Prospects for a Decision Language

In “Speaking of Decisions: Precise Decision Language,” Howard (2004) discusses important issues about the terminology and concepts of decision analysis. A unified decision language could clarify communications across the diverse communities interested in decision analysis, but the diversity of these stakeholders makes achieving such a unified language an ambitious goal. Many of the concepts that Howard discusses predate decision analysis or are widely used in other fields. Those other fields will not change their terminology, and it is unlikely that modifying terminology for these concepts within decision analysis would provide sufficient benefits to outweigh the costs associated with potentially isolating ourselves from related fields.