A Methodology for the Characterization of Intelligent Environmental Decision Support Systems

The issue of the paper is to propose a methodology to characterize and describe any Intelligent Environmental Decision Support System (IEDSS). This characterization is necessary to analyse the IEDSSs built until now, to improve their abilities and their current output information. The methodology proposes a selection of a set of features to characterize all IEDSS, and in general, IDSS. The main characteristics of Intelligent Decision Support Systems have been identified through an accurate analysis of cognitive tasks, and several layers involved in this kind of systems. The resulting analysis has been implemented in a form. This form takes into account general features about the IDSS, about the decisions involved, or about the models used, to write only a few ones. The form has been created to describe those characteristics in real environmental applications (IEDSS). To test the viability of the methodology proposed an experimental evaluation has been carried out. This preliminary assessment is a test for the usability and appropriateness of the methodology. A broad sample of Scopus database articles regarding Intelligent Decision Support Systems applications has been analysed. Each one of the authors have analysed a set of papers, and filled the corresponding form. The methodology has been tested for general Intelligent Decision Support Systems, but it will be strengthen to focus on IEDSS. These papers were carefully read and analysed and main features of the proposed IDSS characteristics were identified according to the proposed form. Results of a preliminary analysis with 18 papers about IDSS, including 6 about IEDSS are presented to illustrate the applicability of the methodology. In the near future, a collaborative analysis through a web site is proposed to enlarge the IEDSS applications browsed.