Because there are many different kinds of analytical problems, there are also many different ways to structure analysis. Lists such as Franklin made are one of the simplest structures. An intelligence analyst might make lists of relevant variables, early warning indicators, alternative explanations, possible outcomes, factors a foreign leader will need to take into account when making a decision, or arguments for and against a given explanation or outcome. Other tools for structuring a problem include outlines, tables, diagrams, trees, and matrices, with many sub-species of each. For example, trees include decision trees and fault trees.
Diagrams includes causal diagrams, influence diagrams, flow charts, and cognitive maps.
Consideration of all those tools is beyond the scope of this book, but several such tools are discussed. It recommends using a matrix to array evidence for and against competing hypotheses to explain what is happening now or estimate what may happen in the future. It demonstrates how to apply these tools to a type of decision commonly encountered in our personal lives. In choosing among alternative purchases, such as when buying a car, a new computer, or a house, people often want to maximize their satisfaction on a number of sometimes-conflicting dimensions. They want a car at the lowest possible price, with the lowest maintenance cost, highest resale value, slickest styling, best handling, best gas mileage, largest trunk space, and so forth.