Independent case · Diagnose and frame problems

Separate symptoms from causes

Apply the method in a new context. Review your own artifact against the criteria and decide what evidence would change it.

Before you beginNeed the method or a worked example? Open the full lesson.

01 / New context

The situation

Fictional scenario

A support knowledge base on the web reports 'Nothing here' after an agent searches; a product filter, access permission, or index outage could explain it.

Separate observed facts from three hypotheses, identify evidence that would distinguish them, and write the safest provisional state message.

Produce: A one-page cause map and problem statement with proposed checks.

02 / Make and review

Your artifact

Draft or outline your response

Your writing is stored only in this browser if you save it. Copy it to keep a separate version.

03 / Self-review

Check your judgment

Specific standard: The learner distinguishes empty data, no-match results, and retrieval failure, with targeted checks instead of a premature component choice.

Review questionsWhich statements are observations, and which are hypotheses?Did you consider at least one competing cause and a check that could distinguish it?Does the problem statement avoid prescribing a solution before the cause is known?

What would you improve, and what evidence could change your answer?

Separate symptoms from causes

The situation

Your artifact

Check your judgment

Next step

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