CfP: 3rd Workshop on Explanation-aware Computing

[Pierre Grenon]

** Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement **
      ** Please forward to anyone who might be interested **


                    CALL FOR PAPERS
             for the 3rd International and
                   ECAI-08 Workshop on

         EXPLANATION-AWARE COMPUTING (ExaCt 2008)

           21 - 22 July 2008, Patras (Greece)

             http://exact2008.workshop.hm

      **Paper submission deadline: April 10, 2008**


OBJECTIVES
The increasing complexity of current knowledge-based systems
requires improved explanation capabilities. During the height
of expert systems research many workshops (including at ECAI)
addressed the issue of explanation capabilities. However,
with the decrease in expert systems research, AI explanation
research dwindled as well. Consequently, the time is ripe for
renewed investigations of explanation in AI.

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 themselves use explanations, for example to guide learning.

Both within AI systems and in interactive systems, the ability
to explain reasoning processes and results can have substantial
impact. 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.

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 at
    http://on-explanation.net.


GOALS AND AUDIENCE
The main goal of the workshop is to bring researchers, scientists
from both industry and academics, and representatives from
different communities and areas such as those mentioned above,
together to study, understand, and explore explanation in
IT-applications. In addition to presentations and discussions of
invited contributions and invited talks, this workshop will
offer organised and open spaces 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 on IT views):
 * Models for explanations
 * Integrating application and explanation knowledge
 * Explanation-awareness in applications
 * 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

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 present the contribution in order to
be published in the workshop proceedings. The workshop chairs intend
to publish a Springer LNAI book of revised selected workshop papers
if the number of submissions and their quality permits.

Those wishing to participate providing a live system demonstration
should submit a proposal. A separate call for demos will be posted
for details at the workshop website.

Those wishing to participate without paper or demo submission should
submit a brief synopsis of their relevant work by April 10, 2008.

Attendance is limited to active participants only!


IMPORTANT DATES
 Submission deadline:                     April 10, 2008
 Notification of acceptance:              May 10, 2008
 Camera-ready versions of papers:         May 26, 2008


WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
The schedule will be made available on the workshop website. See the
workshop website for an agenda overview und 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, trb at dfki.uni-kl.de
   German Research Center for AI DFKI GmbH, Germany
Stefan Schulz, schulz at e-spirit.de
  e-Spirit AG, Dortmund, Germany
David B. Leake, leake at cs.indiana.edu
   Computer Science Department, Indiana University, USA


DEMO CHAIR
Daniel Bahls, bahls at dfki.uni-kl.de
   University of Kaiserslautern, Germany


PROGRAMME COMMITTEE

Agnar Aamodt, Norwegian Uni of Science and Technology (NTNU)
David W. Aha, Navy Center for Applied Research in AI, USA
Patrick Brézillon, LIP6, France
Jörg Cassens, NTNU
Francisco Javier Díez, UNED Madrid, Spain
Babak Esfandiari, Carleton University, Canada
Pierre Grenon, IFOMIS, University of Saarbrücken, Germany
Anders Kofod-Petersen, NTNU
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 Kaiserslautern, Germany
Christophe Roche, University of Savoie, France
Sven Schwarz, DFKI, Germany
Gheorghe Tecuci, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
Douglas Walton, University of Winnipeg, Canada