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This study introduces a practical dominance reinforcement.This reinforcement makes the Modified Even-Swaps even easier.This reinforcement is based on SAW method.SAW method helps to identify dominated alternatives more practically. "Modified Even-Swaps" is a mechanism recently developed for multi-issue negotiation, which is highly complicated to realize and therefore more dependent to sophisticated information and communication technologies (ICTs) when compared to single-issue (price-only) negotiation. This mechanism is based on a modified version of Even-Swaps method finding differences among alternatives in terms of negotiable issues and then making use of those differences to assess value of multi-issue offers. A fuzzy-inference system supports this mechanism for bargaining on several issues simultaneously as well. Number of trade-offs performed significantly influences routines of the Modified Even-Swaps mechanism. In this study, a novel approach providing practical dominance reinforcement is introduced to accelerate the mechanism through eliminating unnecessary trade-offs. This approach proposes to use of "Simple Additive Weighting" (SAW) method in order to combine issues which have high variation among consequences of alternatives under consideration. As a result, these issues utilize a combined consequence for each alternative. Phase of the mechanism aiming to identify dominated alternatives is executed by using revised decision-matrix including consequences of issues having high variation as combined. This revision allows the mechanism to identify dominated alternatives more practically. Possible improvements are demonstrated and discussed with some cases in this study.

Even though fuzzy logic is one of the most common methodologies for matching different kind of data sources, there is no study which uses this methodology for matching publication and patent data within a technology evaluation framework according to the authors' best knowledge. In order to fill this gap and to demonstrate the usefulness of fuzzy logic in technology evaluation, this study proposes a novel technology evaluation framework based on an advanced/improved version of fuzzy logic, namely; interval type-2 fuzzy sets and systems (IT2FSSs). This framework uses patent data obtained from the European Patent Office (EPO) and publication data obtained from Web of Science/Knowledge (WoS/K) to evaluate technology groups with respect to their trendiness. Since it has been decided to target technology groups, patent and publication data sources are matched through the use IT2FSSs. The proposed framework enables us to make a strategic evaluation which directs considerations to use-inspired basic researches, hence achieving science-based technological improvements which are more beneficial for society. A European Classification System (ECLA) class - H01-Basic Electric Elements - is evaluated by means of the proposed framework in order to demonstrate how it works. The influence of the use of IT2FSSs is investigated by comparison with the results of its type-1 counterpart. This method shows that the use of type-2 fuzzy sets, i.e. handling more uncertainty, improves technology evaluation outcomes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.