decomposition-formulation

name	decomposition-formulation
description	Strategy: decompose a complex research question into a hierarchy of independently answerable sub-questions
version	1.0.0
category	hypothesis-formation
type	strategy
campaign	research-question
tactics	["sub-question-decomposition"]
sops	["sub-question-generation","dependency-mapping","answering-sequence-design","finer-criteria-check"]
dependencies	{"tactics":["sub-question-decomposition"],"sops":["finer-criteria-check"]}

Decomposition Formulation

Decompose a complex research question into independently answerable sub-questions — when a single experiment cannot answer the whole question.

When to Use

• High problem complexity, involving multiple independent dimensions
• A single experiment/study cannot answer it completely
• Research plans that need to proceed in phases
• The question contains multiple causal chains or multiple variable groups

Thinking Framework

Core logic: a complex problem = a combination of several simpler problems. Find the right decomposition such that each sub-question can be answered independently, and the answers to the sub-questions combine to answer the main question.

Decomposition Principles

• MECE: sub-questions are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive
• Independence: each sub-question can have its research design developed independently
• Coverage: the combined answers of all sub-questions = the answer to the main question
• Operationalizability: each sub-question is researchable (not a philosophical question)

Decomposition Dimensions

• By causal chain: antecedent → mechanism → outcome
• By variable: one sub-question per key variable
• By condition: behavior under different boundary conditions
• By level: macro → meso → micro
• By time: short-term → mid-term → long-term effects

Budget Gate

Tier	Sub-questions	Dependency analysis	Sequence design
S	≥2 sub-questions	basic dependency identification	suggested order
M	≥3 sub-questions	dependency graph + critical path	optimal sequence + parallelization opportunities
L	≥5 sub-questions	full dependency graph + cycle detection	multi-path plan + resource allocation

Default Reference Flow

1. Analyze the complexity dimensions of the main RQ
2. Choose a decomposition strategy (by causality/variable/condition/level/time)
3. Generate sub-questions (sub-question-generation SOP)
4. Verify MECE and coverage
5. Map dependencies (dependency-mapping SOP)
6. Design the answering sequence (answering-sequence-design SOP)