In the Phase 1 (preliminary investigation/analysis) of the systems development life cycle, which methods are typically used to gather data from stakeholders and the organization?

Introduction / Context:
Phase 1 of the systems development life cycle (SDLC)—often called preliminary investigation or initial analysis—focuses on understanding the current situation, user needs, constraints, and the problem/opportunity motivating a change. Data-gathering techniques in this phase build the foundation for accurate requirements.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are in Phase 1 of the SDLC.
• We need to collect facts about processes, rules, pain points, and goals.
• Common elicitation techniques are available to the analyst.

Concept / Approach:
Analysts triangulate information by combining document analysis (policies and procedures), stakeholder interviews (deep, qualitative insights), and questionnaires/surveys (broad, quantitative coverage). Using multiple methods increases reliability and exposes discrepancies between “official” procedures and “actual” practices.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Review policies, procedures, standards, forms, and reports to map declared processes.Conduct one-on-one or group interviews with users and managers to capture goals, issues, and tacit knowledge.Distribute questionnaires to reach a larger population efficiently and to quantify frequency, importance, and satisfaction levels.Synthesize findings to define scope and preliminary requirements.

Verification / Alternative check:
Effective Phase 1 outcomes—such as a problem statement, objectives, and feasibility insights—nearly always reflect evidence from documents, interviews, and surveys. If any one method is absent, blind spots increase.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options A, B, and C are each valid techniques on their own, but the question asks which are used in Phase 1. The most complete and correct choice is the combined approach: “All of the above.” “None of the above” is incorrect because all listed methods are appropriate.

Common Pitfalls:
Relying only on interviews risks anecdotal bias; relying only on documents misses real practices; relying only on surveys lacks depth. A mixed-method strategy mitigates these weaknesses.

Final Answer:
All of the above