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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-6 | 1-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tags1 shared | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | DecisionTreeOptions | SensemakingDecisionRationale |