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Topics and Questions

Overview​

Topics and questions form the analytical structure of your investigation. Topics are logical groupings of related questions, while questions are the specific issues to be answered through evidence analysis.

Topics​

What Are Topics?​

Topics are categories that organize related investigation questions. They help:

  • Structure the investigation logically
  • Group findings for reporting
  • Break down complex investigations into manageable areas
  • Enable topic-level AI analysis

Examples of Topics​

Investigation TypeExample Topics
FraudFinancial Records, Vendor Relationships, Timeline
HR InvestigationAllegations, Witness Accounts, Policy Compliance
Compliance AuditAccess Controls, Documentation, Training Records
Program EvaluationEffectiveness, Efficiency, Outcomes

Creating Topics​

From the Topics page (/investigations/[id]/topics):

  1. Click "Add Topic"
  2. Enter title (required)
  3. Add description (optional but recommended)
  4. Add investigator notes (private, not in reports)
  5. Save

Topic Fields​

FieldPurpose
TitleShort descriptive name
DescriptionWhat this topic covers
Investigator NotesPrivate notes for the investigation team
SequenceDisplay order among topics

Questions​

What Are Questions?​

Questions are the specific issues your investigation must answer. Good questions are:

  • Specific and focused
  • Answerable with evidence
  • Written in complete sentences
  • Objective (not leading)

Examples of Good Questions​

TypeExample
Factual"Did the employee submit expense reports for dates they were not traveling?"
Compliance"Were procurement procedures followed for contracts over $10,000?"
Timeline"When did management become aware of the reported issues?"
Impact"What was the financial impact of the identified overpayments?"

Examples of Poor Questions​

ProblemExampleBetter Version
Too broad"What happened?""What actions did the manager take after receiving the complaint?"
Leading"Why did they commit fraud?""Were expense reports submitted for non-business purposes?"
Not answerable"What were they thinking?""What communications document their decision-making?"
Opinion-based"Was it a bad decision?""Did the decision comply with agency policy X?"

Creating Questions​

From the Questions page or Organize board:

  1. Click "Add Question"
  2. Enter question text
  3. Select topic (optional)
  4. Set sequence within topic
  5. Save

Question Fields​

FieldPurpose
Question TextThe question to be answered
TopicGrouping category (optional)
SequenceDisplay order within topic
Finding StatusOutcome after analysis
Finding SummaryBrief statement of the answer

The Organize Board​

Kanban-Style Organization​

The Organize page (/investigations/[id]/organize) provides a visual board for structuring your investigation:

  • Columns = Topics
  • Cards = Questions
  • Ungrouped section = Questions without a topic

Drag and Drop​

Reorganize by dragging:

  • Questions between topics
  • Questions within a topic (reorder)
  • Questions to "Ungrouped" to remove from topic

Quick Editing​

Click any question card to:

  • Edit question text
  • View linked evidence
  • See finding status
  • Add investigator notes

Side Panel View​

Select a question to open the detail panel showing:

  • Full question text
  • All linked evidence
  • Finding status and summary
  • Quick actions (edit, link evidence)

Linking Evidence to Questions​

Linking creates traceability:

  • Shows which evidence supports which conclusions
  • Identifies questions without evidence (gaps)
  • Enables AI analysis to use relevant evidence
  • Supports citations in reports

From the Question detail:

  1. Open question (click on Organize board or Questions page)
  2. Click "Link Evidence"
  3. Select evidence items
  4. Add relevance notes (optional)
  5. Save

From Evidence detail:

  1. Open evidence item
  2. Click "Link to Questions"
  3. Select questions
  4. Save

Evidence Gap Indicators​

The system highlights questions without evidence:

  • Questions page shows link counts
  • Organize board shows badges
  • Gap Analysis identifies unanswered questions

Finding Status​

After analysis, assign a finding status to each question:

StatusWhen to Use
PendingNot yet analyzed or reviewed
SubstantiatedEvidence clearly supports the finding
Not SubstantiatedEvidence does not support the allegation
InconclusiveEvidence is insufficient to determine

Setting Finding Status​

  1. Generate AI analysis for the question
  2. Review the analysis and evidence
  3. Set status (dropdown on Questions page or detail panel)
  4. Add finding summary (brief statement of conclusion)

AI Analysis for Topics and Questions​

Question Analysis​

Analyzes evidence to answer a specific question:

  • Uses evidence linked to that question
  • Applies the evidence evaluation framework
  • Provides conclusion with confidence level
  • Cites supporting evidence

Topic Analysis​

Synthesizes findings across all questions in a topic:

  • Summarizes question-level findings
  • Identifies patterns or themes
  • Notes cross-cutting gaps
  • Provides topic-level conclusions

See AI Analysis for complete details.

Best Practices​

Structuring Topics​

  1. Start with your objectives - What do you need to determine?
  2. Group logically - Similar issues together
  3. Limit depth - 3-7 topics is often ideal
  4. Write descriptions - Clarify scope of each topic

Writing Questions​

  1. Be specific - One issue per question
  2. Be objective - Neutral framing
  3. Be answerable - With available evidence types
  4. Be clear - Anyone should understand what's asked

Managing Complexity​

For complex investigations:

  • Break down broad questions into sub-questions
  • Use topics to manage scope
  • Create questions incrementally as you learn more
  • Revisit and refine as investigation progresses

Maintaining Quality​

  • Review questions before collection phase
  • Ensure questions align with investigation scope
  • Update questions based on evidence discovered
  • Document reasoning for question changes

Reporting Integration​

Topics and questions structure your final report:

  • Topics become report sections
  • Questions become findings within sections
  • Finding statuses drive conclusions
  • Finding summaries populate report content