Abstract
Abstract The inherent complexity of large ships makes it challenging to construct appropriate indicator systems for evaluating and selecting optimal ship designs. Knowledge-based expert systems can be reasonable solutions. However, this problem needs more rationality and better operability, especially in complicated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems with numerous indicators and complex structures. This paper aims to present a universal methodological approach for constructing indicator systems in MCDM problems using an improved total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) method. The classical TISM method is extended under group decision-making settings and interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2FS) environment to deal with the uncertainties and variances in expert knowledge. To ensure the rationality and operability of indicator system construction, two novel cardinal and ordinal indices are proposed to quantify the degree of group consensus, and an interactive group consensus improvement algorithm is further developed to assist experts in reviewing their opinions to achieve acceptable group consensus. Finally, a case study of constructing a ship-equipment environmental suitability indicator system is examined to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, with the results indicating that the improved TISM method can deal with the uncertainties and variances in expert knowledge, promote rationality and operability in indicator system construction, and can be applied to numerous group decision-making problems.
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