The development of a reviewer selection method: a multi-level hesitant fuzzy VIKOR and TOPSIS approaches

Abstract

This paper proposes a new approach for the selection of reviewers to evaluate research and development (R&D) projects using a new integrated hesitant fuzzy VIKOR and TOPSIS methodology. A reviewer selection model must have a multi-level framework in which reviewer selection strategies and related objectives guide the second level of the reviewer performance ranking process. The model must measure reviewer performance related to the activities that are necessary for the R&D project evaluation to be successful. A novel model is presented in this paper. In the proposed methodology, the aim is to select a reviewer in a hierarchical decision-making structure. The selection criteria values and their weights were obtained using the hesitant fuzzy VIKOR method. For the selection of a suitable reviewer, the conventional TOPSIS model was used. We developed a simpler procedure for effectively performing the reviewer selection process. The new approach was tested with a real case study and satisfactory results were obtained. A comparative analysis is also included in the article for illustrative purposes.