Which of the following activities is a characteristic of an exploratory analysis strategy, often described as a 'fishing expedition'?

A researcher collects survey data on stress and academic performance. After noticing an unexpected pattern among first-year students, she splits her sample by year of study, creates a new composite variable combining two stress items, and searches for converging evidence in other parts of her dataset. This approach is consistent with an exploratory analysis strategy because it involves examining data from multiple angles to uncover potential patterns, even if those analyses were not planned in advance.