Encyclopedia of World Problems - Archived Information

Status message

You are currently in UIA's online document archive. These pages are no longer maintained. To search the full archive click here.

The Encyclopedia is currently undergoing redevelopment !

Figure 1: Conceptual processes in editing world problem descriptions

1.a Detecting/Finding/Scanning

-- accumulating variants

-- symptoms/pre-problems

1.b Eliminating/Rejecting/Filtering

-- nonproblems (cases, solutions, theories, events,
projects)
2.a Clustering/Grouping

-- combining synonyms, aspects, duplicates

-- tidying-up variants

 2.b Splitting/Distinguishing

-- combining synonyms, aspects, duplicates

-- tidying-up variants
3.a Responding to sources

-- sensitivity to where people are

-- what people identify with

-- accept unforeseen categories

 3.b Detachment from fashionable

-- reservations concerning solution/value hype

-- articulating value dimension

-- clarifying value qualifiers as ordering principle
4.a Sharpening names/keywords

-- renaming / negativizing

-- de-hyping/de-solutionizing

-- what is the problem the solution is designed to
remedy

-- alternative names to facilitate location

 4.b Broadening / Balancing

-- inserting anthropocentric terms where implicity

-- opening possibility of non-anthropocentric equivalent.

-- opening up sets /series

-- is there a complementary problem
5.a Naming more general problems

-- naming clusters

-- creating intermediary problems to group/label
sub-clusters

5.b Determining level of specificity

-- appropriate cut-off points at bottom of hierarchies

-- what should only be covered at a more general level
6.a Elaborating description

-- sharp, not waffly

-- appropriate amount

-- transfer aspects of mega-problem texts to
sub-problems

 6.b Caring for poorly articulated
and inadequately documented problems