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GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis
Computers & Geosciences 26 (2000) 1067±1068
Book review GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis by Jacek Malczewski. Wiley, New York, 1999. 392 pp., ISBN 0-471-32944-4, US $79.00 GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis, by Jacek Malczewski, represents one of the latest oerings in the seemingly unending in®ltration of geographic information systems (GIS) into almost every area of scienti®c endeavor. The extension of spatial thinking to diverse disciplines, embodied in GIS applications, is both welcome and intriguing, and it often leads to an interesting juxtaposition of ideas and concepts. Such is the case in this book, which presents both new and traditional ideas of decision analysis operationalized within the context and structure of GIS technology. GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis is essentially a textbook which would be most useful as a classroom resource. Stylistically, it is intended as reading and resource material for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in quantitative geography. It is more pedagogically oriented than other books pertaining to GIS, and hence, the material is somewhat more specialized and theoretical. Although quantitative notions such as probability and set theory are frequently mentioned, the mathematical level of the text is relatively low given its overall focus. Conceptually speaking, the material is rather statistical in nature, but the use of equations, statistical notation, and mathematical formulation is minimal. The book is of moderate length and generally quite readable, and many of its concepts and ideas are accompanied by good illustrations and diagrams. It contains a nice glossary of terms related to decision analysis and GIS, and a fairly extensive bibliography. In addition, there is an appendix that enumerates various GIS and decision analysis software, as well as software and service companies (unfortunately, this list will rapidly become outdated). Each chapter starts with the author's brief summary of what is contained in that segment of the book, and each one is concluded with a set of review questions intended to promote thought, re¯ection, and discussion, either in or outside the classroom. This presentation style makes the book very eective for instructional use. On the negative PII: S 0 0 9 8 - 3 0 0 4 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 5 0 - 9
side, the text would be considerably improved with the addition of more speci®c and practical examples. The book is compiled in three parts, entitled Preliminaries (Part I), Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis (Part II), and Multicriteria-Spatial Decision Support Systems (Part III). Part I consists of three chapters of generally introductory material pertaining to GIS and decision analysis. The main body of the text is contained in Part II that includes ®ve chapters devoted to the details and intricacies of multicriteria decisions. Part III is a wrap-up section that more speci®cally addresses the physical integration of GIS and decision analysis in a computational setting. Some representative ideas from the ®rst section of the book include the fundamental notions of geographical data, information, and decision making, an enumeration of the major functions of GIS and their relevance in spatial decision making, and the foundations and de®nitions of multicriteria decision analysis (including an introduction of associated terminology such as multiobjective decision making (MODM) and multiattribute decision making (MADM)). Chapter 1 speci®cally addresses the transformation of data into information useful for decision analysis, the use of geographical data (hence, geographical information) in spatial decision analysis problems, and the distinction between hard and soft data. Chapter 2 discusses the data manipulation and analysis functions of GIS, including those used to produce fundamental building blocks, as well as more advanced routines (such as statistical and mathematical modeling). Chapter 2 additionally includes a succinct presentation/discussion of the terminology associated with spatial thinking, such as typology, connectivity, fuzzy sets, layers, raster, vector, and TIN. Also included here is a brief analysis of some the commercially available GIS software and its capabilities. Chapter 3 is devoted to establishing just what multicriteria decision analysis is, and to introducing the details, concepts, and terminology of the approach. A distinction is made between spatial approaches and more conventional approaches. It is also here that the link between GIS and multicriteria decision analysis is formally established. The fundamental concept of evaluation criteria is
1068
Book review / Computers & Geosciences 26 (2000) 1067±1068
addressed in Chapter 4 (which initiates Part II), with emphasis on their properties, guidelines for selecting them, and on hierarchical methods for organizing them. It is in Chapter 4 that the book begins to talk about maps in earnest, linking the ideas of GIS and criterion maps. Three dierent categories of criterion maps are identi®ed: deterministic, probabilistic, and fuzzy. In connection with map-making, the ideas of measurement scales and scale transformations are introduced, along with the concepts of value and utility functions, and the notions of probabilistic assessment and fuzzy membership. Chapter 5 discusses the ideas of decision alternatives and decision constraints. Included here is the de®nition of a variable, in the statistical sense of the term. Three categories of decision variables are identi®ed: deterministic, stochastic, and linguistic. Chapter 5 also discusses ways to present decision alternatives in terms of lines, points, and polygons. Criterion weighting is the topic of Chapter 6. Ways to express the relative importance of various criteria are discussed, and methods such as ratings, rankings, and paired comparisons are presented and compared. Chapter 7 discusses decision rules, in both the multiattribute and multiobjective contexts. Certain GISs that support these kinds of rules are identi®ed, and some linear programming models are also presented and described. Chapter 8 is devoted to the concept of sensitivity analysis. This is a chapter that principally involves the ideas of error assessment, uncertainty, and propagation of error. Sources of uncertainty associated with criterion maps and decision-maker preferences are enumerated. As previously noted, Part III of the book consists of two chapters that are somewhat summary in nature. Chapter 9 is speci®cally devoted to spatial decision support systems, and Chapter 10 contains brief reports on six dierent case studies. Chapter 9 introduces the concept of spatial decision support, speci®cally building on the concepts, methods, and approaches described in all the previous chapters. It integrates GIS-based data processing and analysis techniques with multicriterion decision analysis. The author discusses the relationship between various types of spatial decision support systems (SDSS), such as spatial expert systems, and illustrates how multicriterion spatial decision support systems (MC-SDSS) can be viewed as part of this broader ®eld. Various components of SDSS and MC-SDSS are identi®ed and described. Central to this chapter is the dependence of the systems on computational technology, and so there is considerable emphasis on databases, database tools, models, model building tools, user interfaces, and interoperability. Various software packages are once again described here. Chapter 9 is probably the single chapter in the book with the widest appeal to readers
of all levels, since it is aimed more at the applied, operational level of GIS in decision-making settings. Though brief, the case study presentations in Chapter 10 are quite good. A rather broad spectrum of topics is addressed, and the reports are supported by nice graphics, some of which are in color. Two of the case studies pertain to geoscience investigations Ð one involves water resource management in Manitoba, Canada, and the other entails the siting of nuclear waste facilities in Great Britain. GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis is a rather elegant treatise, but its immediate audience is likely to be somewhat restricted. It is not really a book about GIS technology, per se, and the prospective reader should not be confused about its focus. It is, instead, a book about decision analysis Ð decision analysis operationalized through the physical capabilities of GIS. Like all quantitative tools, the ultimate objective of GIS is to facilitate better decision making; but without a foundation for determining how and when better decisions are to be made, that objective cannot be achieved. On the other hand, good decisions cannot be obtained without eective mechanisms and analytical results. Consequently, the purpose of this book is to bridge the gap between ideas and techniques, and to formally establish the processes and ground rules for decision-making that will help establish GIS as an even more viable tool across a spectrum of applications and disciplines. Initially this book will have considerably more appeal to a limited audience of academicians, particularly in disciplines such as geography and regional planning; but as its concepts become more accepted and understood, it will be more widely read and referenced for the insight and richness of thought which the author brings to this arena. From the purely geoscience perspective, GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis mentions geological and geoscienti®c notions more often than many other GISrelated texts; yet most practising geoscientists will not ®nd it to be very approachable or usable. It is not written at the operating level of the GIS practitioner, nor does it contain much ``how to'' information in terms of establishing GIS projects or implementing GIS technology. However, as the use of GIS matures in the geosciences (as well as in other disciplines), the concepts presented here will no doubt ®nd their way into instruction and practice, and they will ®lter into the computational strategies and paradigms encompassed by application software packages with which geoscientists are very familiar. Timothy C. Coburn Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX 79699-8012, USA
Book review GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis by Jacek Malczewski. Wiley, New York, 1999. 392 pp., ISBN 0-471-32944-4, US $79.00 GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis, by Jacek Malczewski, represents one of the latest oerings in the seemingly unending in®ltration of geographic information systems (GIS) into almost every area of scienti®c endeavor. The extension of spatial thinking to diverse disciplines, embodied in GIS applications, is both welcome and intriguing, and it often leads to an interesting juxtaposition of ideas and concepts. Such is the case in this book, which presents both new and traditional ideas of decision analysis operationalized within the context and structure of GIS technology. GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis is essentially a textbook which would be most useful as a classroom resource. Stylistically, it is intended as reading and resource material for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in quantitative geography. It is more pedagogically oriented than other books pertaining to GIS, and hence, the material is somewhat more specialized and theoretical. Although quantitative notions such as probability and set theory are frequently mentioned, the mathematical level of the text is relatively low given its overall focus. Conceptually speaking, the material is rather statistical in nature, but the use of equations, statistical notation, and mathematical formulation is minimal. The book is of moderate length and generally quite readable, and many of its concepts and ideas are accompanied by good illustrations and diagrams. It contains a nice glossary of terms related to decision analysis and GIS, and a fairly extensive bibliography. In addition, there is an appendix that enumerates various GIS and decision analysis software, as well as software and service companies (unfortunately, this list will rapidly become outdated). Each chapter starts with the author's brief summary of what is contained in that segment of the book, and each one is concluded with a set of review questions intended to promote thought, re¯ection, and discussion, either in or outside the classroom. This presentation style makes the book very eective for instructional use. On the negative PII: S 0 0 9 8 - 3 0 0 4 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 5 0 - 9
side, the text would be considerably improved with the addition of more speci®c and practical examples. The book is compiled in three parts, entitled Preliminaries (Part I), Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis (Part II), and Multicriteria-Spatial Decision Support Systems (Part III). Part I consists of three chapters of generally introductory material pertaining to GIS and decision analysis. The main body of the text is contained in Part II that includes ®ve chapters devoted to the details and intricacies of multicriteria decisions. Part III is a wrap-up section that more speci®cally addresses the physical integration of GIS and decision analysis in a computational setting. Some representative ideas from the ®rst section of the book include the fundamental notions of geographical data, information, and decision making, an enumeration of the major functions of GIS and their relevance in spatial decision making, and the foundations and de®nitions of multicriteria decision analysis (including an introduction of associated terminology such as multiobjective decision making (MODM) and multiattribute decision making (MADM)). Chapter 1 speci®cally addresses the transformation of data into information useful for decision analysis, the use of geographical data (hence, geographical information) in spatial decision analysis problems, and the distinction between hard and soft data. Chapter 2 discusses the data manipulation and analysis functions of GIS, including those used to produce fundamental building blocks, as well as more advanced routines (such as statistical and mathematical modeling). Chapter 2 additionally includes a succinct presentation/discussion of the terminology associated with spatial thinking, such as typology, connectivity, fuzzy sets, layers, raster, vector, and TIN. Also included here is a brief analysis of some the commercially available GIS software and its capabilities. Chapter 3 is devoted to establishing just what multicriteria decision analysis is, and to introducing the details, concepts, and terminology of the approach. A distinction is made between spatial approaches and more conventional approaches. It is also here that the link between GIS and multicriteria decision analysis is formally established. The fundamental concept of evaluation criteria is
1068
Book review / Computers & Geosciences 26 (2000) 1067±1068
addressed in Chapter 4 (which initiates Part II), with emphasis on their properties, guidelines for selecting them, and on hierarchical methods for organizing them. It is in Chapter 4 that the book begins to talk about maps in earnest, linking the ideas of GIS and criterion maps. Three dierent categories of criterion maps are identi®ed: deterministic, probabilistic, and fuzzy. In connection with map-making, the ideas of measurement scales and scale transformations are introduced, along with the concepts of value and utility functions, and the notions of probabilistic assessment and fuzzy membership. Chapter 5 discusses the ideas of decision alternatives and decision constraints. Included here is the de®nition of a variable, in the statistical sense of the term. Three categories of decision variables are identi®ed: deterministic, stochastic, and linguistic. Chapter 5 also discusses ways to present decision alternatives in terms of lines, points, and polygons. Criterion weighting is the topic of Chapter 6. Ways to express the relative importance of various criteria are discussed, and methods such as ratings, rankings, and paired comparisons are presented and compared. Chapter 7 discusses decision rules, in both the multiattribute and multiobjective contexts. Certain GISs that support these kinds of rules are identi®ed, and some linear programming models are also presented and described. Chapter 8 is devoted to the concept of sensitivity analysis. This is a chapter that principally involves the ideas of error assessment, uncertainty, and propagation of error. Sources of uncertainty associated with criterion maps and decision-maker preferences are enumerated. As previously noted, Part III of the book consists of two chapters that are somewhat summary in nature. Chapter 9 is speci®cally devoted to spatial decision support systems, and Chapter 10 contains brief reports on six dierent case studies. Chapter 9 introduces the concept of spatial decision support, speci®cally building on the concepts, methods, and approaches described in all the previous chapters. It integrates GIS-based data processing and analysis techniques with multicriterion decision analysis. The author discusses the relationship between various types of spatial decision support systems (SDSS), such as spatial expert systems, and illustrates how multicriterion spatial decision support systems (MC-SDSS) can be viewed as part of this broader ®eld. Various components of SDSS and MC-SDSS are identi®ed and described. Central to this chapter is the dependence of the systems on computational technology, and so there is considerable emphasis on databases, database tools, models, model building tools, user interfaces, and interoperability. Various software packages are once again described here. Chapter 9 is probably the single chapter in the book with the widest appeal to readers
of all levels, since it is aimed more at the applied, operational level of GIS in decision-making settings. Though brief, the case study presentations in Chapter 10 are quite good. A rather broad spectrum of topics is addressed, and the reports are supported by nice graphics, some of which are in color. Two of the case studies pertain to geoscience investigations Ð one involves water resource management in Manitoba, Canada, and the other entails the siting of nuclear waste facilities in Great Britain. GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis is a rather elegant treatise, but its immediate audience is likely to be somewhat restricted. It is not really a book about GIS technology, per se, and the prospective reader should not be confused about its focus. It is, instead, a book about decision analysis Ð decision analysis operationalized through the physical capabilities of GIS. Like all quantitative tools, the ultimate objective of GIS is to facilitate better decision making; but without a foundation for determining how and when better decisions are to be made, that objective cannot be achieved. On the other hand, good decisions cannot be obtained without eective mechanisms and analytical results. Consequently, the purpose of this book is to bridge the gap between ideas and techniques, and to formally establish the processes and ground rules for decision-making that will help establish GIS as an even more viable tool across a spectrum of applications and disciplines. Initially this book will have considerably more appeal to a limited audience of academicians, particularly in disciplines such as geography and regional planning; but as its concepts become more accepted and understood, it will be more widely read and referenced for the insight and richness of thought which the author brings to this arena. From the purely geoscience perspective, GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis mentions geological and geoscienti®c notions more often than many other GISrelated texts; yet most practising geoscientists will not ®nd it to be very approachable or usable. It is not written at the operating level of the GIS practitioner, nor does it contain much ``how to'' information in terms of establishing GIS projects or implementing GIS technology. However, as the use of GIS matures in the geosciences (as well as in other disciplines), the concepts presented here will no doubt ®nd their way into instruction and practice, and they will ®lter into the computational strategies and paradigms encompassed by application software packages with which geoscientists are very familiar. Timothy C. Coburn Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX 79699-8012, USA