More Issues with the Use of Radar Plots for Constructing Composite Indicators

Radar plots can offer an attractive way to visualize how different alternatives (options, scenarios, etc.) perform on different criteria (variables, dimension, etc.). In a recent article in this journal, they are also used to create a composite, single-number, indicator, on the basis of the area defined by the radar plot’s polygon. While the author of that work seems to be aware of the limitations of that approach, he underestimates the severity of the problem. Here, we add to previous discussions by adding more arguments against the use of radar plots in creating such a composite indicator.