Table 5.

Nine scales of pairwise comparisons.

Level of Importance	Description	Elaboration
1	Equal importance	Equal importance two different actions contribute equally to the goal.
3	Weak importance	Experience and judgement slightly favor one action over another.
5	Essential or strong importance	Expertise and judgment strongly favor one action over another.
7	Demonstrated importance	Action is highly preferred and its majority is seen in certainty.
9	Absolute importance	The evidence favoring one action over another is of the highest possible standard.
2, 4, 6, 8	Intermediate values between the two adjacent judgments	If a compromise is required.