The monitoring and documenting of human rights abuses is a relatively recent area of work; the nature and implications of human rights law are in flux; and there is greater consideration for human-rights dimensions in armed conflicts. The human rights agencies are consequently repositioning themselves, redefining their roles and adapting their practices. This study provides an overview of the sorts of abuses - political killings, torture, excessive use of force, death in custody, sexual violence - occurring in armed conflicts and makes suggstions about how to investigate and verify information for each violation. It includes extracts from international and regional human rights law and international humanitarian law, intended as a working basis for organisations investigating, documenting and acting upon abuses.