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Interactive Model-Centric Systems Engineering

Abstract

Models are increasingly used for decision-making in systems engineering, and while there have been many advancements in technical aspects, the sociotechnical aspects have received much less attention. This chapter discusses a research program on Interactive Model-Centric Systems Engineering (IMCSE), originating from the unique opportunity to investigate the various aspects of humans interacting with models and model-generated data, in the context of systems engineering practice. We first introduce the background and motivations, including seven envisioned future vignettes from two perspectives of interaction-centric and model-centric. We then present highlights of four selected studies from the larger research program. The first is model-centric decision-making and trust , sharing findings from an interview-based study and guiding principles for model trust derived from this work. The second section discusses work on multi-stakeholder negotiation through models within the context of tradespace exploration. The third study, model choice and trade-off , shares exploratory research to address two main types of models used in early lifecycle systems engineering: evaluative models and value models. Fourth, we describe our exploratory investigation of model curation , highlighting research into enterprise level governance and curated collections of models.

Leads

Donna H. Rhodes

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Adam M. Ross

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Publications

  1. Digital Curation Centre, a world‑leading centre of expertise in digital information curation with a focus on building capacity, capability and skills for research data management (dcc.ac.uk).

  2. Curhan, J.R., Neale, M.A., and Ross, L. (2004). Dynamic valuation: preference changes in the context of face-to- face negotiation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 40 (2): 142–151.

  3. Ehrmann, J.R. and Stinson, B.L. (1999). Joint fact-finding and the use of technical experts. In: The Consensus Building Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Reaching Agreement (ed. L.E. Susskind, S. McKearnen, and J. Thomas-Lamar). Sage Publications.

  4. Fisher, R., Ury, W., and Patton, B. (1991). Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement without Giving in. New York NY: Penguin Books.

  5. Fitzgerald, M.E. and Ross, A.M. (2014). Controlling for framing effects in multi-stakeholder tradespace exploration. Procedia Computer Science 28: 412–421.

  6. Fitzgerald, M.E. and Ross, A.M. (2016). Recommendations for framing multi-stakeholder tradespace exploration. In: INCOSE International Symposium 2016, Edinburgh, Scotland. July 2016.

  7. Gass, S.I. and Joel, L. (1980). Concepts of model confidence. Computers and Operations Research 8 (4): 341–346.

  8. Golkar, A. and Crawley, E.F. (2014). A framework for space systems architecture under stakeholder objectives ambiguity. Systems Engineering 17 (4): 479–502.

  9. INCOSE (2015). Modeling and simulation, Chapter 9.1. INCOSE-TP-2003-002-04. In: Systems Engineering Handbook: A Guide for System Life Cycle Processes and Activities. 4e (ed. D. Walden, G. Roedler, K. Forsberg, et al.), 180–188. Wiley.

  10. NASA (2008). Standard for models and simulations. NASA-STD-7009. July 2008.

  11. Ozawa, C.P. (1991). Recasting Science: Consensual Procedures in Public Policy Making. Westview Press.

  12. Raiffa, H. (2002). Negotiation Analysis: The Science and Art of Collaborative Decision Making. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

  13. Reymondet, L., D.H. Rhodes, and Ross, A.M. (2016). Considerations for model curation in model-centric systems engineering. 2016 Annual IEEE Systems Conference (SysCon), Orlando, FL (18 April 2016). pp. 1–7. IEEE.

  14. Rhodes, D.H. and Ross, A.M. (2016). A vision for human-model interaction in interactive model-centric systems engineering. INCOSE International Symposium 2016, Edinburgh, Scotland (July 2016), Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 788–802).

  15. Rhodes, D.H. (2018). Using human-model interaction heuristics to enable model-centric Enterprise transformation. 2018 Annual IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon), Vancouver, Canada (23 April 2018). pp. 1–6. IEEE.

  16. Rhodes, D.H. (2019). Model curation: requisite leadership and practice in digital engineering enterprises. Procedia Computer Science 153: 233–241.

  17. Rhodes, D.H. (2022). Investigating model credibility within a model curation context. In: Recent Trends and Advances in Model Based Systems Engineering, 67–77. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

  18. Rhodes, D.H. and Ross, A.M. (2015). Interactive Model-Centric Systems Engineering Pathfinder Workshop Report. Cambridge, MA: MIT.

  19. Ricci, N., Schaffner, M.A., Ross, A.M. et al. (2014). Exploring stakeholder value models via interactive visualization. Procedia Computer Science 28: 294–303.

  20. Ross, A.M. and Hastings, D.E. (2005). The tradespace exploration paradigm. INCOSE International Symposium 2005, Rochester, NY (July 2005), Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 1706–1718.

  21. Ross, A.M. and Rhodes, D.H. (2018). Interactive model trading for resilient systems decisions. In: Disciplinary Convergence in Systems Engineering Research, 97–112. Springer International Publishing.

  22. Ross, A., McManus, H., Rhodes, D., and Hastings, D. (2010a). Revisiting the tradespace exploration paradigm: structuring the exploration process. AIAA Space 2010 Conference & Exposition, Anaheim, CA (31 August 2010). p. 8690.

  23. Ross, A., McManus, H., Rhodes, D., and Hastings, D. (2010b). Role for interactive tradespace exploration in multi-stakeholder negotiations. AIAA Space 2010 Conference & Exposition, Anaheim, CA (30 August 2010). p. 8664.

  24. Ross, A.M., Rhodes, D.H., and Fitzgerald, M.E. (2015). Interactive value model trading for resilient systems decisions. Procedia Computer Science 44: 639–648.

  25. Ross, A.M., Fitzgerald, M.E., and Rhodes, D.H. (2016). Interactive evaluative model trading for resilient systems decisions. 14th Conference on Systems Engineering Research, Huntsville, AL (March 2016). pp. 22–24.

  26. Rouse, W.B. (2015). Modeling and Visualization of Complex Systems and Enterprises: Explorations of Physical, Human, Economic, and Social Phenomena. Wiley.

  27. Shane German, E.S. and Rhodes, D.H. (2018). Model-centric decision-making: exploring decision-maker trust and perception of models. In: Disciplinary Convergence in Systems Engineering Research, 813–827. Springer International Publishing.

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The Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) was established in the Fall of 2008 as a government-designated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). The SERC has produced 15 years of research, focused on an updated systems engineering toolkit (methods, tools, and practices) for the complex cyber-physical systems of today and tomorrow.


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