How should investigators approach potential biases during analysis?

• A. By seeking diverse data sources, challenging assumptions, and employing formal analytic methods.
• B. By confirming initial assumptions regardless of data.
• C. By ignoring outliers to keep conclusions simple.
• D. By relying solely on witness testimony.

Answer: (B)

Address biases during analysis by intentionally building a robust evidentiary approach: seek information from diverse, independent data sources; actively challenge and test the assumptions guiding the analysis; and use formal analytic methods that provide structured, repeatable checks on reasoning. Collecting input from multiple angles helps reveal blind spots that any single source might miss, while questioning assumptions prevents locking into a preconceived narrative. Formal methods—such as stepwise analyses, checklists, or sensitivity tests—make the process transparent and easier to review, which strengthens the credibility of the conclusions.

Relying on confirming initial assumptions regardless of data undermines the purpose of analysis by letting bias steer results. Ignoring outliers hides potentially important signals rather than addressing variability in the data. Relying only on witness testimony overlooks objective evidence and is vulnerable to memory and perception errors.