Reference Point Methodology

Abstract

As indicated by the title of this book and the content of previous chapters, we are mainly concerned with using models for clarifying complex decision situations, particularly in environmental applications. This has been one of the major areas of research at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria, and the third part of this book presents several of the studies from there. However, before describing specific cases of model-based decision analysis for environmental applications, it is important to outline the methodological approach that is frequently used in these studies. This approach was started and developed at IIASA in 1980 (see Kallio et al., 1980; Wierzbicki, 1980b), specifically as a tool for environmental model analysis, although since then it has also found applications in engineering design and other fields of decision support. This approach is termed multi-objective reference point methodology.