Researchers need maps to effectively navigate increasingly voluminous literatures. This is no less the case in the field of problem structuring methods (PSMs). This paper offers an atlas of the journal literature of the theoretical development of, what are currently acknowledged to be, the four main PSMs up to their consolidation in 1989. A thorough contextual appreciation of the structure and dynamics of this literature sets the stage for addressing some of its specific aspects, for which an atlas is especially effective as an orientation device. Substantiated suggestions for exploratory excursions, as well as potential pitfalls, are accentuated, the overall aim being to provide researchers with navigational support that may assist their research objectives. Based on evidence uncovered from the atlas, a number of issues current in the PSM field are discussed, including the use of the collective descriptor ‘family’, the extent to which PSMs find their origins, and belong, in the wider field of operational research and the identification of sources that have hitherto received little or no acknowledgment but which merit attention as precursors and promising contributors to PSM research. The paper is accompanied by an electronic supplement containing the basic data of the atlas from which additional maps may be designed and constructed.

中文翻译：

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问题结构化方法的出现，1950 年代至 1989 年：期刊文献图集

研究人员需要地图来有效地浏览越来越多的文献。在问题结构化方法 (PSMs) 领域也是如此。本文提供了目前公认的四种主要 PSM 的理论发展的期刊文献图集，直到 1989 年它们被整合。对这些文献的结构和动态的全面背景评估为解决它的一些特定方面，对于这些方面，图集作为定向设备特别有效。强调了关于探索性旅行的经过证实的建议以及潜在的陷阱，总体目标是为研究人员提供可能有助于其研究目标的导航支持。根据地图集发现的证据，讨论了 PSM 领域当前的许多问题，包括集体描述词“家族”的使用、PSM 在更广泛的运筹学领域中找到它们的起源和归属的程度，以及迄今已确定的来源很少或没有得到认可，但作为 PSM 研究的先驱和有希望的贡献者值得关注。该论文附有一份电子增刊，其中包含地图集的基本数据，可从中设计和构建其他地图。在更广泛的运筹学领域和识别迄今为止很少或没有得到承认但值得关注作为 PSM 研究的先驱和有希望的贡献者的来源。该论文附有一份电子增刊，其中包含地图集的基本数据，可从中设计和构建其他地图。在更广泛的运筹学领域和识别迄今为止很少或没有得到承认但值得关注作为 PSM 研究的先驱和有希望的贡献者的来源。该论文附有一份电子增刊，其中包含地图集的基本数据，可从中设计和构建其他地图。