- ### __Bias : __ - Reference - ### __Definition : __ - The establishment of a reference point or anchor can be a random or distorted act. - ### __OODA Class : __ - Observe Phase - ### __OODA Subclass : __ - Information Gathering - ### __Classification Reasoning : __ - In the observe phase, information is obtained from different sources. There are multiple sources from which information can be obtained from. Based on the quality and relevance of the source, a reference point is established which sets the tone for the further steps of decision-making. A start point is set from where to gather information thereby influencing the decision-making process chain. - ### __Example : __ - Influence of external information sources: Generally, when designing the architecture for a new solution, architects conduct some research to gather as much information for decision-making. Every architect has specific sources from which they gather information such as Design Patterns-Source Making, Stack Overflow, information from colleagues, communities for specific technologies and others. A Reference point is usually established from which the architects try to build further knowledge. - ### __Impact : __ - Quality of the final decision depends on how well a reference point was established initially. - ### __Debiasing Techniques : __ - Establish formal parameters when gathering information from multiple sources based on a given context. Compare the information obtained using the parameters to then justify the selection of an information source as the reference point. This can also be made part of the decision logs for a project for people to understand the architecture decisions as a future reference. - ### __Related Biases :__