MMP.19:4.1 - State what the comparison must answer

Name the unit, relevant time and population. State the action or mechanism alternatives and what would count as their outcomes. C.28 distinguishes the causal-use question; C.28.MR supplies the meaning of mechanism replacement.

Distinguish the targets that the question could need. Common examples are a mean under an intervention, the response under another action given what happened to this case, and a joint property such as succeeding under one action while failing under another. For a pathway question, name which mechanism’s input is to be changed and which other route remains as specified.

Recover what the recipient will do with the answer. A future choice based on expected outcome and action cost can depend only on each action’s marginal distribution. A probability of benefit, an explanation of an observed result or a nested pathway contrast can depend on more. C.11 and MMP.8 retain the decision criterion; the mathematical construction must answer that criterion rather than substituting another one.