Rapid Evidence Aggregation Supporting Optimal Negotiation (REASON)

We propose to develop and deploy a fully featured groupware platform for Rapid Expertise Aggregation Supporting Optimal Negotiation (REASON). REASON supports collaborative decision-making in dynamic, time critical situations. It presents a decision as a graph to improve coordination and reduce the amount of necessary communication within a team. Evidence is aggregated to identify the best decision option, and consensus estimates are used to guide collaborators to maximize the information in their collaborative decision. Under Phase I, a prototype of the REASON platform was implemented and successfully demonstrated at DarpaTECH 2005. In Phase II, we will develop a fully featured REASON platform and deploy it in an online environment. The underlying algorithms and formalisms will be enhanced to make REASON a viable tool for decision makers in a wide range of contexts. These core technologies will be bundled into a reusable API. We will develop stable web implementation, and engage online web communities in a participatory design process. Considerable focus will be given to developing a large user base. Finally, a variety of markets and business models will be considered to maximize the impact of the technology and to gain significant returns for its creators and investors.