Getting Started Checklist
Checklist of fundamental questions designed to get you started.
A good way to kick off your analysis is to ask yourself a few fundamental questions. These key questions were designed to help you reflect on the task at hand and to get you pointed in the right direction.
Getting started checklist:
- What is the real problem?
- Why is it necessary to solve this problem?
- What have you done in the past with similar problems?
- Who can help you solve your problem?
- What is the root cause of your problem?
- What are the key questions that need to be answered?
- What should be done first?
- How will you know when you are successful?
Helpful Hint:
We recommend that you document your thinking throughout the problem solving process. It can be a very insightful to follow the evolution of your own thinking. If you haven't done so already, you can begin right now by writing down the questions above and your answers.
Source:
Structured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis, Richards Heuer, Jr. and Randolph H. Pherson, Washington DC: CQ Press, 2011.