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Schauber SK, Olsen AO, Werner EL, Magelssen M. Inconsistencies in rater-based assessments mainly affect borderline candidates: but using simple heuristics might improve pass-fail decisions. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 2024:10.1007/s10459-024-10328-0. [PMID: 38649529 DOI: 10.1007/s10459-024-10328-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research in various areas indicates that expert judgment can be highly inconsistent. However, expert judgment is indispensable in many contexts. In medical education, experts often function as examiners in rater-based assessments. Here, disagreement between examiners can have far-reaching consequences. The literature suggests that inconsistencies in ratings depend on the level of performance a to-be-evaluated candidate shows. This possibility has not been addressed deliberately and with appropriate statistical methods. By adopting the theoretical lens of ecological rationality, we evaluate if easily implementable strategies can enhance decision making in real-world assessment contexts. METHODS We address two objectives. First, we investigate the dependence of rater-consistency on performance levels. We recorded videos of mock-exams and had examiners (N=10) evaluate four students' performances and compare inconsistencies in performance ratings between examiner-pairs using a bootstrapping procedure. Our second objective is to provide an approach that aids decision making by implementing simple heuristics. RESULTS We found that discrepancies were largely a function of the level of performance the candidates showed. Lower performances were rated more inconsistently than excellent performances. Furthermore, our analyses indicated that the use of simple heuristics might improve decisions in examiner pairs. DISCUSSION Inconsistencies in performance judgments continue to be a matter of concern, and we provide empirical evidence for them to be related to candidate performance. We discuss implications for research and the advantages of adopting the perspective of ecological rationality. We point to directions both for further research and for development of assessment practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan K Schauber
- Centre for Health Sciences Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Centre for Educational Measurement (CEMO), Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Anne O Olsen
- Department of Community Medicine and Global Health, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erik L Werner
- Department of General Practice, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Morten Magelssen
- Centre for Medical Ethics, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Snigurska UA, Ser SE, Solberg LM, Prosperi M, Magoc T, Chen Z, Bian J, Bjarnadottir RI, Lucero RJ. Application of a practice-based approach in variable selection for a prediction model development study of hospital-induced delirium. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2023; 23:181. [PMID: 37704994 PMCID: PMC10500854 DOI: 10.1186/s12911-023-02278-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prognostic models of hospital-induced delirium, that include potential predisposing and precipitating factors, may be used to identify vulnerable patients and inform the implementation of tailored preventive interventions. It is recommended that, in prediction model development studies, candidate predictors are selected on the basis of existing knowledge, including knowledge from clinical practice. The purpose of this article is to describe the process of identifying and operationalizing candidate predictors of hospital-induced delirium for application in a prediction model development study using a practice-based approach. METHODS This study is part of a larger, retrospective cohort study that is developing prognostic models of hospital-induced delirium for medical-surgical older adult patients using structured data from administrative and electronic health records. First, we conducted a review of the literature to identify clinical concepts that had been used as candidate predictors in prognostic model development-and-validation studies of hospital-induced delirium. Then, we consulted a multidisciplinary task force of nine members who independently judged whether each clinical concept was associated with hospital-induced delirium. Finally, we mapped the clinical concepts to the administrative and electronic health records and operationalized our candidate predictors. RESULTS In the review of 34 studies, we identified 504 unique clinical concepts. Two-thirds of the clinical concepts (337/504) were used as candidate predictors only once. The most common clinical concepts included age (31/34), sex (29/34), and alcohol use (22/34). 96% of the clinical concepts (484/504) were judged to be associated with the development of hospital-induced delirium by at least two members of the task force. All of the task force members agreed that 47 or 9% of the 504 clinical concepts were associated with hospital-induced delirium. CONCLUSIONS Heterogeneity among candidate predictors of hospital-induced delirium in the literature suggests a still evolving list of factors that contribute to the development of this complex phenomenon. We demonstrated a practice-based approach to variable selection for our model development study of hospital-induced delirium. Expert judgement of variables enabled us to categorize the variables based on the amount of agreement among the experts and plan for the development of different models, including an expert-model and data-driven model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula A Snigurska
- College of Nursing, Department of Family, Community, and Health Systems Science, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, PO Box 100197, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America.
| | - Sarah E Ser
- College of Public Health and Health Professions & College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Laurence M Solberg
- College of Nursing, Department of Family, Community, and Health Systems Science, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, PO Box 100197, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
- Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, 1601 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32608, United States of America
- College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, 6850 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, FL, 32827, United States of America
| | - Mattia Prosperi
- College of Public Health and Health Professions & College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Tanja Magoc
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), Integrated Data Repository Research Services, University of Florida, 3300 SW Williston Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32608, United States of America
| | - Zhaoyi Chen
- College of Medicine, Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Jiang Bian
- College of Medicine, Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Ragnhildur I Bjarnadottir
- College of Nursing, Department of Family, Community, and Health Systems Science, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, PO Box 100197, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
| | - Robert J Lucero
- College of Nursing, Department of Family, Community, and Health Systems Science, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, PO Box 100197, Gainesville, FL, 32610, United States of America
- School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, 700 Tiverton Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States of America
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Majszak M, Jebeile J. Expert judgment in climate science: How it is used and how it can be justified. Stud Hist Philos Sci 2023; 100:32-38. [PMID: 37315425 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Like any science marked by high uncertainty, climate science is characterized by a widespread use of expert judgment. In this paper, we first show that, in climate science, expert judgment is used to overcome uncertainty, thus playing a crucial role in the domain and even at times supplanting models. One is left to wonder to what extent it is legitimate to assign expert judgment such a status as an epistemic superiority in the climate context, especially as the production of expert judgment is particularly opaque. To begin answering this question, we highlight the key components of expert judgment. We then argue that the justification for the status and use of expert judgment depends on the competence and the individual subjective features of the expert producing the judgment since expert judgment involves not only the expert's theoretical knowledge and tacit knowledge, but also their intuition and values. This goes against the objective ideal in science and the criteria from social epistemology which largely attempt to remove subjectivity from expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason Majszak
- Institute of Philosophy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Julie Jebeile
- Institute of Philosophy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; CNRM UMR 3589, Météo-France/CNRS, Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques, Toulouse, France.
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Godoy-Giménez M, González-Rodríguez A, Cañadas F, Estévez AF, Sayans-Jiménez P. Is it Possible to Assess the Two-Domain Definition of the Broad Autism Phenotype Using the Available Measurement Tools? J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2884-2895. [PMID: 34185239 PMCID: PMC9213296 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05158-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although, the operationalization of the autism spectrum disorder has been updated around two domains, the broad autism phenotype (BAP) one has not. Additionally, the items of the three common BAP measures, the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ), the Autism Quotient, and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), remain organized around a non-consensual number of factors. We explored whether the items of these measures matched with the two-domain operationalization through a parallel analysis, which has suggested two main components, and two expert judgments which have assessed item wording, relevance, and construct representativeness. A remaining pool of 48 BAP-relevant items suggested a possible under-representation of two subdomains. Despite the relevance of all the BAPQ items, only the SRS ones tapped in all subdomains.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Godoy-Giménez
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | | | - F Cañadas
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain.,CERNEP Research Centre, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - A F Estévez
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain. .,CERNEP Research Centre, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain.
| | - P Sayans-Jiménez
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain.
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McAndrew T, Wattanachit N, Gibson GC, Reich NG. Aggregating predictions from experts: a review of statistical methods, experiments, and applications. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Comput Stat 2021; 13:e1514. [PMID: 33777310 PMCID: PMC7996321 DOI: 10.1002/wics.1514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Forecasts support decision making in a variety of applications. Statistical models can produce accurate forecasts given abundant training data, but when data is sparse or rapidly changing, statistical models may not be able to make accurate predictions. Expert judgmental forecasts-models that combine expert-generated predictions into a single forecast-can make predictions when training data is limited by relying on human intuition. Researchers have proposed a wide array of algorithms to combine expert predictions into a single forecast, but there is no consensus on an optimal aggregation model. This review surveyed recent literature on aggregating expert-elicited predictions. We gathered common terminology, aggregation methods, and forecasting performance metrics, and offer guidance to strengthen future work that is growing at an accelerated pace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas McAndrew
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nutcha Wattanachit
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Graham C. Gibson
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas G. Reich
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Murrie DC, Gardner BO, Kelley S, Dror IE. Perceptions and estimates of error rates in forensic science: A survey of forensic analysts. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 302:109887. [PMID: 31404811 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.109887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Every scientific technique features some error, and legal standards for the admissibility of scientific evidence (e.g., Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 1993; Kumho Tire Co v. Carmichael, 1999) guide trial courts to consider known error rates. However, recent reviews of forensic science conclude that error rates for some common techniques are not well-documented or even established (e.g., NAS, 2009; PCAST, 2016). Furthermore, many forensic analysts have historically denied the presence of error in their field. Therefore, it is important to establish what forensic scientists actually know or believe about errors rates in their disciplines. We surveyed 183 practicing forensic analysts to examine what they think and estimate about error rates in their various disciplines. Results revealed that analysts perceive all types of errors to be rare, with false positive errors even more rare than false negatives. Likewise, analysts typically reported that they prefer to minimize the risk of false positives over false negatives. Most analysts could not specify where error rates for their discipline were documented or published. Their estimates of error in their fields were widely divergent - with some estimates unrealistically low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Murrie
- Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy, University of Virginia, United States.
| | - Brett O Gardner
- Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy, University of Virginia, United States
| | - Sharon Kelley
- Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy, University of Virginia, United States
| | - Itiel E Dror
- Center for the Forensic Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
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Dopart PJ, Friesen MC. New Opportunities in Exposure Assessment of Occupational Epidemiology: Use of Measurements to Aid Exposure Reconstruction in Population-Based Studies. Curr Environ Health Rep 2018; 4:355-363. [PMID: 28695485 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-017-0153-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Exposure assessment efforts in population-based studies are increasingly incorporating measurements. The published literature was reviewed to identify the measurement sources and the approaches used to incorporate measurements into these efforts. RECENT FINDINGS The variety of occupations and industries in these studies made collecting participant-specific measurements impractical. Thus, the starting point was often the compilation of large databases of measurements from inspections, published literature, and other exposure surveys. These measurements usually represented multiple occupations, industries, and worksites, and spanned multiple decades. Measurements were used both qualitatively and quantitatively, dependent on the coverage and quality of the data. Increasingly, statistical models were used to derive job-, industry-, time period-, and other determinant-specific exposure concentrations. Quantitative measurement-based approaches are increasingly replacing expert judgment, which facilitates the development of quantitative exposure-response associations. Evaluations of potential biases in these measurement sources, and their representativeness of typical exposure situations, warrant additional examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela J Dopart
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Melissa C Friesen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA.
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Karlsson CSJ, Kalantari Z, Mörtberg U, Olofsson B, Lyon SW. Natural Hazard Susceptibility Assessment for Road Planning Using Spatial Multi-Criteria Analysis. Environ Manage 2017; 60:823-851. [PMID: 28821937 PMCID: PMC5636851 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-017-0912-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Inadequate infrastructural networks can be detrimental to society if transport between locations becomes hindered or delayed, especially due to natural hazards which are difficult to control. Thus determining natural hazard susceptible areas and incorporating them in the initial planning process, may reduce infrastructural damages in the long run. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of expert judgments for assessing natural hazard susceptibility through a spatial multi-criteria analysis approach using hydrological, geological, and land use factors. To utilize spatial multi-criteria analysis for decision support, an analytic hierarchy process was adopted where expert judgments were evaluated individually and in an aggregated manner. The estimates of susceptible areas were then compared with the methods weighted linear combination using equal weights and factor interaction method. Results showed that inundation received the highest susceptibility. Using expert judgment showed to perform almost the same as equal weighting where the difference in susceptibility between the two for inundation was around 4%. The results also showed that downscaling could negatively affect the susceptibility assessment and be highly misleading. Susceptibility assessment through spatial multi-criteria analysis is useful for decision support in early road planning despite its limitation to the selection and use of decision rules and criteria. A natural hazard spatial multi-criteria analysis could be used to indicate areas where more investigations need to be undertaken from a natural hazard point of view, and to identify areas thought to have higher susceptibility along existing roads where mitigation measures could be targeted after in-situ investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S J Karlsson
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Zahra Kalantari
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulla Mörtberg
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bo Olofsson
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Steve W Lyon
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey, 08314, Delmont, USA
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9
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Boumans M. Graph-based inductive reasoning. Stud Hist Philos Sci 2016; 59:1-10. [PMID: 27692208 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This article discusses methods of inductive inferences that are methods of visualizations designed in such a way that the "eye" can be employed as a reliable tool for judgment. The term "eye" is used as a stand-in for visual cognition and perceptual processing. In this paper "meaningfulness" has a particular meaning, namely accuracy, which is closeness to truth. Accuracy consists of precision and unbiasedness. Precision is dealt with by statistical methods, but for unbiasedness one needs expert judgment. The common view at the beginning of the twentieth century was to make the most efficient use of this kind of judgment by representing the data in shapes and forms in such a way that the "eye" can function as a reliable judge to reduce bias. The need for judgment of the "eye" is even more necessary when the background conditions of the observations are heterogeneous. Statistical procedures require a certain minimal level of homogeneity, but the "eye" does not. The "eye" is an adequate tool for assessing topological similarities when, due to heterogeneity of the data, metric assessment is not possible. In fact, graphical assessments precedes measurement, or to put it more forcefully, the graphic method is a necessary prerequisite for measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Boumans
- Utrecht University School of Economics, Kriekenpitplein 21-22, 3584 EC Utrecht, Netherlands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian Evett
- Principal Forensic Services Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce Weir
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7232, USA
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van Asselt ED, Meuwissen MPM, van Asseldonk MAPM, Teeuw J, van der Fels-Klerx HJ. Selection of critical factors for identifying emerging food safety risks in dynamic food production chains. Food Control 2009; 21:919-926. [PMID: 32288322 PMCID: PMC7134785 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2009.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2009] [Revised: 09/07/2009] [Accepted: 12/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A pro-active emerging risk identification system starts with the selection of critical factors related to the occurrence of emerging hazards. This paper describes a method to derive the most important factors in dynamic production chains starting from a gross list of critical factors. The method comprised the semi-quantitative evaluation of the critical factors for a relatively novel product on the Dutch market and a related traditional product. This method was tested in an expert study with three case studies. The use of group discussion followed by individual ranking in an expert study proved to be a powerful tool in identifying the most important factors for each case. Human behaviour (either producers’ behaviour or human knowledge) was the most important factor for all three cases. The expert study showed that further generalization of critical factors based on product characteristics may be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D van Asselt
- RIKILT-Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 230, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - M P M Meuwissen
- IRMA-Institute for Risk Management in Agriculture, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Business Economics Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - M A P M van Asseldonk
- IRMA-Institute for Risk Management in Agriculture, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J Teeuw
- RIKILT-Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 230, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - H J van der Fels-Klerx
- RIKILT-Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 230, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands
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