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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |  Decision Making Decision Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 1-2 h | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-8 | 1-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | DecisionTreeOptions |