An evidence board is a visual tool for organizing and connecting pieces of evidence in an investigation. Whether you're working a corporate fraud case, conducting due diligence, or researching a complex topic, an evidence board helps you see how documents, people, events, and facts relate to each other.

This guide covers how to create an effective digital evidence board, including templates, organization strategies, and software recommendations.

What is an Evidence Board?

An evidence board (also called a case board or investigation board) displays evidence items visually and shows the connections between them. Traditional evidence boards use corkboards with pinned documents and string connections. Digital evidence boards do the same thing with software—but with infinite space, search capability, and better organization.

Evidence boards typically include:

  • Documents - Contracts, emails, reports, records
  • People - Subjects, witnesses, sources, stakeholders
  • Events - Incidents, meetings, transactions, timeline items
  • Places - Locations, addresses, venues
  • Connections - Relationships between evidence items
  • Notes - Observations, theories, questions to investigate

Why Use a Digital Evidence Board?

Physical evidence boards have limitations that digital tools solve:

  • Space. Physical boards fill up. Digital boards have infinite canvas.
  • Search. Finding a specific document on a wall means scanning everything. Digital boards have instant search.
  • Reorganization. Moving pinned items is tedious. Digital items drag and drop.
  • Security. Physical boards are visible to anyone who walks by. Digital boards can be encrypted and local-only.
  • Backup. Physical boards can be damaged or lost. Digital boards can be backed up.
  • Collaboration. Physical boards exist in one location. Digital boards can be shared (if needed).

Evidence Board Templates

Different investigation types benefit from different board structures. Here are templates to get started:

Template 1: Timeline-Centered Board

Best for investigations where sequence of events matters.

  • Place events chronologically along a horizontal axis
  • Connect people and documents to the events they relate to
  • Use vertical space to show parallel tracks (e.g., different actors)
  • Color-code by evidence type or source

Template 2: Person-Centered Board

Best for investigations focused on relationships between people.

  • Place key subjects in the center
  • Surround with associates, organized by relationship type
  • Connect documents and events to the people involved
  • Use connection labels to describe relationships

Template 3: Document-Centered Board

Best for investigations with heavy documentary evidence.

  • Group documents by type or source
  • Connect documents that reference each other
  • Link people to documents they authored or received
  • Note key facts extracted from each document

Template 4: Hypothesis Board

Best for investigations testing multiple theories.

  • Create separate zones for each hypothesis
  • Place supporting evidence near each hypothesis
  • Mark contradicting evidence clearly
  • Update as evidence confirms or refutes theories

How to Build an Evidence Board

Step 1: Define Your Scope

What question are you trying to answer? What's the boundary of this investigation? A clear scope prevents the board from growing unmanageably.

Step 2: Gather Initial Evidence

Collect the documents, names, dates, and facts you already have. Don't worry about organization yet—just get everything into the system.

Step 3: Categorize Evidence

Assign types to each item:

  • Person - Anyone mentioned or involved
  • Artifact - Documents, emails, records, physical evidence
  • Event - Anything with a date/time
  • Place - Locations relevant to the investigation
  • Note - Your observations and questions

Step 4: Draw Connections

This is where the board becomes valuable. Connect items that relate to each other:

  • "Person A" authored "Document X"
  • "Document X" mentions "Person B"
  • "Person A" attended "Meeting on Dec 5"
  • "Meeting on Dec 5" occurred at "Location Y"

Step 5: Add Metadata

For each piece of evidence, record:

  • Source - Where did this come from?
  • Date obtained - When did you get it?
  • Confidence - How reliable is this information?
  • Notes - What's significant about this item?

Step 6: Analyze and Reorganize

Step back and look at the board as a whole:

  • What clusters do you see?
  • Who or what appears most connected?
  • Where are the gaps in your evidence?
  • What questions remain unanswered?

Reorganize the board to highlight what you've learned. Group related items together. Move central figures to prominent positions.

Evidence Board Best Practices

Label Every Connection

A line between two items isn't enough. Label it: "authored," "witnessed," "contradicts," "supports." Future you will thank present you.

Track Your Sources

Every fact on your board should trace back to a source. If you can't remember where something came from, its value diminishes.

Mark Confidence Levels

Not all evidence is equal. Distinguish between:

  • Confirmed - Multiple sources or direct documentation
  • Suspected - Single source or reasonable inference
  • Uncertain - Speculation or unverified claims

Date Everything

When did events happen? When were documents created? When did you obtain each piece of evidence? Dates matter for establishing timelines and credibility.

Keep It Updated

An evidence board is a living document. Update it as you learn new information. Remove items that prove irrelevant. Add new connections as you discover them.

Evidence Board Software

Several tools can serve as digital evidence boards:

  • Redstrings - Purpose-built for investigations with evidence types, labeled connections, and local-first privacy
  • Miro/Mural - General whiteboards, flexible but not investigation-focused
  • i2 Analyst's Notebook - Enterprise investigation tool, expensive
  • Maltego - Link analysis focused, technical learning curve

For most investigators, the key requirements are:

  • Multiple evidence types (people, documents, events)
  • Labeled connections between items
  • Search and filter capabilities
  • Privacy (local storage, no cloud requirement)

Why Redstrings for Evidence Boards?

Redstrings is built for exactly this use case:

  • 7 evidence types - Person, Team, Artifact, Process, Place, Event, Note
  • Labeled connections - Every relationship has a type and description
  • Confidence levels - Mark evidence as confirmed, suspected, or uncertain
  • Source tracking - Record where each piece of evidence came from
  • 100% local - Your investigation data never leaves your machine
  • Multiple boards - Organize complex cases into separate views

Download Redstrings free and start building your evidence board.