ROC — Rank Order Centroid weights (rank-based surrogate weights)
ROC-WEIGHT (ROC — Rank Order Centroid weights (rank-based surrogate weights)) is a weight subjective multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Barron, F. H., Barrett, B. E. in 1996. It turns a decision matrix of alternatives scored on multiple criteria into a structured, reproducible result.
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When to use it
ROC weights are surrogate weights derived purely from the rank order — no numeric importance judgements needed. They are the expected value of the weights given only their ordering. w_1>w_2>…>w_n always holds. Most weight is concentrated at rank 1.
Strengths & limitations
- Follows a transparent, reproducible computational procedure that can be audited step by step.
- Handles multiple criteria of differing scales and units within a single decision matrix.
- Results depend on the chosen normalisation, weights, and parameter settings.
Sources
- Barron, F. H. (1992). Selecting a best multiattribute alternative with partial information about attribute weights. Acta Psychologica DOI: 10.1016/0001-6918(92)90042-C ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). ROC — Rank Order Centroid weights (rank-based surrogate weights). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/decision-making/roc-weight
Which method?
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