Abstract
The comparison or ranking of fuzzy numbers has been a very important topic. Many researchers have proposed different methods for ranking fuzzy numbers. However, there are some limitations or insufficiency on the application of these ranking methods. The objective of this study is to develop a generic framework of fuzzy ranking methods so that the ranking methods can be decomposed into modules and be examined systematically. Thus, the users can choose different modules to generate specific fuzzy ranking method depending on different demands. To examine the feasibility and reliability, we used different ranking methods to illustrate the proposed framework. We also discussed the objectives for developing fuzzy ranking methods and proposed the strategies for improving existing methods and developing new methods.