What is a Fishbone Diagram?

Question

Why are "cause and effect" diagrams also called "fishbone diagrams" ?

What is a Fishbone Diagram?

Answer 1

Because an Ishikawa / cause-and-effect diagram can be plotted in a shape resembling a fishbone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram

Answer 2

because they resemble fish bones like in a whole fish.

See this for more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram

Answer 3

Because it doesn't look like a ham bone.

Answer 4

Ishikawa diagrams are useful in determining the breadth (or cause density) of a problem. Using a technique such as the "5 Whys" is useful for determining a problem's depth. Understanding both the depth and the breadth of a problem is fundamental in root cause analysis.