Over the past two decades, many advances have been made in the decision support system (DSS) field. They range from progress in fundamental concepts, to improved techniques and methods, to widespread use of commercial software for DSS development. Still, the depth and breadth of the DSS field continues to grow, fueled by the need to better support decision making in a world that is increasingly complex in terms of volume, diversity, and interconnectedness of the knowledge on which decisions can be based. This continuing growth is facilitated by increasing computer power and decreasing per-unit computing costs. But, it is spearheaded by the multifaceted efforts of DSS researchers. The collective work of these researchers runs from the speculative to the normative to the descriptive. It includes analysis of what the field needs, designs of means for meeting recognized needs, and implementations for study. It encompasses theoretical, empirical, and applied orientations. It is concerned with the invention of concepts, frameworks, models, and languages for giving varied, helpful perspectives. It involves the discovery of principles, methods, and techniques for expeditious construction of successful DSSs. It aims to create computer-based tools that facilitate DSS development. It assesses DSS efficacy by observing systems, their developers, and their users. This growing body of research continues to be fleshed out and take shape on a strong, but still-developing, skeletal foundation.

Inhalt

Challenges for Information Systems: Representation, Modeling and Metaknowledge.- Information Systems to Support Decision Processes: From Decision Support to Networks of Inquiry Systems.- The Use of Qualitative and Causal Reasoning in Analytical Review Procedures.- Finite Domain Constraint Problems and Their Relationship with Logic Programming.- SEMLOG: A Multiparadigm Language for Conceptual Modeling.- Negotiation Modelling and Support: Expanding the DSS Paradigm.- Framework for DSS Interface Development.- User Interface Development and Decision Support Systems.- Expert Modelbase Systems: Research Directions.- The Use of Domain Information and Higher Order Logic for Model Management.- Reusing Mathematical Models in ASCEND.- Knowledge Acquisition: Recent Theoretic and Empirical Developments.- Computer-Aided Decision Support Engineering.- Research Issues for Second Generation Knowledge Based DSS.- New Architectures for WISIWYSWIWSWYS (What I See Is What You See When I Want to See What You See).- Empirical Research in Managerial Support Systems: A Review and Assessment.- DSS Evaluation: A Comparison of Ex-Ante and Ex-Post Evaluation Methods.- The Impact of Group Gender Composition on Group Performance in an Electronic Meeting System Setting: A Study of Group Gender Composition.- Probabilistic Causal Reasoning in Decision Support Systems.- Development of a Decision Support System for Maintenance Planning.- Autonomous Planning Agents for Real-time Control.- GDSS and Lateral Coordination for Reactive Production Scheduling: An Organizational Approach and the Prototype GROUPS.- Choosing Solvers in Decision Support Systems: A Neural Network Application in Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling.- Fleet Mix Planning in the U.S. Coast Guard: Issues and Challenges for DSS.- A Knowledge-Based Decision Support System for the Formulation of Scenarios on Competitiveness Strategies.