Hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making methods: a review of applications in engineering

Abstract

To support evaluation and selection processes in engineering, formal decisionmaking methods can be used. A great number of works applying diverse Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques for engineering problems have been published recently. A new approach of hybrid MCDM methods has been developed, rapidly, during the past few years. The current paper aims at lling the gap and summarizing publications related to applications of hybrid MCDM for engineering. The study is limited solely to papers referred in Thomson Reuters Web of Science Core Collection academic database. It aims to review how the papers have been distributed by period of publishing and by country; multiple-criteria decision-making methods have been used, most frequently, in developing hybrid approaches and in domains the methods have been applied for. For a more detailed analysis of applications, journal articles from engineering research area were grouped by research domains and further by analyzed issues. Findings of the current review paper con rm that hybrid MCDM approaches, due to their abilities in integrating di erent techniques, can assist in handling miscellaneous information taking into account stakeholders' preferences when making decisions in engineering.