicality. We combine structured engineering methodologies with real-world cybersecurity needs to ensure that every research initiative we pursue is technically rigorous, aligned with industry relevance, and capable of delivering actionable outcomes for practitioners.
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Our process is designed to uphold the highest levels of transparency, peer accountability, and defensible outcomes, making it distinctively aligned with enterprise security architecture and engineering principles.
Research Lifecycle Stages
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1. Research Proposal & Scoping
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Ideas are submitted by internal researchers, members, task groups, or through external collaboration requests.
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Proposals are evaluated based on alignment with ISAUnited’s mission, technical merit, and feasibility.
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Scope is defined with clear objectives, key questions, and expected deliverables.
2. Stakeholder Review & Acceptance
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Proposed research undergoes initial stakeholder review from domain experts, the Technical Fellow Society, or designated review boards.
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Input is gathered across relevant security domains (architecture, engineering, operations, compliance).
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Approved projects are assigned to research leads and working groups.
3. Structured Research & Data Collection
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Researchers follow a defined methodology including background research, literature reviews, control analysis, and modeling techniques.
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Data is gathered through observation, testing, simulation, and empirical studies when applicable.
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Research documentation is maintained in a defensible and auditable format.
4. Peer Review & Validation
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Draft research undergoes technical peer review by ISAUnited’s qualified fellows and external reviewers as needed.
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Research is evaluated for clarity, technical accuracy, and practical applicability.
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Feedback is used to revise and refine the final output.
5. Publication & Implementation
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Final research outcomes are published as whitepapers, standards drafts, technical frameworks, or educational materials.
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Results are made available through ISAUnited’s digital library and partner channels.
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When applicable, outcomes may lead to the creation of new Defensible Standards, engineering concepts, or training modules.
Guiding Principles
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Defensibility: All research must be technically defensible and backed by logic, testing, or proven theory.
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Transparency: Research activities are documented openly with traceable decisions and stakeholder input.
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Engineer-Ready: Deliverables must support real-world implementation by security engineers and architects.
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Community-Oriented: Our process encourages collaboration and shared advancement across the industry.
Contribute to Our Research
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We invite ISAUnited members, external researchers, and industry professionals to:
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Submit a Proposal – Pitch a research topic for consideration.
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Join a Research Group – Participate in existing projects aligned with your domain expertise.
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Request Collaboration – Propose joint studies or initiatives with ISAUnited Research Center.
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Contact us below for inquiries.
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