C.28.CM:4.1 - Fix the contrast and the time that matter

State what needs explaining or changing. Name the outcome and the cases it concerns, the relevant time, and any proposed action or comparison. “Why did this queue start?”, “Why does it remain?” and “What will shorten it now?” can require different mechanisms.

Distinguish an observed comparison from an intervention query. Observing X=x supplies information about the mechanisms already operating; imposing X=x replaces a mechanism. When the question concerns the same past case under another action, preserve its factual observations and the underlying conditions they constrain. C.28.MR develops the corresponding model calculation; C.28 determines what supports that use.

Keep the question small enough for a useful contrast. If two retained accounts permit the same sufficient next action under its own grounds, C.11.DUA can settle whether distinguishing them is worth the effort.