The intelligence cycle is the model that distinguishes intelligence work from simple searching. It typically runs through planning and direction (framing the precise question), collection (gathering relevant data), processing (organising it), analysis (turning data into assessment), and dissemination (delivering it to whoever will act).
Applying the cycle is what keeps an investigation disciplined: you start from a clear requirement rather than collecting aimlessly, and you finish with a defensible product rather than a pile of screenshots.