The new platform enables the public to submit content to the broadcaster such as documents, photos, audio and video clips, and story tip-offs, to be reviewed by its editorial team for potential coverage.
The site also currently houses a database of the Palestine Papers, which can be searched by key words, date, location and participants.
"We believe that this initiative will allow Al-Jazeera's supporters to shine light on notable and newsworthy government and corporate activities which might otherwise go unreported," the unit's website says.
"From human rights to poverty to official corruption, AJTU will fairly evaluate and pursue all leads and content submitted, without geographical, political, cultural, or religious bias."
The unit said all content submitted to it will be subject to "a rigorous vetting and authentication process" which will include "fierce adherence to our tradecraft commitment of 'journalism of depth'".
Files submitted will be encrypted while they are transmitted. They are then uploaded and stored on Al Jazeera's secure servers and only journalists working within the unit will be able to access them.
"We recognize that - despite the best technology - our readers and viewers are taking a risk by submitting materials, particularly those living in countries where such disclosures are not protected by law.
"Our journalists will ensure that the identities of our sources are protected, and that submissions are scrubbed of sensitive information - like the "metadata" that contains authoring information - before those submissions are released to the public."
Al-Jazeera is working with the Guardian to publish the Palestine Papers - thousands of pages of leaked diplomatic correspondence relating to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Over the past few months, Al-Jazeera has had access to the cache of almost 1,700 files, which includes memos, emails, maps, minutes from private meetings and strategy papers, and dates from 1999 to 2010. It claims that it is the biggest leak in the history of the Middle East conflict, detailing continuing negotiations involving American, Israeli, and Palestinian Authority officials.
The Guardian claims it was given exclusive access to the 'Palestine Papers' by Al-Jazeera. The newspaper's coverage of the leaked documents will be supplemented by WikiLeaks cables from the US consulate in Jerusalem and embassy in Tel Aviv.
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