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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Architecture arc42 |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Architecture Request for Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | 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 | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-2 Tage | 90-180 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-4 | 4-12 | 3-20 Reviewer |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance |