Call for Papers - UMUAI Special Issue on
Computational Models for Mixed Initiative Interaction

Submission Deadline: November 1, 1997

In a mixed initiative interaction, direction and control of the interaction shifts among the participants. Since the information and abilities needed to solve a problem are distributed among the collaborating agents, a system that is engaged with other users to solve a problem must have the ability to take or relinquish initiative. The possibility of shifting initiative requires that computer systems include mechanisms for recognizing when to lead or otherwise take control of an interaction and when to let others take the initiative. In addition, an interactive system must be able to take initiative into account in interpreting utterances and in selecting appropriate responses. From the perspective of user modeling, individual users are comfortable with assuming different levels of control and initiative during task interaction.

The purpose of this special issue is to present important results by researchers who are developing theoretical models of robust interaction or designing robust systems.

• Knowledge representation and reasoning strategies for modeling initiative to address issues such as controlling how changes in initiative are manifested in the interaction, and taking initiative affects into account when interpreting another agent's actions and choosing an appropriate response.

• Computer systems developed for controlling mixed-initiative interaction to: decide when it is appropriate to take initiative and alert other participants to the shift, decide when to relinquish initiative and how to alert other participants, or to detect when another agent is attempting to alter the control or purpose of the conversation.

About User Modeling and User-adapted Interaction

The journal provides an interdisciplinary forum for the dissemination of new research results on interactive computer systems that adapt to their current users, and which may employ user models for supporting the adaptation. As is the case for high quality journal publications, theoretical proposals should generally be appropriately substantiated by a discussion of the results of a computer implementation, by a formal analysis, or by empirical experiments). The normal means of submission is electronic and the review process is normally completed within two months.

Important Dates

Submission

Full paper submissions should be in the UMUAI format and will follow the standard refereeing process. Authors may obtain more details of submission requirements from the editors or at UMUAI's site http://umuai.informatik.uni-essen.de/home.html

Send electronic (postscript) or three hard copy versions of your manuscript to

Susan Haller

Computer Science and Engineering Dept.

University of Wisconsin - Parkside

Kenosha, Wiconsin 53141-2000 U.S.A.

haller@cs.uwp.edu

Guest Editors

This call for papers is available as a web page:

http://cs.uwp.edu/staff/haller/Activities/UMUAI