Answer: (A) Gathering information
Explanation:
The gathering information is the process in which the knowledge are gathered and it is important for understanding the topic more accurately.
The information gathering mainly focus on leaning the things properly and also it is not only related to the academic endeavor but we can also gather the information on different types of topic.
According to the given situation, the gathering information is one of the phase of ethical decision process that the professor Thompson experience.
Therefore, Option (A) is correct.