2.6 Chapter Review
2.6.1 Chapter summary
Questioning is analytical work because it determines what evidence will be gathered, which comparisons will be made, and how results may be used. A strong questioning process distinguishes decision needs from research tasks, exposes assumptions, and creates a traceable path from organizational concern to possible action.
2.6.2 Common mistakes
- asking only what output the client wants;
- using “why” when the available data can establish only association;
- combining several outcomes into one vague question;
- treating the requested method as fixed before assessing the data;
- failing to identify who will use the result;
- ignoring questions that the available evidence cannot answer; and
- continuing to answer an original question after the project’s purpose has changed.
Quality standard: Every major analysis should connect to a documented question, and every major question should connect to a decision, understanding, or implementation need.
2.6.3 Exercises
Exercise 1. Rewrite the concern “Our membership is not growing fast enough” as one management question, two research questions, three analytical questions, and one implementation question.
One Possible Answer
Management: Which evidence-based actions could improve sustainable membership growth?
Research: How do comparable organizations measure active membership? What external population or participation trends affect the service area?
Analytical: How have new memberships, renewals, cancellations, and net growth changed by month? Which member groups have the lowest twelve-month retention? Which locations and acquisition channels produce members with the highest contribution margin and retention?
Implementation: What pilot could be tested with a priority group, and which measures would determine whether it should continue?
Exercise 2. Build a question map for NVRW’s concern about uneven demand. Include one management question, two research questions, three analytical questions, and two implementation questions.
One Possible Answer
Management: How should NVRW allocate programs, staffing, and capacity across facilities? Research: How are service-area populations expected to change, and what participation benchmarks are available? Analytical: How do visits per active member differ by facility and month? Which programs repeatedly operate below 60 percent or at least 95 percent capacity? Which service areas show the largest projected gap between population-driven demand and current capacity? Implementation: Which schedule change should be piloted first, and which utilization and access measures will determine whether it continues?
Exercise 3. For each analytical question in your question map, identify the unit of analysis, comparison, time period, required data, and intended decision use.
Check Your Work
Each question should name one defensible unit, such as a member-month, visit-month, program offering, or facility-year. It should also state the relevant groups or periods being compared, the observation window, the datasets and derived fields required, and the decision the result will inform. If any element is missing, the question is not yet ready to guide analysis.
Exercise 4. Rewrite the question “Why is North Ridge failing?” to remove the unsupported premise and make the question answerable with the available data.
One Possible Answer
How do retention, visit frequency, membership mix, and program access at North Ridge compare with the other NVRW facilities, and which observable factors are associated with any differences? This wording does not assume failure or claim causation.