Ontological Analysis and Synthesis

Design of Solutions to Complex Problems

1. Nature of Complexity
   • Adjectives – ill-structured, wicked, messy
   • Size, scope, and scale of complexity 
   • Systemic complexity
   • Environmental complexity
   • Deconstructing complexity using natural language
   • Making the complexity ‘elephant’ visible using natural language
   • Roadmap to navigate complexity systemically and systematically
2. Complex problem formulation in natural language
   • Title of the problem
   • Abstract of the problem
3. Ontology of the problem
   • A structured natural language model of the problem
     • Generative power of structured natural language
     • Expressive power of structured natural language
     • Logical power of structured natural language
     • Integration of the generative, expressive, and logical powers of the structured natural language model
   • Visualizing the combinatorial complexity in natural language
     • Inputs to the problem
     • Processes of the problem
     • Outputs of the problem
     • Feedback and learning about the problem
   • Deconstruction of dimensions
     • Boundary of the problem
     • Endogenous and exogenous dimensions of the problem
     • Number, completeness, and granularity of dimensions of the problem
     • Labeling of dimensions of the problem
     • Denotations and connotations of dimensions of the problem
   • Collection of terminology and taxonomies of dimensions
     • Grounded terminologies and taxonomies
     • Logical terminologies and taxonomies
     • Denotations and connotations of elements
   • Validation of terminologies and taxonomies
     • Reasonably mutually exclusive elements
     • Reasonably exhaustive set of elements
     • Glossary of dimensions and elements
   • Organization of taxonomies into an ontology with connecting symbols/words/phrases
     • Graphical representation as word-table
     • Symbolic representation using set-theory notation
   • Pathways in the ontology
     • Transverse pathways
       1. Illustrative pathways
       2. Total number of pathways
     • Associated pathways
       1. Illustrative pathways
       2. Associated pathways with transverse pathways — contribution to complexity
   • Validation of the ontology
     • Validation criteria
       1. Clarity of representation
       2. Concision of representation
       3. Comprehensiveness of representation
       4. Complexity organization efficiency measures
     • Types of validity
       1. Face validity
       2. Content validity
       3. Semantic validity
       4. Systemic validity
       5. External validity
     • Methods of validation
       1. Peer review
       2. Expert review
       3. Focus group
       4. Stakeholder review
4. Ontology as theory of the problem
   • Description of the problem using the ontology
   • Explanation of the problem using the ontology
   • Prediction about the problem using the ontology
   • Control of the problem trajectory using the ontology
   • Feedback and learning for theory advancement and design of solutions
5. Prior literature – Search, Review, and Synthesis
   • Databases – research, policy, practice
     • Choice of databases
     • Characteristics of databases
   • Search terms – Boolean search strategy
     • Experimentation with search syntax
     • Finalization, recording of search details
   • Corpus – Cleanup, completion, date/update
     • Storage of search results
     • Integration of results from multiple sources
   • Mapping the literature
     • Coding tools
       1. Manual
       2. Automated
     • Coding methods
     • Coding rules
     • Coding reliability
     • Coding validity
6. Literature analysis and synthesis
   • Bright, light, blind/blank spots in the literature – Monad map
     • Computation
     • Representation
   • Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, and quinary themes in the literature – Theme map
     • Clustering method
     • Clustering distance measure
     • Cluster analysis output
       1. Dendrogram – rescaling, grouping, interpretation
       2. Theme map – color coding, interpretation
7. Literature gap analysis
   • Gaps in domains
     • Research, policy, and practice gaps
     • Translational gaps between research, policy, and practice
   • Types of gaps
     • Dimensions
     • Elements
     • Associated pathways
     • Transverse pathways
8. Research questions derived from the ontology
   • Descriptive narratives about the problem
   • Explanatory analysis of the problem dynamics
   • Predictive propositions about the problem dynamics
   • Control hypotheses about the problem dynamics
9. Data Collection – Qualitative and Quantitative
   • Survey design
     • Structured survey
     • Semi-structured survey
     • Unstructured survey
   • Interview protocol
     • Structured interview
     • Semi structured interview
     • Unstructured interview
   • Text data collection
     • Written text data
     • Verbal text data
   • Focus groups
     • Formative focus groups
     • Summative focus groups
10. Data Analysis
    • Qualitative analysis
    • Quantitative analysis
    • Visual analysis
11. Results interpretation
    • Qualitative interpretation
    • Quantitative interpretation
    • Visual interpretation
12. Discussion of results
    • Antecedents and consequences of the emphases on the dimensions and elements of the ontology
    • Antecedents and consequences of the themes with different emphases
13. Design of Solutions
    • Systematic design of systemic solutions
      • Interdisciplinary design of solutions
      • Modular design of solutions
      • Symmetric balance of solutions
      • Balance of intended and unintended consequences
      • Elimination of biases through feedback and learning
    • Roadmaps for research, policy, and practice
      • Reinforcing, redirecting, and researching the bright, light, and blind/blank spots
      • Reinforcing, redirecting, and researching the themes
    • Revision of roadmaps based on feedback and learning
      • Refining present pathways
      • Rediscovering traditional pathways
      • Revolutionizing with new pathways
    • Review and revision of the ontology
      • The dimensions of the ontology
      • The elements of the dimensions
      • The organization of the dimensions
14. Conclusion
    • Reimagining complexity
    • Verbalizing complexity
    • Changing our thinking about complexity
    • Changing the language of complexity