Evaluation And Decision Models

The purpose of Evaluation and Decision Models: A Critical Perspective is to provide a critical thinking framework for all individuals utilizing decision and evaluation models, whether it be for research or applications. It is axiomatic that all evaluation and decision models suffer some limitations. There are situations where a decision model will not perform to expectations. This book argues that there is no best decision or evaluation model, but that decision-makers must understand the principles of formal evaluation and decision models and apply them critically. Hence, the book seeks to deepen our understanding of evaluation and decision models and encourage users of these models to think more analytically about them.
The authors work in six different European universities. Their backgrounds are varied: mathematics, economics, engineering, law, and geology, and they teach in engineering, business, mathematics, computer science, and psychology in their universities. As a group, the authors have particular expertise in a variety of decision models that include preference modelling, fuzzy logic, aggregation techniques, social choice theory, artificial intelligence, problem structuring, measurement theory, operations research, and multiple criteria decision support. In addition to their decision analysis research, all the authors have been involved in a variety of high-impact applications which include software evaluation, location of a nuclear repository, the rehabilitation of a sewer network, and the location of high-voltage lines. It is this variety within the authorship that unifies this book into a systematic examination of how best formal decision models can be used. The monograph is an excellent tool for researchers of decision analysis and decision-makers.

Booknews

The six authors<-->teachers of engineering, business, mathematics, computer science, and psychology in six European universities<-->argue that there's no best decision or evaluation model, but that decision- makers must understand the principles of the formal models and apply them critically. They offer this framework for employing decision and evaluation models for research or for applications to encourage their users to think more analytically about them. The authors note that they tried to keep mathematics to a minimum, but they also provide an extensive (17-page) bibliography to enable anyone interested to find more technical literature as needed. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)