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Five Whys Root Cause Analysis

Apply five whys questioning to identify actionable root causes from evidence.

4|Updated Dec 10, 2025

Search Tags:#debugging #investigation #problem-solving #evidence-based #root-cause-analysis #five-whys #engineering-process

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/tommymorgan/claude-plugins --skill five-whys-root-cause-analysis

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: Five Whys Root Cause Analysis
Source: https://github.com/tommymorgan/claude-plugins/tree/main/tommymorgan/debugging/skills/five-whys-methodology
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/tommymorgan/claude-plugins --skill five-whys-root-cause-analysis

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This skill enforces structured root cause identification before solution attempts. Apply the five whys methodology to prevent speculation-driven debugging and wasted effort.

Core Features & Use Cases

Iterative why questioning to reach an actionable root cause.
Evidence-based investigation by reading code, logs, config, and outputs.
Clear criteria for determining when the root cause is identified and ready for a fix.

Quick Start

Provoke a five-why analysis by starting with the observed symptom and iteratively asking why until an actionable root cause is found.

Frequently Asked Questions about Five Whys Root Cause Analysis

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I perform root cause analysis for system failures or debugging?▼

Root cause analysis for system failures uses the five whys methodology to iteratively ask why an observed symptom occurred, gathering evidence from code and logs, until an actionable root cause is found.

What is the five whys methodology in software engineering?▼

The five whys methodology is an evidence-based investigation process that enforces structured root cause identification by repeatedly asking why, preventing speculation-driven debugging and wasted engineering effort.

How do I stop speculation-driven debugging and find an actionable fix?▼

To stop speculation-driven debugging, apply iterative why questioning by reading code, logs, and config outputs to gather evidence at each step until a concrete root cause ready for a fix is identified.

When should I use five whys for problem-solving?▼

Use five whys for problem-solving across codebases and deployments when you face debugging sessions, system failures, or quality issues and need to identify actionable root causes before attempting solutions.

How do I know when a root cause analysis is complete?▼

A root cause analysis is complete when the iterative why questioning reaches a concrete, actionable root cause verified by gathered evidence, meeting clear criteria that the underlying issue is identified and ready for a fix.