Structured thinking

• recognize the current situation
• organize information
• identify options

Problem domain

The specific area of analysis that encompasses every activity affecting or affected by the problem.

Scope of work (SOW)

An agreed-upon outline of the work you're going to perform on a project.

SOW includes:

• deliverables
• timeline
• milestones
• reports

SOWs should also contain information specific to what is and isn’t considered part of the project.

Context

Context is the condition in which something exists or happens.

Context can turn raw data into meaningful information. To do this, you need to identify:

• Who: The person or organization that created, collected, and/or funded the data collection

• What: The things in the world that data could have an impact on

• Where: The origin of the data

• When: The time when the data was created or collected

• Why: The motivation behind the creation or collection

• How: The method used to create or collect it