Timeline & Materials Management
Track your investigation progress with visual timelines and organize materials effectively.
Investigation Timeline
Why Use Timelines?
Benefits:
- Track Progress: Visualize investigation from start to finish
- Identify Patterns: See connections between events
- Context for Recipients: Help editors understand story development
- Legal Defense: Document when you obtained materials (important for source protection)
- Publication Planning: Track milestones and deadlines
What to Track:
- Source contacts and meetings
- Document acquisition
- Key discoveries
- Interviews conducted
- Legal reviews
- Fact-checking milestones
- Publication planning
Creating Timeline Events
Add Event
From Case Dashboard:
- Open case → Timeline tab
- Click Add Event
- Fill in event details
- Save event
Event Fields
Date and Time (required):
- When the event occurred
- Can be in the past (retroactive timeline building)
- Can be future (planned events)
- Include time for important events (e.g., "Source called at 2:47 AM")
Event Type (required):
- 📩 Contact: Communication with source, subject, or witness
- 📄 Document: Received or discovered document
- 🎤 Interview: Conducted interview (in-person, phone, video)
- 👥 Meeting: Met with source, editor, legal, or subject
- 💡 Discovery: Key insight or breakthrough
- ⚖️ Legal: Legal review, consultation, or development
- ✏️ Draft: Story draft milestone
- 🔍 Investigation: Investigation activity (research, analysis, verification)
- 📰 Publication: Publication-related milestone
- ⚠️ Risk: Security risk or threat identified
- 🎯 Milestone: Major project milestone
- 📝 Note: General note or observation
Title (required):
- Short, descriptive title
- Examples:
- "Initial contact from Source A"
- "Received batch of internal emails"
- "Interview with former employee"
- "Legal review completed by Sarah Jones"
Description (optional but recommended):
- Detailed notes about the event
- Who was involved
- What was discussed or discovered
- Why it's significant
- Next steps or follow-ups needed
Attachments (optional):
- Link to materials in the case
- Example: Link interview notes to audio recording file
- Multiple attachments supported
Visibility (required):
- Visible to recipients: Include in timeline sent to recipients if case is released
- Private: Only visible to you (use for sensitive notes or internal tracking)
Tags (optional):
- Tags for filtering and searching
- Examples:
source-a,financial-evidence,high-priority,needs-verification
Example Timeline Event
Event Type: 🎤 Interview
Date: February 15, 2025, 3:00 PM
Title: Interview with Source A (first meeting)
Description:
Met Source A at secure location (details in separate encrypted note).
Key points discussed:
- Source has worked at XYZ Corp for 8 years, access to financial records
- Alleges $50M in fraudulent DoD contracts with Sen. Smith involvement
- Provided first batch of documents (see attached)
- Expressed fear of retaliation, requested anonymity
- Willing to provide additional documents but needs assurance of protection
Next steps:
- Legal review of source protection plan
- Verify documents authenticity
- Follow-up meeting in 2 weeks
Attachments:
- interview_notes_2025-02-15.pdf
- audio_recording_2025-02-15_REDACTED.mp3 (voice distorted)
- documents_batch_1.zip
Visibility: Private (don't reveal source details to recipients yet)
Tags: source-a, interview, financial-evidence, high-priority
Timeline Views
Chronological View (Default)
Linear timeline showing all events in order:
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
January 15, 2025
📩 Initial contact from Source A
Anonymous email received via SecureDrop
↳ Attachments: initial_contact_email.txt
January 20, 2025
👥 First meeting with Source A
Met at secure location, established trust
↳ Attachments: meeting_notes.pdf
January 25, 2025
📄 Received first batch of documents
Source provided 47 internal emails and 12 financial records
↳ Attachments: documents_batch_1.zip
February 10, 2025
🔍 Financial analysis reveals discrepancies
Identified $50M in questionable contracts
↳ Attachments: financial_analysis.xlsx
February 15, 2025
🎤 Interview with Source A (recorded)
Detailed discussion of contract fraud scheme
↳ Attachments: interview_recording_REDACTED.mp3
[Continue timeline...]
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Calendar View
Month/week calendar with events marked:
February 2025
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
🔍
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
🎤
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
📄 ⚖️
25 26 27 28
✏️
Legend:
🔍 = Discovery
🎤 = Interview
📄 = Document received
⚖️ = Legal review
✏️ = Draft milestone
Click any date to see events and add new events.
Filter View
Filter by:
- Event type (e.g., show only interviews)
- Date range (e.g., show only February events)
- Tags (e.g., show only
source-aevents) - Visibility (show only private or public events)
- Search (full-text search across titles and descriptions)
Example Filter:
Filter: Event Type = Interview, Tag = source-a
Results: 3 events
February 15, 2025 - Interview with Source A (first meeting)
March 5, 2025 - Follow-up interview with Source A
March 12, 2025 - Final interview before publication
Export Timeline
Export Options:
- PDF: Visual timeline document (for recipients or archival)
- CSV: Spreadsheet format (for analysis)
- JSON: Machine-readable format (for integration)
- Markdown: Text format (for inclusion in story notes)
Exported PDF Example:
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Investigation Timeline: Government Contracts Investigation
Case ID: case_abc123xyz
Exported: March 10, 2025
Total Events: 24
Date Range: January 15, 2025 - March 10, 2025
Duration: 54 days
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
[Chronological list of events with full details]
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Generated by Torvus Security Journalist Mode
Materials Organization
Folder Best Practices
Recommended Structure (detailed):
📁 [Case Name]
📁 00_Context (always include)
📄 README.txt → What this case is, why it matters
📄 INSTRUCTIONS.txt → What recipients should do
📄 CONTACTS.txt → Key people (sources, backup reporter, legal)
📄 TIMELINE.pdf → Exported timeline for quick reference
📁 01_Source_Materials (never modify originals)
📁 Batch_1_2025-01-20
📄 Original files as received
📁 Batch_2_2025-02-05
📄 Original files as received
📁 Batch_3_2025-02-20
📄 Original files as received
📁 Public_Records
📄 FOIA requests, court records, public documents
📁 02_Source_Communications (encrypted)
📁 Source_A
📄 Emails (redacted)
📄 Signal messages (exported)
📄 Meeting notes
📁 Source_B
📄 [Same structure]
📄 source_protection_plan.pdf
📁 03_Interviews
📁 Audio_Recordings
🎤 interview_2025-02-15_source_a_REDACTED.mp3
🎤 interview_2025-03-01_witness_b_REDACTED.mp3
📁 Transcripts
📄 transcript_2025-02-15_source_a.pdf
📄 transcript_2025-03-01_witness_b.pdf
📁 Notes
📄 interview_notes_source_a.md
📄 interview_notes_witness_b.md
📁 04_Analysis
📁 Financial_Analysis
📄 financial_flow_diagram.pdf
📄 transaction_analysis.xlsx
📄 discrepancy_summary.pdf
📁 Timeline_Analysis
📄 timeline_of_events.pdf
📄 key_dates_analysis.md
📁 Background_Research
📄 company_background_xyz_corp.pdf
📄 senator_smith_background.pdf
📄 related_cases_research.pdf
📁 05_Verification
📁 Fact_Checking
📄 fact_check_sheet.xlsx
📄 sources_verification.pdf
📁 Document_Authentication
📄 metadata_analysis.pdf
📄 authenticity_verification.pdf
📁 Expert_Consultations
📄 forensic_accountant_review.pdf
📄 legal_expert_opinion.pdf
📁 06_Legal
📁 Legal_Reviews
📄 initial_legal_review_2025-03-01.pdf
📄 pre_publication_legal_review_2025-03-12.pdf
📁 Source_Protection
📄 source_protection_plan.pdf
📄 confidentiality_agreements.pdf
📁 Libel_Review
📄 libel_review_checklist.pdf
📄 defamation_risk_assessment.pdf
📁 07_Story_Drafts
📁 Working_Drafts
📄 draft_v1_2025-02-25.docx
📄 draft_v2_2025-03-05.docx
📄 draft_v3_2025-03-08.docx
📁 Final
📄 story_FINAL_2025-03-10.docx
📄 executive_summary.pdf
📄 sidebar_stories.docx
📁 Multimedia
📄 infographic_financial_flow.pdf
📄 timeline_graphic.pdf
🎥 video_package_script.pdf
📁 08_Publication_Planning
📄 publication_checklist.pdf
📄 editor_notes.md
📄 fact_check_final.xlsx
📄 legal_clearance.pdf
📄 publication_schedule.pdf
📁 09_Correspondence
📁 Subject_Communication
📄 email_to_senator_smith_office.pdf
📄 xyz_corp_response.pdf
📁 Editor_Communication
📄 editor_feedback_drafts.pdf
📁 Legal_Communication
📄 legal_correspondence.pdf
📁 10_Multimedia
📁 Photos
📸 evidence_photo_1_REDACTED.jpg
📸 evidence_photo_2_REDACTED.jpg
📁 Videos
🎥 surveillance_footage_REDACTED.mp4
📁 Graphics
📊 charts_and_graphs.pdf
File Naming Conventions
Best Practices:
Include Date:
document_2025-02-15.pdf(ISO date format: YYYY-MM-DD)- Makes files sort chronologically automatically
Descriptive Names:
- Good:
contract_xyz_corp_dod_2024.pdf - Bad:
document.pdf,file123.pdf
Version Numbers:
story_draft_v1.docx,story_draft_v2.docx,story_draft_v3.docx- Always keep previous versions
Redaction Indicator:
interview_source_a_REDACTED.mp3(voice distorted)photo_evidence_REDACTED.jpg(faces blurred)- Makes it clear that sensitive info has been removed
Source Indicator:
email_batch_source_a_2025-02-01.zipdocument_public_records_foia.pdf- Track provenance of materials
Status Indicator:
document_VERIFIED.pdf(authenticity confirmed)transcript_DRAFT.pdf(not yet proofread)story_FINAL.docx(publication-ready)
Examples:
Good File Names:
✅ contract_xyz_dod_2024-05-15_source_a.pdf
✅ interview_2025-02-15_source_a_REDACTED_VERIFIED.mp3
✅ financial_analysis_v2_2025-03-01.xlsx
✅ story_draft_v5_FINAL_2025-03-10.docx
Bad File Names:
❌ document.pdf (no context)
❌ file123.pdf (meaningless number)
❌ interview.mp3 (which interview?)
❌ final.docx (which version? many "finals" exist)
Metadata Management
File Metadata
Automatic Metadata:
- Upload Date: When file added to case
- File Size: Size in MB/GB
- File Type: PDF, DOCX, MP3, etc.
- MD5 Hash: Verify file hasn't been tampered with
Extracted Metadata (from file):
- Creation Date: When file was created (from EXIF/properties)
- Modified Date: When file was last modified
- Author: Creator of file (from document properties)
- GPS Location: Location where photo taken (from EXIF)
- Camera/Device: Device that created file
Custom Metadata (you add):
- Source: Who provided file (e.g., "Source A", "FOIA request", "Public records")
- Date Acquired: When you received file
- Description: What the file contains
- Verification Status: Unverified / Needs Verification / Verified / Authenticated
- Sensitivity Level: Public / Confidential / Highly Sensitive
- Notes: Any additional context
Metadata Privacy
Strip Metadata (recommended for sensitive files):
- Remove EXIF data from photos (GPS, camera model, timestamp)
- Remove document properties (author, company, edit history)
- Remove hidden metadata (comments, track changes)
When to Strip:
- Files provided by sources (protect source identity)
- Photos that could reveal locations
- Documents from corporate sources (remove company info)
- Before sharing with recipients (prevent accidental exposure)
How to Strip:
- Select file(s) → Strip Metadata
- Choose what to remove:
- ☑ EXIF data (photos)
- ☑ Document properties (Office docs, PDFs)
- ☑ Hidden content (comments, track changes)
- ☑ Location data (GPS coordinates)
- Click Strip Metadata
- Original file preserved (new file created:
filename_STRIPPED.pdf)
Search and Discovery
Full-Text Search
Search Capabilities:
- Search across all file contents (PDFs, documents, text files)
- Search file names, descriptions, notes, tags
- Search timeline events (titles and descriptions)
- OCR applied to scanned documents automatically
Search Examples:
"Senator Smith" → Find all mentions of Sen. Smith
contract AND XYZ → Files mentioning both "contract" and "XYZ"
$50M OR "$50 million" → Find monetary amount (different formats)
email:source-a → Files tagged with source-a that contain "email"
Advanced Filters
Filter by File Type:
- Documents only (PDF, DOCX, TXT)
- Media only (JPG, MP4, MP3)
- Specific type (e.g., only MP3 audio files)
Filter by Date:
- Uploaded: When file added to case
- Created: When file was originally created
- Modified: When file was last modified
- Custom range: Jan 1, 2025 - Feb 1, 2025
Filter by Source:
- Files from Source A
- Files from public records
- Files from FOIA requests
Filter by Verification Status:
- Unverified (needs fact-checking)
- Verified (authenticity confirmed)
- Authenticated (expert verification obtained)
Filter by Sensitivity:
- Public (can be published as-is)
- Confidential (internal use, redaction needed)
- Highly Sensitive (source-identifying, extreme caution)
Saved Searches
Create Saved Search:
- Perform search with filters
- Click Save Search
- Name: "Source A - All Materials"
- Search saved to sidebar for quick access
Example Saved Searches:
- "Unverified Documents" →
verification:unverified type:document - "Source A Interviews" →
tag:source-a type:audio - "High Priority - Needs Action" →
tag:high-priority tag:needs-verification - "Legal Review Materials" →
folder:06_Legal
Working with Large Cases
Case Size Management
Monitor Storage:
Case Storage: 47.3 GB / 50 GB (95% used)
⚠️ Approaching storage limit
Breakdown:
- Source Materials: 25.4 GB (54%)
- Audio/Video: 18.2 GB (38%)
- Documents: 3.1 GB (7%)
- Other: 0.6 GB (1%)
Actions:
- Delete unnecessary files
- Compress large files
- Upgrade plan for more storage
Optimization Tips:
- Compress Media: Convert videos to lower bitrate (still acceptable quality)
- Delete Duplicates: Automated deduplication tool
- Archive Old Batches: Export and remove old source material batches once verified
- External Links: Link to files stored elsewhere (e.g., news organization's secure server)
Performance Optimization
For Cases with 1000+ Files:
- Use folders aggressively (max 100 files per folder)
- Use tags for cross-folder organization
- Use saved searches instead of browsing
- Close unused folders in sidebar
- Use preview instead of downloading large files
Collaboration Features (Enterprise)
Shared Case Access
Multiple Reporters:
- All collaborators see same timeline
- Each can add events independently
- Real-time sync (see colleague's updates immediately)
- Conflict resolution (if two people edit same event)
Activity Log:
March 10, 2025, 3:45 PM - John Doe uploaded document_batch_5.zip
March 10, 2025, 2:30 PM - Jane Smith added timeline event "Interview with Witness C"
March 10, 2025, 11:20 AM - Sarah Jones marked story_draft_v4.docx as FINAL
March 9, 2025, 6:15 PM - John Doe checked in
Comments and Annotations
Comment on Files:
- Click file → Add Comment
- Use for: "Needs verification", "Great quote here", "Legal concern"
- Threaded discussions (reply to comments)
- @mention colleagues for attention
Annotate Documents:
- Highlight passages in PDFs
- Add sticky notes to specific pages
- Flag sections for legal review
- Use for collaborative fact-checking
Recipient View
What Recipients See (After Release)
Timeline:
- All events marked "Visible to recipients"
- Private events hidden
- Chronological format (PDF included in release package)
Materials:
- All files in case (unless specified otherwise)
- Folder structure preserved
- Metadata included (except private notes)
- README.txt front and center
Release Package:
📦 Release Package: Government Contracts Investigation
📄 README.txt (start here)
📄 INSTRUCTIONS.txt (what to do next)
📄 TIMELINE.pdf (investigation timeline)
📄 STORY_FINAL.docx (publication-ready draft)
📁 Materials (all case files)
[Full folder structure preserved]
📄 contacts.txt (key people and sources - encrypted separately)
Best Practices
Timeline Management
✅ Add events as they happen: Don't wait until later (you'll forget details) ✅ Include context: Why is this event significant? ✅ Link materials: Attach related files to events ✅ Use visibility wisely: Mark sensitive events private ✅ Regular reviews: Review timeline weekly to identify gaps ✅ Export periodically: Backup timeline as PDF
Materials Organization
✅ Organize from day one: Don't let files pile up in root folder ✅ Never modify originals: Keep source materials pristine ✅ Consistent naming: Use naming convention document ✅ Tag everything: Easier to find later ✅ Include context files: README, instructions, contacts ✅ Verify before filing: Check file contents before organizing
Verification Tracking
✅ Mark verification status: Track what's verified, what's not ✅ Document verification process: How was document authenticated? ✅ Expert consultations: Track who verified what ✅ Update as you go: Change status from "Unverified" to "Verified" when done ✅ Separate verified/unverified: Consider separate folders or tags
FAQ
Can I reorganize materials after uploading?
Yes. Drag-and-drop files between folders. Rename files. No limit to reorganization. Original upload metadata preserved.
What happens to timeline if case is released?
Timeline PDF automatically generated and included in release package. Recipients see all events marked "Visible to recipients". Private events excluded.
Can I import timeline from elsewhere?
Yes. Import from:
- CSV (spreadsheet with date, title, description columns)
- JSON (structured data format)
- Manual entry (copy-paste from your notes)
How do I handle very large files (10+ GB)?
Options:
- Upload in parts: Split large files using tools like 7-Zip
- Compress: Use maximum compression for large video/audio
- External storage: Store on news organization server, link in case
- Enterprise plan: Higher file size limits (50 GB per file)
Can I add events in the future (planned events)?
Yes. Use for:
- Planned publication date
- Scheduled interviews
- Legal deadlines
- Fact-checking milestones
Future events appear in timeline with "Planned" indicator.
What's the maximum number of files per case?
- Pro: 10,000 files per case
- Business: 50,000 files per case
- Enterprise: Unlimited
Practical limit: Performance degrades above 5,000 files per case (use folders and archived batches).
Related Guides
- Journalist Mode Overview: What is Journalist Mode
- Case Management: Creating and managing cases
- Document Management: General document management
- Security Best Practices: Protecting sensitive materials
Last Updated: October 8, 2025