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Chronologies and Timelines

Chronologies and Timelines

Section titled “Chronologies and Timelines”

What It Is: A diagnostic technique that involves creating a chronological list of events to identify patterns, gaps, and inconsistencies in the available information.

When to Use It: When analyzing an issue that has evolved over time, or when trying to understand the sequence of events leading up to a specific incident.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. STEP 1: Identify all key events and arrange them chronologically in a table with one column for the date and one column for the event. (Beebe and Pherson, 2015, p. 159)
  2. STEP 2: Select relevant information from the event narrative and organize it along the timeline. Can the data be categorized? (Beebe and Pherson, 2015, p. 160)
  3. STEP 3: Review the timeline by asking questions:
    • Are assumptions about evidence considered?
    • Does the duration and sequence of events make sense?
    • Are there gaps in the data?

(Source: Beebe and Pherson, 2015, p. 160)