CMFDM: A methodology to guide the design of a conceptual model of farmers' decision-making processes

Robert, M. and Dury, J. and Thomas, A. and et al, . (2016) CMFDM: A methodology to guide the design of a conceptual model of farmers' decision-making processes. Agricultural Systems, 148. pp. 86-94.

[img] PDF - Published Version
Restricted to ICRISAT researchers only

Abstract

The agricultural research community offers languages and approaches to model farmers' decision-making processes but does not often clearly detail the steps necessary to build an agent model underlying farmers' decision-making processes. We propose an original and readily applicable methodology for modelers to guide data acquisition and analysis, incorporate expert knowledge, and conceptualize decision-making processes in farming systems using a software engineering language to support the development of the model. We propose a step-by-step approach that combines decision-making analysis with a modeling approach inspired by cognitive sciences and software-development methods. The methodology starts with case-based analysis to study and determine the complexity of decision- making processes and provide tools to obtain a generic and conceptual model of the decisional agent in the studied farming system. A generic farm representation and decision diagrams are obtained from cross-case analysis and are modeled with Unified Modeling Language. We applied the methodology to a research question on water management in an emerging country (India). Our methodology bridges the gap between field observations and the design of the decision model. It is a useful tool to guide modelers in building decision model in farming system.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Decision modeling, Farming systems, Water management, Case-based analysis, Cognitive task analysis, UML
Author Affiliation: AGIR, Université de Toulouse, INPT, INP-PURPAN, INRA, 31320 Castanet Tolosan, France
Subjects: Crop Improvement
Divisions: General
Depositing User: Mr B Krishnamurthy
Date Deposited: 10 Feb 2017 08:18
Last Modified: 10 Feb 2017 08:18
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2016.07.010
URI: http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/14726

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item
EPrints Logo
eprints is powered by EPrints 3 which is developed by the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton. More information and software credits.