RESEARCH METHODS / 07

Compare schools with controlled inputs

Change one convention at a time to locate the origin of a difference.

About 3 min
Study notes & citation

Compare schools with controlled inputs. Institute of Chinese Mantic Arts. https://www.manticarts.com/en/handbook/schools

01

Research focus

Use identical inputs and a defined question. Separate selection, construction, interpretive focus and explanation, naming sources for each layer.

02

Procedure and example

Change one rule, retain intermediate results and then move to the next comparison. Unattributed finished charts are insufficient.

03

Output and review

Deliver a matrix distinguishing input, algorithm and interpretation differences. State limits when a school cannot be decomposed into independent rules.

Resources and methodological references

The procedures and exercises are editorial teaching suggestions. These resources provide textual, collection or open-research access; links imply no affiliation or endorsement.

Chinese Text Project · Introduction ↗
Resource information for text search and locating words and editions.

International Dunhuang Programme ↗
Manuscript collections, images and catalogue access.

Editorial study material · 2026-09-28