Selection of Information-Intensive Services: A Multi-criteria Decision Model

The diffusion of the Internet fosters the development and provisioning of large amounts of information-intensive services. Methods and techniques such as heuristics, policy-based approaches, reputation- and trust-based selection techniques, multi-criteria decision analysis, UDDI-extensions, and ontology-based preference modeling approaches have been developed to facilitate the description, discovery, composition, and consumption of these services. Still, consumers face difficulties in selecting the services that best fit their needs. An assessment of the identified techniques suggests that multi-criteria decision analyses are best suited for the selection of information-intensive services. On this basis, a multi-dimensional service selection model is developed, which includes social, technological, economic, and political considerations. The application of this model is demonstrated by means of an exemplary case. This model with the inclusion of decision categories and sub-categories can help service consumers in selecting complex, information-intensive services.