Editing Morphological analysis (problem-solving)

{{Short description|Exploration of possible solutions}}
{{InfoMaps}}
'''Morphological analysis''' or '''general morphological analysis''' is a method for exploring possible solutions to a multi-dimensional, non-quantified complex problem. It was developed by Swiss&nbsp;astronomer [[Fritz Zwicky]].<ref name = "GMA">Ritchey, T. (1998). [http://www.swemorph.com/ma.html General Morphological Analysis: A general method for non-quantified modeling] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324053008/http://www.swemorph.com/ma.html |date=2010-03-24 }}.</ref> General morphology has found use in fields including [[engineering design]], [[Technology forecasting|technological forecasting]], [[organizational development]] and policy analysis.<ref>Álvarez, A. & Ritchey, T. (2015). [http://www.amg.swemorph.com/pdf/amg-4-1-2015.pdf "Applications of General Morphological Analysis: From Engineering Design to Policy Analysis", Acta Morphologica Generalis, Vol.4 No.1.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513133747/http://www.amg.swemorph.com/pdf/amg-4-1-2015.pdf|date=2016-05-13}}</ref>

==Overview==
General morphology was developed by Fritz Zwicky, the Bulgarian-born, Swiss-national [[astrophysicist]] based at the [[California Institute of Technology]]. Among others, Zwicky applied morphological analysis to astronomical studies and jet and [[Spacecraft propulsion|rocket propulsion]] systems. As a problem-structuring and [[Problem solving|problem-solving]] technique, morphological analysis was designed for multi-dimensional, non-quantifiable problems where causal modelling and simulation do not function well, or at all. 

Zwicky developed this approach to address seemingly non-reducible complexity: using the technique of [[cross-consistency assessment]] (CCA),<ref name="GMA" /> the system allows for reduction by identifying the possible solutions that actually exist, eliminating the illogical solution combinations in a grid box (sometimes called a '''<span class="anchor" id="Morphological box">morphological box</span>''') rather than reducing the number of variables involved.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ritchey|first=T|date=July 2006|title=Problem structuring using computer-aided morphological analysis|journal=Journal of the Operational Research Society|volume=57|issue=7|pages=792–801|doi=10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602177|s2cid=19792496|issn=0160-5682}}</ref>
[[File:Morphological box (bread example).png|alt=A morphological box for bread with six categories arranged in rows: Flour, Leavening, Shape, Crust, Additions, and Baking. Each row contains 4 options with selected items highlighted in green or blue boxes. Selected combinations appear to create two bread types shown at the bottom: For Olive Ciabatta (shown with green highlights): White flour, Yeast leavening, Flat shape, Chewy crust, Olives as additions, and Oven baking method. For Baguette (shown with blue highlights): White flour, Yeast leavening, Loaf shape, Crispy crust, Plain (no additions), and Steam baking method.|thumb|An example morphological box illustrating the attributes of different types of bread]]

==Decomposition versus morphological analysis==
Problems that involve many governing factors, where most of them cannot be expressed numerically can be well suited for morphological analysis. 

The conventional approach is to break a complex system into parts, isolate the parts (dropping the 'trivial' elements) whose contributions are critical to the output and solve the simplified system for desired scenarios. The disadvantage of this method is that many real-world phenomena do not have obviously trivial elements and cannot be simplified.

Morphological analysis works backwards from the output towards the system internals without a simplification step.<ref>Modelling Complex Socio-Technical Systems Using Morphological Analysis (Ritchey 2003-06)[http://www.swemorph.com/pdf/it-webart.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929124133/http://www.swemorph.com/pdf/it-webart.pdf|date=2007-09-29}}</ref> The system's interactions are fully accounted for in the analysis.

== References in fiction ==
[[Robert A. Heinlein]] has his characters use a "Zwicky box" in ''[[Time Enough for Love]]'', to figure out what's available to break the ennui of his 2000-year-old character.

[[David Brin]] used "Zwicky Choice Boxes" in ''[[Sundiver]]'' as a means to help solve a murder mystery.

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Corporate strategy]]
* [[Futures studies]]
* [[Influence diagrams]]
* [[Market research]]
* [[Scenario analysis]]
* [[Scenario planning]]
* [[Socio-technical systems]]
* [[Stakeholder analysis]]
* [[Strategic planning]]
* [[TRIZ]]
* [[Wicked problem]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite journal|last=Duczynski|first=G.A.|journal=Futures |date=2016|volume=86 |pages=36–43 |doi=10.1016/j.futures.2016.08.001 |title=Morphological analysis as an aid to organisational design and transformation|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016328716300970|url-access=subscription}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Duczynski|first=Guy|date=October 2004|title=Systems approaches to economic development for indigenous people: a case study of the Noongar Aboriginals of Australia|journal=Futures|volume=36|issue=8|pages=869–888|doi=10.1016/j.futures.2004.01.001|issn=0016-3287}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Duczynski|first=Guy|date=January 2018|title=Investigating traffic congestion: Targeting technological and social interdependencies through general morphological analysis|journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change|volume=126|pages=161–167|doi=10.1016/j.techfore.2017.05.019|issn=0040-1625}}
*{{cite journal|url=https://www.systemdynamics.org/assets/conferences/2000/PDFs/ducz124p.pdf |last=Duczynski |first=G.A. |year=2000 |title=A Practitioner's Experience of Using Field Anomaly Relaxation (FAR) to Craft Futures |journal=Futures Research Quarterly |volume=16|issue= 3}}
*{{Cite web|url=https://globalecco.org/ctx-vol.-5-no.-1-february-2015;jsessionid=963C6228BE8D478E0605E2CFEBA524CF|title=Sustainability of the Afghan Security Forces: A Wicked Problem.|last1=Duczynski|first1=G.A.|last2=Jablonski|first2=J.|date=February 2015|website=globalecco.org|publisher=Counter Terrorism Exchange|access-date=2019-05-05|last3=Huddleston|first3=V|volume=5|issue=1}}
*Duczynski, Guy; dov Bachmann, Sascha; Smith, Matthew; Knight, Charles (August 2023). "Operational and Strategic Progress in Ukraine: Identifying the Condition Changes". Naval Post-Graduate School, Insights, Monterrey. available at: [https://nps.edu/web/ecco/global-ecco-insights ECCO Insights - Global ECCO - Naval Postgraduate School]
*{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=J. C.|date=July 1981|title=Design methods and theories|journal=Design Studies|volume=2|issue=3|pages=176|doi=10.1016/0142-694x(81)90074-0|issn=0142-694X}}
*{{Citation|last=Levin|first=Mark Sh.|chapter=Modular Systems, Combinatorial Engineering Frameworks|date=2014-09-06|pages=1–10|publisher=Springer International Publishing|isbn=9783319098753|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-09876-0_1|title=Modular System Design and Evaluation|series=Decision Engineering}}
*{{Citation|last=Ritchey|first=Tom|chapter=Modelling Complex Policy Issues with Morphological Analysis|date=2011|pages=31–37|publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg|isbn=9783642196522|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-19653-9_4|title=Wicked Problems – Social Messes}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Shubik|first=M.|date=1969-12-05|title=Technological Forecasting and Long-Range Planning. Robert U. Ayres. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969. xviii + 238 pp., illus. $12.50|journal=Science|volume=166|issue=3910|pages=1257–1258|doi=10.1126/science.166.3910.1257|issn=0036-8075}}
*{{Citation|last=Wilson|first=Albert|chapter=Epilogue|date=1967|pages=333–338|publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg|isbn=9783642876196|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-87617-2_17|title=New Methods of Thought and Procedure}}
*{{Cite journal |first1=Fritz |last1=Zwicky |last2=Page|first2=T.|date=1969-03-21|title=Discovery, Invention, Research, through the Morphological Approach |publisher=Macmillan |location=New York|journal=Science|volume=163|issue=3873|pages=1317–1318|doi=10.1126/science.163.3873.1317|issn=0036-8075}}

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[[Category:Morphology]]
[[Category:Problem solving methods]]