Ordinal structure of the generic analytic workflow: a survey of intelligence analysts

We present a model of the generic analytic workflow and measure the extent of ordinal structure that analysts apply to analytic work, as well as how this is affected by their training and experiences. The workflow comprises six stages that follow from one another: capture requirements, plan analytic response, obtain data, process data, interpret outputs, and communicate conclusions. A survey of 144 intelligence analysts revealed that only 16% structured their workflows in a logical ordinal way. The extent of ordinal structure applied to analytic work was unrelated to analytic thinking training, years of analytic experience, and proportion of time spent working collaboratively. These findings have implications for the training and assessment of analysts, as well as for the design of analytic tools.

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