| Breadth | A neighboring use can reveal a different contribution, while each additional search consumes attention. |
| Relevance | Value questions guide generation, while prematurely fixed objectives can conceal a worthwhile new problem. |
| Imagination | An unproven possibility may deserve inquiry, while an analogy does not establish local demand or feasibility. |
| Source diversity | Different sources can challenge one framing, while many sources may repeat one supplier claim. |
| Protection | A constraint may be an untested assumption or a binding limit; only the former can be varied by conjecture. |
| Stopping | Search should stop when it has served this inquiry, not merely when a quota is filled or time expires. |