Analytic Culture in the U.S. Intelligence Community (PDF) - CIA

SURVEY METHODOLOGY
content and, thus, are not attributable to any specific individual. This is not
simply the result of security procedures within the Intelligence Community; it
is also the professional obligation of every member of the American Anthropological
Association, as stated in the American Anthropological Association
Code of Ethics. 5
The interview technique employed in this study was semi-structured. Several
specific questions about the participant’s perception of the nature of intelligence,
the analytic process, the intelligence production cycle, and
intelligence errors and failures were standard throughout the interviews. Other
questions, specific to the individual’s job responsibilities, were tailored to
each respondent. This method allowed for a more open-ended approach,
which surveys and highly structured interviews do not. The semi-structured
method is more akin to an open conversation (with consistent data collection
constructs and probing questions) than to a formal interview, which helps put
the respondents at ease and makes the entire process seem somewhat less contrived.
Access to interview participants was made possible through the Center for
the Study of Intelligence. Individuals at CSI introduced me to their contacts
throughout the Intelligence Community, including active and retired senior
analysts, managers and senior leadership, as well as to academics and
researchers. The various intelligence-training centers put me in touch with
new hires and novice analysts. Each interviewee was asked to make recommendations
and provide contact information for others who might be interested
in participating in this research project. In addition, numerous
interviewees were approached without a formal or informal introduction from
a previous participant. Only four of the 489 individuals contacted to date have
declined to participate in this study. This constitutes a participation rate of
greater than 99 percent, which is unusually high for this type of research.
Although a participation rate this high may be an artifact of the sampling
method or of an organizational pressure to participate, it also may indicate a
general desire within the Intelligence Community to support performance
improvement research.
Unlike random sampling, purposive sampling is an attempt to collect data
from specific data sources. In anthropological studies, purposive sampling is
regularly used to address specific issues and to answer specific questions.
Normally, this approach requires finding a “key informant” or someone on the
inside of a specific culture who will become the researcher’s ally and access
agent. In this particular study, the CSI staff acted as access agents to the Intelligence
Community at large.
5
American Anthropological Association, Code of Ethics of the American Anthropological Association.
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