[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":328},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-\u002Fdocs\u002Fresearch-workflows\u002Fcomparative-analysis":3,"docs-nav":204},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":16,"extension":197,"meta":198,"navigation":199,"path":200,"seo":201,"stem":202,"__hash__":203},"content\u002Fdocs\u002F3.research-workflows\u002F4.comparative-analysis.md","Comparative Analysis",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":185},"minimark",[9,13,17,22,38,41,45,48,51,62,65,69,72,83,86,92,96,99,104,107,111,114,119,122,126,129,139,143,164,168],[10,11,5],"h1",{"id":12},"comparative-analysis",[14,15,16],"p",{},"Comparative analysis is a structured side-by-side: two or more theories, methods, studies, or positions, evaluated against the same criteria. The mindmap's sibling-node structure is purpose-built for this — it lets you see the comparison instead of reading paragraphs about it.",[18,19,21],"h2",{"id":20},"when-to-use-it","When to use it",[23,24,25,29,32,35],"ul",{},[26,27,28],"li",{},"Comparing theoretical frameworks (\"which of these explains the data better?\").",[26,30,31],{},"Comparing methods or instruments (\"which approach is appropriate here?\").",[26,33,34],{},"Comparing studies that reach different conclusions on the same question.",[26,36,37],{},"Comparing your work against prior work.",[14,39,40],{},"If a chapter or section of your eventual writing is going to be a comparison, building that section as a comparative subtree first usually saves time.",[18,42,44],{"id":43},"step-1-pick-the-items-and-the-criteria","Step 1 — Pick the items and the criteria",[14,46,47],{},"Both halves matter. The criteria are what make the comparison meaningful — without them, you have a list, not an analysis.",[14,49,50],{},"Examples of criteria sets:",[23,52,53,56,59],{},[26,54,55],{},"For theories: explanatory scope, parsimony, predictive power, fit with primary evidence, openness to falsification.",[26,57,58],{},"For methods: sample assumptions, robustness to noise, computational cost, interpretability.",[26,60,61],{},"For studies: sample size and quality, methodology, key findings, limitations, replication status.",[14,63,64],{},"Start with 4–6 criteria. Too few and the comparison is shallow; too many and it's exhausting.",[18,66,68],{"id":67},"step-2-build-the-scaffold","Step 2 — Build the scaffold",[14,70,71],{},"Create a structure like:",[73,74,79],"pre",{"className":75,"code":77,"language":78},[76],"language-text","Comparison: Cline vs. Drews on the Late Bronze Age collapse\n├─ Cline (Systems collapse, 2014)\n│   ├─ Explanatory scope\n│   ├─ Primary evidence used\n│   ├─ Methodological approach\n│   └─ Limitations \u002F critics\n├─ Drews (Sea Peoples invasion, 1993)\n│   ├─ Explanatory scope\n│   ├─ Primary evidence used\n│   ├─ Methodological approach\n│   └─ Limitations \u002F critics\n└─ Cross-comparison\n    ├─ Where they agree\n    ├─ Where they diverge\n    └─ Adjudication\n","text",[80,81,77],"code",{"__ignoreMap":82},"",[14,84,85],{},"You can build this manually or ask the Editor to create the scaffold:",[87,88,89],"blockquote",{},[14,90,91],{},"Create a comparative subtree for Cline (2014) and Drews (1993). Use these criteria as children of each: explanatory scope, primary evidence, methodology, limitations.",[18,93,95],{"id":94},"step-3-populate-each-side","Step 3 — Populate each side",[14,97,98],{},"For each item being compared, run a focused agent instruction:",[87,100,101],{},[14,102,103],{},"Select the Cline (2014) subtree. Fill in each criterion node using only what's in the KB, with citations.",[14,105,106],{},"Then do the same for the other side. Keep instructions parallel — the comparison is only as good as the symmetry of effort that went into each side.",[18,108,110],{"id":109},"step-4-cross-comparison-nodes","Step 4 — Cross-comparison nodes",[14,112,113],{},"This is the interpretive layer. Select the \"Cross-comparison\" parent and ask:",[87,115,116],{},[14,117,118],{},"Looking at both subtrees, identify where the two positions overlap, where they diverge sharply, and where one is more strongly supported than the other. Create child nodes for each.",[14,120,121],{},"The agent surfaces the structural differences; you decide whether they matter.",[18,123,125],{"id":124},"step-5-adjudicate-or-dont","Step 5 — Adjudicate (or don't)",[14,127,128],{},"Some comparisons need a verdict, some don't. If yours does, write the adjudication node yourself — that's a judgment call, not a synthesis task. The agent can help by stress-testing your reasoning:",[87,130,131],{},[14,132,133,134,138],{},"Critique the following adjudication: ",[135,136,137],"span",{},"your draft",". What are its weakest points given the evidence on this subtree?",[18,140,142],{"id":141},"common-mistakes-to-avoid","Common mistakes to avoid",[23,144,145,152,158],{},[26,146,147,151],{},[148,149,150],"strong",{},"Asymmetric effort."," If side A has twice as many citations as side B, your comparison is biased before any conclusion is drawn. Force symmetry.",[26,153,154,157],{},[148,155,156],{},"Comparing on criteria that favor one side by construction."," Reuse criteria that both sides at least claim to address. If a criterion is only relevant to one approach, it belongs in a \"unique strengths\" appendix, not the main comparison.",[26,159,160,163],{},[148,161,162],{},"Skipping the cross-comparison nodes."," Without them, you have two parallel summaries, not an analysis.",[18,165,167],{"id":166},"whats-next","What's next",[23,169,170,178],{},[26,171,172,177],{},[173,174,176],"a",{"href":175},".\u002Fhypothesis-generation-and-testing","Hypothesis Generation & Testing"," — when the comparison is between hypotheses.",[26,179,180,184],{},[173,181,183],{"href":182},".\u002Foutlining-a-paper","Outlining a Paper"," — turning the comparison into a draft 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Context","docs\u002F4.working-with-the-agent\u002F2.agent-context",{"path":305,"title":306,"stem":307},"\u002Fdocs\u002Fworking-with-the-agent\u002Fconversational-refinement","Conversational Refinement","docs\u002F4.working-with-the-agent\u002F3.conversational-refinement",{"path":309,"title":310,"stem":311},"\u002Fdocs\u002Fworking-with-the-agent\u002Fconfidence-gaps-and-iteration-limits","Confidence, Gaps & Iteration Limits","docs\u002F4.working-with-the-agent\u002F4.confidence-gaps-and-iteration-limits",{"path":313,"title":314,"stem":315},"\u002Fdocs\u002Fworking-with-the-agent\u002Fversion-history-and-provenance","Version History & Provenance","docs\u002F4.working-with-the-agent\u002F5.version-history-and-provenance",{"slug":317,"title":318,"items":319},"reference","Reference",[320,324],{"path":321,"title":322,"stem":323},"\u002Fdocs\u002Freference\u002Fsettings-and-api-keys","Settings & API Keys","docs\u002F5.reference\u002F1.settings-and-api-keys",{"path":325,"title":326,"stem":327},"\u002Fdocs\u002Freference\u002Ftroubleshooting-and-faq","Troubleshooting & FAQ","docs\u002F5.reference\u002F2.troubleshooting-and-faq",1780503376376]