Abstract
Cognitive task analysis (CTA) methodologies are used to discover expertise that domain practitioners utilize in order to perform tasks, but are unable to reliably articulate when asked directly. We describe a methodology that walks through a novice's process on a task in order to serve as a probe for elicitation of expert commentary. Six experienced intelligence analysts with three levels of prior knowledge critiqued the process a junior analyst employed to determine the causes and consequences of the Ariane 501 rocket launch failure. Preliminary data analyses reveal interesting insights about the nature of expertise in intelligence analysis. This appears to be a promising alternative methodology for CTA when there are access restrictions, low frequency or unpredictability of target observation events, or difficulty in recruiting experts who wish to be evaluated on their task performance.
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