Morphological analysis

This is a forecasting technique which is an extension of the network aspect of the cross-impact technique (separately described). In effect, morphology simply involves breaking down a phenomenon into all of its sub-elements at each of various stages of development or in various dimensions and then listing all of the various possible combinations of these sub-elements as alternative developments. These alternative developments can then be exposed to detailed analysis in an effort to determine which is most likely, thereby arriving at a technological forecast. The so-called morphological charting or plotting is, however, more an aid to thinking than a forecasting instrument in itself.