[agents] [ExaCt at ECAI 2010] Last Call for papers: Explanation-aware Computing workshop

[Babak Esfandiari]

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                    FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS
                for the 5th International and
                    ECAI 2010 Workshop on

           EXPLANATION-AWARE COMPUTING (ExaCt 2010)

              16-17 August 2010, Lisbon, Portugal

                 http://exact2010.workshop.hm

         ** Paper submission deadline: May 7, 2010 **


Both within AI systems and in interactive systems, the ability to 
explain reasoning processes and results can substantially affect system 
usability. For example, in recommender systems good explanations may 
help to inspire user trust and loyalty, increase satisfaction, make it 
quicker and easier for users to find what they want, and persuade them 
to try or buy a recommended item.

Current interest in mixed-initiative systems provides a new context in 
which explanation issues may play a crucial role. When knowledge-based 
systems are partners in an interactive socio-technical process, with 
incomplete and changing problem descriptions, communication between 
human and software systems is a central part. Explanations exchanged 
between human agents and software agents may play an important role in 
mixed-initiative problem solving.

Other disciplines such as cognitive science, linguistics, philosophy of 
  science, psychology, and education have investigated explanation as 
well. They consider varying aspects, making it clear that there are many 
  different views of the nature of explanation and facets of explanation 
to explore. Within the field of knowledge-based systems, explanations 
have been considered as an important link between humans and machines. 
There, their main purpose has been to increase the confidence of the 
user in the system’s result, by providing evidence of how it was 
derived. Additional AI research has focused on how computer systems can 
use explanations themselves, for example to guide learning.

This workshop series aims to draw on multiple perspectives on 
explanation, to examine how explanation can be applied to further the 
development of robust and dependable systems and to illuminate system 
processes to increase user acceptance and feeling of control.

If you would like to participate in discussions on this topic or like to 
receive further information about this workshop you might consider 
joining the Yahoo!-group
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/explanation-research.
Information on explanation research is also collected here:
  http://on-explanation.net.


GOALS AND AUDIENCE
We invite original contributions to the research on explanations from a 
variety of areas and communities such as computer science, cognitive 
science, linguistics, philosophy of science, psychology, and education. 
In addition to presentations and discussions of invited contributions 
and invited talks, this workshop will offer organised and open sessions 
for targeted discussions and creating an interdisciplinary community. 
Demonstration sessions will provide the opportunity to showcase 
explanation-enabled/-aware applications.


TOPICS OF INTEREST
Suggested topics for contributions (not restricted to IT views):
* Models for explanations / explanation representation languages
* Integrating application and explanation knowledge
* Explanation-awareness in applications and software design
* Methodologies for developing explanation-aware systems
* Learning to explain
* Context-aware explanation vs. explanation-aware context
* Confidence and explanations
* Security, trust, and explanation
* Requirements and needs for explanations to support human understanding
* Explanation of complex, autonomous systems
* Co-operative explanation
* Explanation exchange among intelligent agents
* Explanation visualisation

Submissions on additional topics are welcome as well.


SUBMISSIONS AND STYLE
Workshop submissions will be electronic, in pdf format only, using the 
EasyChair submission system linked from the workshop website.

Papers must be written in English and not exceed 12 pages in the 
Springer LNCS format. At least one author of each accepted paper must 
register for the workshop and the ECAI conference and present  the 
contribution in order to be published in the workshop  proceedings. The 
organising committee is considering editing a special issue of an 
appropriate international journal (e.g., Kluwer’s Knowledge-based 
Systems, Elsevier’s Expert Systems with Applications, or Springer’s 
Information System Frontiers) depending on the number and quality of the 
submissions.

Those wishing to participate providing a live system demonstration 
should submit a proposal (1-2 pages).

Those wishing to participate without paper or demo submission should 
submit a brief synopsis of their relevant work or at least a brief 
statement of interest.

All accepted papers will be published as ECAI workshop notes as well as 
electronically at http://CEUR-WS.org.

If you have questions please contact the chairs using the following 
email address: chairs at exact2010.workhop.hm.


IMPORTANT DATES
Submission deadline:                     May 7, 2010
Notification of acceptance:              June 7, 2010
Camera-ready versions of papers:         June 20, 2010
ExaCt Workshop:                          August 16-17, 2010


WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
The schedule will be made available on the workshop website. See the 
workshop website for an agenda overview and links to past workshops.


INVITED TALKS
Talks by two invited speakers, each representing a different community 
addressing explanation issues, are planned.


CHAIRS
Thomas R. Roth-Berghofer, German Research Center for Artificial 
Intelligence DFKI GmbH, Kaiserslautern, Germany
thomas.roth-berghofer at dfki de

David B. Leake, Computer Science Department, Indiana University, USA
leake at cs indiana edu

Nava Tintarev, University of Aberdeen
n.tintarev at abdn ac uk

DEMO CHAIR
Daniel Bahls, MIMOS BERHAD, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
daniel.bahls at mimos my


PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
Agnar Aamodt, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
David W. Aha, Navy Center for Applied Research in AI, Washington DC, USA
Martin Atzmüller, University of Würzburg, Germany
Patrick Brézillon, LIP6, France
Jörg Cassens, University of Lübeck, Germany
Babak Esfandiari, Carleton University, Canada
Ashok Goel, Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, GA, USA
Pierre Grenon, KMI, The Open University, UK
Anders Kofod-Petersen, SINTEF, Norway
Deborah McGuinness, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
Hector Muñoz-Avila, Lehigh University, USA
Paulo Pinheiro da Silva, University of Texas, El Paso, USA
Enric Plaza, IIIA-CSIC, Spain
Michael M. Richter, University of Calgary, Canada
Christophe Roche, University of Savoie, France
Sven Schwarz, DFKI, Germany
Gheorghe Tecuci, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
Douglas Walton, University of Windsor, Canada