Querying Data for a User Need

A query is meaningful when it answers a user question. Begin with the need, then choose fields, filters, calculations and order.
Example need
A participant wants to find the strongest fictional teams and inspect their performance.
SELECT team_name,
       SUM(wins) AS total_wins,
       SUM(losses) AS total_losses
FROM team_results
GROUP BY team_name
ORDER BY total_wins DESC, team_name ASC;
This processes many stored rows into one summary per team. It is stronger evidence of processing than simply displaying the imported table.
Plan the output
Document:
user and question
required source fields
processing or calculation
useful order/filter
output form
success criterion supported
Check
 The query answers a stated need.
 Only required fields are used.
 Grouping and calculations are correct.
 Empty results are handled.
 Output can be tested against known fictional data.