What is a heuristic?

A heuristic is an alternative to trial and error. It is simply the codification of a useful technique or cognitive skill. It can operate as a discovery procedure or a way of getting to a goal. Many fields have them; for example, the scientific method is itself a heuristic, as is journalism's efficient Who? What? When? Where? Why? formula for collecting information. The important thing about heuristics is that they are not rules, wvhichdictate a right or wrong way, but are alternative methods for doing something-methods which often formalize the efficient procedure a good scientist or journalist would use unconsciously. Because they make an intuitive method explicit, heuristics open complex processes up to the possibility of rational choice. (Flower and Hayes, p. 45-51 "Problem-Solving Strategies and the Writing Process")