Title: A collaborative spatial decision support system applied to site selection problems

Authors: Sarah Oufella; Djamila Hamdadou

Addresses: Department of Computer Science, University of Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran, Algeria ' Department of Computer Science, University of Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran, Algeria

Abstract: Nowadays, urban areas face many challenging issues; one of the most demanding is site selection. Strategic site selection issues are typically complex problems that require consideration of multiple alternatives (sites), multiple criteria and multiple decision-makers with conflicting interests, preferences and desires. In this perspective we propose a new decision making framework based on three areas of high importance: multi-agent systems, geographic information system and multiple-criteria decision analysis. These three tools are combined in a manner so that the shortcoming of one tool is complemented by the strength of the others. To assist the decision makers in selecting the compromise alternative from a number of feasible alternatives, the proposed decision support system will be enriched with a protocol of negotiation based on argumentation approach, which allows agents (decision makers) to exchange complex justification positions rather than just simple proposals, this property of argumentation protocols can lead to faster and beneficial agreements to the group.

Keywords: geographic information systems; GIS; multi-criteria decision making; MCDM; multi-agent systems; MAS; argumentation-based negotiation; site selection problems; decision makers; DMs; group decision support system; GdSS; agreement option; analytic hierarchy process; AHP.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAMS.2018.092078

International Journal of Applied Management Science, 2018 Vol.10 No.2, pp.127 - 156

Received: 06 Sep 2016
Accepted: 11 May 2017
Published online: 31 May 2018 *

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