1. Describe the incident itself and detail what occurred. Be sure to include specific information concerning such aspects as where and when the incident occurred and identifying any important individuals or groups involved.
2. Describe what caused the failure. Be as specific as possible. In some cases, the catastrophe may have been the result of human abuse of technology. In other cases, there may have been a design flaw, a manufacturing defect or simple human error. Many times a combination of factors may have been involved.
3. What was learned from the event? What were the consequences? Often technological failures lead to specific changes in technology and processes. For example, design changes may result, new laws may be
enacted or certain products and practices may be banned.
4. What social, cultural, historical or other factors may have contributed to the disaster? Were there attitudes that led to a disregard of the rights of people affected? Were there underlying social or cultural issues that need to be considered?