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Criterion
Four paper collections for projects, responsibilities, resources and archives.
Knowledge Modeling
PARA Method
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Purposedifferent
The PARA Method organizes knowledge into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It creates order when digital notes, files, and tasks no longer cleanly fit current work.With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-3 h Setup, laufend45-120 min15-45 min
Participantsdifferent
12-81-3
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
PARA Structure, Project Notes, Knowledge ArchiveTrade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted DownsidesADR File, Decision Log, Rationale
Tagsno overlap
KnowledgeProductivityOrganization
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Paper illustration of an IBIS map with issues, positions and arguments
Knowledge Modeling
IBIS
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments