IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reensy/v158y2017icp196-212.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Causal Mechanism Graph ─ A new notation for capturing cause-effect knowledge in software dependability

Author

Listed:
  • Huang, Fuqun
  • Smidts, Carol

Abstract

Understanding cause-effect relations between concepts in software dependability engineering is fundamental to various research or industrial activities. Cognitive maps are traditionally used to elicit and represent such knowledge; however they seem incapable of accurately representing complex causal mechanisms in dependability engineering. This paper proposes a new notation called Causal Mechanism Graph (CMG) to elicit and represent the cause-effect domain knowledge embedded in experts’ minds or described in the literature. CMG contains a new set of symbols elicited from domain experts to capture the recurring interaction mechanisms between multiple concepts in software dependability engineering. Furthermore, compared to major existing graphic methods, CMG is particularly robust and suitable for mental knowledge elicitation: it allows one to represent the full range of cause-effect knowledge, accurately or fuzzily as one sees fit depending on the depth of knowledge he/she has. This feature combined with excellent reliability and validity poses CMG as a promising method that has the potential to be used in various areas, such as software dependability requirement elicitation, software dependability assessment and dependability risk control.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Fuqun & Smidts, Carol, 2017. "Causal Mechanism Graph ─ A new notation for capturing cause-effect knowledge in software dependability," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 196-212.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reensy:v:158:y:2017:i:c:p:196-212
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2016.08.020
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0951832016304136
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ress.2016.08.020?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eden, Colin, 2004. "Analyzing cognitive maps to help structure issues or problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(3), pages 673-686, December.
    2. Michel G. Bougon, 1992. "Congregate Cognitive Maps: A Unified Dynamic Theory Of Organization And Strategy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 369-387, May.
    3. Granger, C. W. J., 1980. "Testing for causality : A personal viewpoint," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 329-352, May.
    4. Mauri Laukkanen, 1994. "Comparative Cause Mapping of Organizational Cognitions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 322-343, August.
    5. Langseth, Helge & Portinale, Luigi, 2007. "Bayesian networks in reliability," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 92-108.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schaffernicht, Martin F.G. & Groesser, Stefan N., 2014. "The SEXTANT software: A tool for automating the comparative analysis of mental models of dynamic systems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 238(2), pages 566-578.
    2. David P. Tegarden & Linda F. Tegarden & Steven D. Sheetz, 2009. "Cognitive Factions in a Top Management Team: Surfacing and Analyzing Cognitive Diversity using Causal Maps," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 537-566, November.
    3. R Volkema, 2009. "Natural language and the art and science of problem/opportunity formulation: a transportation planning case analysis," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(10), pages 1360-1372, October.
    4. Roy D. Johnson & Astrid Lipp, 2007. "Cognitive Mapping: A Process to Support Strategic Planning in an Academic Department," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 43-60, January.
    5. Marco Castellani & Linda Alengoz & Niccolò Casnici & Flaminio Squazzoni, 2022. "A role-game laboratory experiment on the influence of country prospects reports on investment decisions in two artificial organizational settings," Mind & Society: Cognitive Studies in Economics and Social Sciences, Springer;Fondazione Rosselli, vol. 21(1), pages 121-149, June.
    6. Georgiou, Ion, 2009. "A graph-theoretic perspective on the links-to-concepts ratio expected in cognitive maps," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 197(2), pages 834-836, September.
    7. Fran Ackermann & Colin Eden, 2005. "Using Causal Mapping with Group Support Systems to Elicit an Understanding of Failure in Complex Projects: Some Implications for Organizational Research," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 355-376, September.
    8. repec:dau:papers:123456789/2350 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Schaffernicht, Martin FG. & Groesser, Stefan N., 2024. "Mental models of dynamic systems are different: Adjusting for heterogeneous granularity," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 312(2), pages 653-667.
    10. Spanellis, Agnessa & MacBryde, Jillian & Dӧrfler, Viktor, 2021. "A dynamic model of knowledge management in innovative technology companies: A case from the energy sector," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 292(2), pages 784-797.
    11. H V Vo & B Chae & D L Olson, 2007. "Developing unbounded systems thinking: using causal mapping with multiple stakeholders within a Vietnamese company," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 655-668, May.
    12. Loperfido, Nicola, 2010. "A note on marginal and conditional independence," Statistics & Probability Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(23-24), pages 1695-1699, December.
    13. Buiter, Willem H., 1986. "Granger Causality and Policy Ineffectiveness: A Rejoinder," CEPR Discussion Papers 126, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Ghosh, sudeshna, 2017. "Education Attainment Forecasting and Economic Inequality United States," MPRA Paper 89712, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Fali Huang & Myoung-Jae Lee, 2010. "Dynamic treatment effect analysis of TV effects on child cognitive development," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(3), pages 392-419.
    16. Hau, Liya & Zhu, Huiming & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Sun, Wuqin, 2021. "Does transaction activity predict Bitcoin returns? Evidence from quantile-on-quantile analysis," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    17. Bentour, El Mostafa, 2013. "Oil Prices, Drought Periods and Growth Forecasts in Morocco," MPRA Paper 52892, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Rafal Kasperowicz, 2010. "Identification Of Industrial Cycle Leading Indicators Using Causality Test," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 5(2), pages 47-59, December.
    19. Sébastien Damart, 2010. "A Cognitive Mapping Approach to Organizing the Participation of Multiple Actors in a Problem Structuring Process," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 505-526, September.
    20. Tuo Shi & Yuanman Hu & Miao Liu & Chunlin Li & Chuyi Zhang & Chong Liu, 2020. "How Do Economic Growth, Urbanization, and Industrialization Affect Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations? An Assessment in Liaoning Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-14, July.
    21. Marchant, Thierry, 1999. "Cognitive maps and fuzzy implications," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 114(3), pages 626-637, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:reensy:v:158:y:2017:i:c:p:196-212. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/reliability-engineering-and-system-safety .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.