Testiwiki:Structures of the building blocks of open risk assessments
From Testiwiki
Variables
| Attribute | Question to be answered | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Name | What is the name of the variable? | Two variables must not have identical names. |
| Scope | What is the question to which the variable answers? | This includes a verbal definition of the spatial, temporal, and other limits (system boundaries) of the variable. |
| Description | What do you need to know in order to understand the other attributes of the variable? | This may include references to relevant literature. |
| Definition | How can you derive or calculate the answer? | The definition uses algebra or other explicit methods if possible. It also contains all such links from other variables that are necessary to define the variable. |
| Unit | What is the unit of measurement? | |
| Result | What is the answer to the question defined in the focus and scope? | If possible, a numerical expression. |
In wiki environment, there are additional rules:
- Each variable is located in the Variable namespace.
- However, draft variables (when scope has not been fixed) may be parts of other pages.
- Each variable is one page.
- The name of the page is the same as for the variable. The name attribute is not repeated in the text.
- Scope starts with the word Scope in the previous line. Subtitle is NOT used for Scope.
- All other attributes are described under a fourth-level subtitle (====) that is equal to the name of the attribute.
- If subheadings are used, they are done with bold, not with ==subtitles==.
- Description may contain subheading References
- Definition may contain subheadings Formula (for deriving the result from upstream variables) and Data (for deriving the result from data directly or using inference).
- Also other subheadings may be used as necessary.
Discussions
- Rules about resolving disputes
- Any part of any variable (except the fixed attributes) is open for critical discussion about a dispute. A discussion has the following parts:
- Dispute is the subject of the discussion. The dispute consists of a list of two or more conflicting statements and a description on how the statements are in conflict in this particular context. If only one statement is listed, there is an implicit statement that the first one is not true.
- Argumentation is a hierarchical list of arguments that defend, attack, or comment the statement and other arguments. An argument consists of the argument itself, and signatures of the participants promoting the argument. Variables may also be used within arguments.
- Outcome is the result of the discussion. It may be a resolution (see below) or a dispute when resolution has not emerged.
In the wiki environment, there are additional rules:
- The template Discussion (previously Resolution) is used for structured discussion. The order of the parts is Dispute, Outcome, and Argumentation.
- It is preceded by a third-level subtitle (===) which consist of the attribute and the topic that are discussed.
- Templates Defend, Attack, and Comment are used in the discussion.
- Templates Defend_invalid and Attack_invalid are used for invalid arguments.
Categories
Categories are used to create hierarchical structures. Examples include
- General variable - variable with the same scope except with a more narrow spatio-temporal borders.
- General variable - variable with the same scope except with a more narrow subpopulation.
- Risk assessment - variables that belong to that assessment.
When a variable inherits properties from another variable, there is no need that it inherits the WHOLE variable. Instead, the inheritable pieces can be parts of a variable. In wiki, it is easy to make these inheritable parts as templates (which may have categories as necessary; in this case, also categories are inherited). But what are these pieces then, if they are not variables?
Open risk assessment
To perform an open risk assessment, several methods and tools are needed:
- Pyrkilo: a structured method for doing risk assessments in a participatory way.
- Pyrkilo-Wiki: a computer tool (platform) for doing risk assessments using the pyrkilo method
- Open Risk Assessment (ORA): a risk assessment that has been performed using pyrkilo, pyrkilo-wiki, and a completely open process in the Internet
- Heande (Health, the Environment, and Everything): a website for performing Open Risk Assessments, hosted by KTL/YTOS
