Patent ID: 7536315

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for rating ideas in an idea management system, the method being performed by execution of computer readable program code by at least one processor of at least one computer system, the method comprising: circulating, using the processor, an idea to one or more users in an organization; receiving, using the processor, from one or more of the users in the organization an opinion of the idea, the opinion including a rating of the idea, the rating of the idea comprising a grade based on a first pre-determined scale; weighting, using the processor, each of the grades based on a first weight, the weight representing a characteristic of the corresponding user, wherein the characteristic of the corresponding user relates to an experience level of the user determined based on an equation substantially as follows: E i + 1 = log k ( K E i + S F ) , where E i ; represents an experience level of the user after i number of actions, K represents a growth resistance index, S represents a final grade of a past idea which the user authored, and F represents a growth speed index; determining and recording, using the processor, a grade of the idea based on of the weighted grades; receiving, using the processor, from one or more of the users in the organization a second opinion of one or more of the received opinions, the second opinion including a rating of a corresponding received opinion, the rating of the corresponding received opinion comprising a second grade based on a second pre-determined scale; determining, using the processor, a second weight based on the second grades; and wherein weighting each of the grades based on the first weight includes weighting each of the grades based on the second weight.