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Core Army Analytic Techniques 18 August 2014 ATP 2-33.4 5-27 or timeline. The analyst must consider factors that may influence the timing; for example, the chronological time of attacks may vary by several hours, but be driven by the lunar cycle (moonset), religious events, or friendly patrol patterns. Figure 5-17 shows a simple timeline. Figure 5-17. Timeline example The Method 5-108. Creating a chronology, or timeline, involves three steps:  Step 1. As you research the problem, ensure the relevant information is listed with the date or order in which it occurred. Analysts should ensure they properly reference the data.  Step 2. Review the chronology, or timeline, by asking the following questions:  What are the temporal distances between key events? If lengthy, what caused the delay? Are there missing pieces of data that may fill those gaps that should be collected?  Did the analyst overlook pieces of intelligence information that may have had an impact on the events?  Conversely, if events seem to happen more rapidly than expected, is it possible that the analyst has information related to multiple event timelines?  Are all critical events necessary and shown for the outcome to occur?  What are the intelligence gaps?  What are the vulnerabilities in the timeline for collection activities?  What events outside this timeline could have influenced the activities?  Step 3. If preparing a timeline, summarize the data along a line, usually horizontal or vertical. The sides of the line can be used to distinguish between types of data. If more than one person is involved, multiple lines can be used, showing how and where they converge. 5-109. The following can assist when using this technique:  Consider chronologies and timelines; they are effective, yet simple, ways for analysts to order incoming information on a daily basis as they go through their daily message traffic.  Use tools such as Excel (drawing function) or Analyst Notebook to draw the timeline. TIME EVENT CHART 5-110. A time event chart is a method for visualizing individual or group actions chronologically. They are designed to store and display large amounts of information in a small space. Analysts can use time event charts to help analyze larger scale patterns of such things as activities and relationships. It uses symbols to represent events, dates, and the flow of time. Triangles are used to depict the beginning or end of the chart. Rectangles are used to store administrative data and indicate events or activities. An “X” through an event highlights a significant event or activity. Each event (rectangle) contains a sequence number and date. An incident description is written below the event symbol providing a brief explanation of the event.