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Criterion
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration for Wideband Delphi.
Decision Making
Wideband Delphi
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Purposedifferent
An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable.A single opinion rarely holds up for planning when the future is genuinely uncertain. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as an Estimate Range, Assumption Log, and Expert Consensus Notes.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.
Complexitydifferent
LowHighMedium
Timedifferent
15-45 min1-4 h or multiple rounds1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung
Participantsdifferent
1-34-12 Experten3-20 Reviewer
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
ADR File, Decision Log, RationaleEstimate Range, Assumption Log, Expert Consensus NotesRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
EstimationExpertsForecasting
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Anonymous individual judgments pass through feedback loops to form a distribution.
Decision Making
Delphi Method
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping