Explore the research
Every published pattern study, system study, bulletin and research note in one place. Search by word, or narrow the list by format, pattern or system.
Common starting points
I'm trying to understand a dependency pattern →The six foundational pattern studies.I work with a particular critical system →Choose a system below to see its study and the patterns it shows.I want the latest bulletin →Issue 04 · October 2026.6 of 20 items
- Pattern studyPattern 001
Dependency Concentration →
Why critical systems centralize, why alternatives disappear, and what risks and benefits emerge as a small number of operators come to carry an outsized share of essential functions.
All research on Dependency Concentration · observed in 8 system studies
- Pattern studyPattern 002
Fragile Redundancy →
Why backup systems quietly come to share their primaries' dependencies, why contingency plans decay between exercises, and why failovers fail at the moments they are most needed.
All research on Fragile Redundancy · observed in 9 system studies
- Pattern studyPattern 003
Governance Lag →
Why systems evolve faster than the institutions meant to oversee them, why governance tends to be reactive rather than anticipatory, and which consequences recur across very different domains.
All research on Governance Lag · observed in 9 system studies
- Pattern studyPattern 004
Deferred Maintenance →
Why reliable systems become invisible, why renewal is repeatedly postponed, how structural debt compounds, and what governance can do to keep upkeep visible.
All research on Deferred Maintenance · observed in 6 system studies
- Pattern studyPattern 005
Operational Complexity →
How complexity accumulates through incremental decisions, why operator comprehension gradually outpaces system growth, what happens under stress, and what reversibility looks like.
All research on Operational Complexity · observed in 8 system studies
- Pattern studyPattern 006
Incident Memory →
How institutions lose or distort the lessons of past failures, what happens when memory fails, and what durable incident memory looks like when it is embedded in practice rather than paper.
All research on Incident Memory · observed in 9 system studies