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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |  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. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 1-2 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 1-8 | 1-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | SensemakingDecisionRationale |