10. GETTING STARTED

It should be noted that the instructions in this manual take the contributors through a elongated but comparatively simple process. After going through this process at least once, the contributor may want to proceed directly to using the templates in the appendices the next time around.

Before starting, we should introduce a smaller version of our test source case. This is diagrammed in TP Page10. We bring this in at this point to keep our example as mercilessly short as possible. This case has only two goal variables; one strategy (in the oval shape); one external (in the blue box); and two intermediates.

Also before starting, we must describe what is meant by a “variable” (operon)? In COMPASS it is a phrase that contains one or more topics and usually (but not always) has a subject and an action or status. It is assumed to be preceded by the term like “the amount of” or “the number of” or “the degree of” or “the type of”. As an example, in TP Page10 the term “Privacy Violations” (PRIVVIO) could have the unwritten precedent of “the number of” and thus would be a variable (operon).

The first step in the overall process is to identify a small number of variables that represent the “bottom lines” or “goals” of the case. In fact, one of these should be employed to designate the title or subject matter of the case study. For instance, our case has to do with “(the amount of) privacy afforded by CP projects”, so this might be the main “bottom line” variable (reworded as “Privacy Violations”) and also be the subject matter for the name of the case (“Transport-Privacy”).

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