The doctoral dissertations of the former Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) and Aalto University Schools of Technology (CHEM, ELEC, ENG, SCI) published in electronic format are available in the electronic publications archive of Aalto University - Aaltodoc.
Aalto

Interactive Multi-Criteria Decision Support – New Tools and Processes for Practical Applications

Jyri Mustajoki

Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Science in Technology to be presented with due permission of the Department of Engineering Physics and Mathematics for public examination and debate in Auditorium E at Helsinki University of Technology (Espoo, Finland) on the 12th of January, 2007, at 12 o'clock noon.

Overview in PDF format (ISBN 978-951-22-8515-0)   [125 KB]
Dissertation is also available in print (ISBN 978-951-22-8514-3)

Abstract

This thesis studies and develops application procedures of multi-attribute value tree methods and related decision support systems. The objective is to understand the needs of practice for the process support and, through this, to help create user-friendly multi-criteria decision support systems and appropriate ways to use them. The motivation behind this is that the usability of the methods is strongly dependent on the available tools and on their application process. The recent advances on the development of computers and the Internet have also created new opportunities to develop the systems. Consequently, the role of computer support has become very process-oriented instead of only implementing the mathematics of the methods. Specifically, the thesis (i) introduces two new web-based systems, Web-HIPRE and Smart-Swaps, with focus on process support and on adopting the new opportunities of computer support, (ii) reports experiences on the use of these systems in environmental applications to support group decision making processes, and (iii) describes new ways to apply two specific methods, even swaps and preference programming, for various tasks with an aim to improve the practical applicability of these methods.

This thesis consists of an overview and of the following 7 publications:

  1. Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R. P. (2000). Web-HIPRE: Global decision support by value tree and AHP analysis. INFOR, 38 (3), 208-220. © 2000 Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS). By permission.
  2. Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R. P., Marttunen, M. (2004). Participatory multicriteria decision analysis with Web-HIPRE: A case of lake regulation policy. Environmental Modelling and Software, 19 (6), 537-547. © 2004 Elsevier Science. By permission.
  3. Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R. P., Sinkko, K. (2007). Interactive computer support in decision conferencing: Two cases on off-site nuclear emergency management. Decision Support Systems, 42 (4), 2247-2260. © 2007 Elsevier Science. By permission.
  4. Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R. P. (2005). A preference programming approach to make the even swaps method even easier. Decision Analysis, 2 (2), 110-123. © 2005 Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). By permission.
  5. Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R. P. (2006). Smart-Swaps – Decision support for the PrOACT process with the even swaps method. Helsinki University of Technology, Systems Analysis Laboratory, Research Report E20. © 2006 by authors.
  6. Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R. P., Salo, A. (2005). Decision support by interval SMART/SWING – Incorporating imprecision in the SMART and SWING methods. Decision Sciences, 36 (2), 317-339.
  7. Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R. P., Lindstedt, M. (2006). Using intervals for global sensitivity and worst-case analyses in multiattribute value trees. European Journal of Operational Research, 174 (1), 278-292. © 2006 Elsevier Science. By permission.

Keywords: multi-criteria decision analysis, multi-attribute value theory, decision support systems, decision conferencing, even swaps, interval models, preference programming, environmental decision making, nuclear emergency management, public participation

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© 2007 Helsinki University of Technology

Last update 2011-05-26