Data+Envelopment+Analysis+(DEA)

=Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) (Research Methods) (GWU EMSE 216-8000)=

Index | Topics | Lectures | Course Work | Reference

(Need a 1-2 sentence, semi-litearte summary. It was my topic, but I couldn't remember what is was and don't feel good about the paragraph below as a summary. May be the first sentence is OK.)

"**Data envelopment analysis (DEA)** is a [|nonparametric] method in [|operations research] and [|economics] for the estimation of production frontiers. It is used to empirically measure [|productive efficiency] of [|decision making units] (or DMUs). Non-parametric approaches have the benefit of not assuming a particular functional form/shape for the frontier, however they do not provide a general relationship (equation) relating output and input. There are also [|parametric] approaches which are used for the estimation of production frontiers (see Lovell & Schmidt 1988 for an early survey). These require that the shape of the frontier be guessed beforehand by specifying a particular function relating output to input. One can also combine the relative strengths from each of these approaches in a hybrid method (Tofallis, 2001) where the frontier units are first identified by DEA and then a smooth surface is fitted to these. This allows a best-practice relationship between multiple outputs and multiple inputs to be estimated." - [|Wikipedia]


 * ** Background: **
 * ** Appropriate uses of the method, including examples: **
 * ** Details of the method: **
 * ** Strengths, limitations and problems associated with use of the method: **
 * ** Potential EMSE Uses: **
 * ** Potential EMSE Uses: **

References, List to software. Perhaps the OR notes by J E Beasley help. Like the 2nd second sentend until it gets to DMUs.


 * Sources**
 * EMSE 8000, Spring 2011
 * Data envelopment analysis. (2010, December 27). In //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved 14:58, January 29, 2011, from []

Contributors: Sisson