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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1-3 h | 2-8 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | SensemakingDecisionRationale |