This body of research focuses on supporting problem-stakeholders, decision-makers and
problem-solvers faced with an ill-defined and complex real world problem. An ill-defined
problem has a characteristic trait of continual refinement. That is, the definition
of the problem changes throughout the problem investigation and resolution process.
The central theme of this research is that a support system should provide problem
stakeholders with a problem definition model for constructing and manipulating a
representation of the definition of the problem as they understand it. The approach
adopted herein is to first develop a problem definition model for ill-defined problems—
the 6-Component problem definition model. With this model, it is then possible to move
on to identifying the types of changes or modifications to the problem definition that
problem stakeholders, decision makers and problem solvers may wish to explore.
Importantly, there must be a connection between the surface representation of the
problem and the underlying implementation of the support system. This research argues
that by focusing the support system around the problem definition, it is possible to
reduce the mismatch between the problem objectives and the representation of the
problem that the support system offers. This research uses the Unified Modelling
Language to record and explore the requirements that problem stakeholders, faced with
an evolving problem definition, place on a support system. The 6-Component problem
definition model is then embedded within a design for an evolutionary support system.
This embedding, supported by collaboration diagrams, shows how a system using the
6-Component problem definition model will support stakeholders in their exploration,
evaluation and resolution of an ill-defined and complex real-world problem. A case
study provides validation of the effectiveness of the 6-Component problem definition
model proposed and developed in this work. The case study uses the 6-Component
problem definition model as a basis for implementing the Integration Workbench, an
evolutionary support system for land-use planning. Stakeholders explore, communicate,
evaluate and resolve the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement problem with
assistance from the Integration Workbench.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/216723 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Cameron, Mark A, Mark.Cameron@csiro.au |
| Publisher | The Australian National University. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.anu.edu.au/legal/copyright/copyrit.html), Copyright Mark A Cameron |
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