Here are some questions to ask before beginning the work of retrieving existing knowledge about the requested work.
- Is there any existing knowledge or data about the work?
- If data exists, where is it located?
- Is there an existing solution to understand, or is research needed to validate a new idea?
- Is there an existing research plan?
- Who conducted the existing research, and are they available for collaboration?
Digging Deeper
In the ROAMER Model, retrieval is any activity that investigates the background knowledge about the human(s) affected by building or improving a solution. It also includes evaluating any existing data about the business needs and goals. This includes looking at existing insights, defining new research, or looking at analytics. Retrieval can also involve looking at previously existing experiences or infrastructure for the purposes of documenting the current state.
Importantly, retrieval should provide meaningful additional knowledge and insights that help to uncover questions that can be answered through observation. Additionally, this phase can be used to help refine the initially proposed outcomes for work.
