Pablo Acuña, Paloma Díaz, & Ignacio Aedo. (2010). Development of a design patterns catalog for Web-based Emergency Management Systems. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The design of Emergency Management Systems is an activity that requires knowledge from various related domains for providing a more complete and usable solution. In this context, design patterns including knowledge from previous experiences can be a useful source of information to support the development of this type of applications. In this paper, we introduce a catalog of design patterns for Web-based Emergency Management Systems collected from design principles, design patterns and existing implementations from involved areas, taking into account requirements particular to this domain.
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Nitesh Bharosa, Bart Van Zanten, Jaco Appelman, & Arre Zuurmond. (2009). Identifying and confirming information and system quality requirements for multi-agency disaster management. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper investigates the relevance and assurance of information and system quality as requirements for information systems success during disaster management. Despite the many examples of poor information quality and poor system quality, research on the relevance and assurance of these requirements is sparse. In order to design successful information systems for disaster management, a context related understanding of the organizational and technical measures for achieving these requirements is necessary. Accordingly, the goal of this paper is to identify and confirm information and system quality requirements for the design of information systems for disaster management. The results of our interviews with information architects indicate that while information quality requirements are considered to be very relevant, these are hard to measure and assure, and that currently much effort is being put into improving system quality requirements such as interoperability and ease of use.
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Dirk Bradler, Benjamin Schiller, Erwin Aitenbichler, & Nicolas Liebau. (2009). Towards a distributed crisis response communication system. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Reliable communication systems are one of the key success factors for a successful first response mission. Current crisis response communication systems suffer from damaged or destroyed infrastructure or are just overstressed in the case of a large scale disaster. We provide an outline for a distributed communication approach, which fulfills the requirements of first responders. It is based on a layered network topology and current technology used in research projects or already established products. In addition, we propose a testing framework for the evaluation of a crisis response communication system.
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José H. Canós-Cerdá, Carmen Penadés, Carlos Solís, Marcos R. S. Borges, & Manuel Llavador. (2010). Using spatial hypertext to visualize composite knowledge in emergency responses. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Having the right information at the right time is crucial to make decisions during emergency responses. To fulfill this requirement, emergency management systems must provide emergency managers with knowledge management and visualization tools. The goal is twofold: on one hand, to organize knowledge coming from different sources, mainly the emergency response plans (the formal knowledge) and the information extracted from the emergency development (the contextual knowledge); on the other hand, to enable effective access to information. Formal and contextual knowledge sets are mostly disjoint; however, there are cases in which a formal knowledge piece may be updated with some contextual information, constituting what we call the composite knowledge. In this paper, we extend a knowledge framework with the notion of composite knowledge, and use spatial hypertext to visualize this type of knowledge. We illustrate our proposal with a case study on accessing to information during an emergency response in an underground transportation system.
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Tom De Groeve, & Patrick Riva. (2009). Early flood detection and mapping for humanitarian response. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Space-based river monitoring can provide a systematic, timely and impartial way to detect floods of humanitarian concern. This paper presents a new processing method for such data, resulting in daily flood magnitude time series for any arbitrary observation point on Earth, with lag times as short as 4h. Compared with previous work, this method uses image processing techniques and reduces the time to obtain a 6 year time series for an observation site from months to minutes, with more accurate results and global coverage. This results in a daily update of major floods in the world, with an objective measure for their magnitude, useful for early humanitarian response. Because of its full coverage, the grid-based technique also allows the automatic creation of low-resolution flood maps only hours after the satellite passes, independent of cloud coverage.
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Sebastian Denef, Tobias Dyrks, Leonardo Ramirez, Sebastian Denef, Berthold Penkert, & Daniel Meyer. (2009). Designing for firefighters-building empathy through live action role-playing. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In this paper we present a role-playing workshop in a firefighting scenario conducted within the frame of a multidisciplinary consortium. Our work focuses on developing a navigation ubicomp infrastructure leveraging the cognitive skills of firefighters. Technology for navigation must understand existing navigation practices in order to provide adequate support. To deal with the complexity of this process, we use a participatory design approach based on a strong synergy among partners. We argue that a key aspect for the creation of this synergy is the construction of a bond of empathy allowing technology experts to understand the needs of the users of technology and also allowing firefighters to understand the role and activities of technology developers in the process. We present an account of the workshop conducted and some insights of the role that this method can play for complex, multidisciplinary teams working on developing safety-critical technology.
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Soussan Djamasbi, Eleanor T. Loiacono, & Yitzhak Mendelson. (2010). Affect feedback during crisis and its role in improving IS utilization. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This research looks at a portion of a larger research question, which is does including affect feedback into an existing 911 call taking process improve IS utilization? The first step is to look at the impact of affect feedback in a controlled environment so that possible issues that could arise can be mitigated early on before actual implementation in a call center is performed. This paper focuses on the first step, a controlled laboratory experiment, which is explained in the methodology section of this paper.
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Geoffrey Hoare, Rhonda White, Jack Pittman, Linn Marks Collins, Jorge H. Roman, James E. Powell, et al. (2009). Using text analysis to reduce information overload in pan flu planning and response. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
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Mohammadreza Khalilbeigi, Immanuel Schweizer, Dirk Bradler, Florian Probst, & Jürgen Steimle. (2010). Towards computer support of paper workflows in emergency management. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: A crucial aspect for large-scale disaster management is an efficient technology support for communication and decision-making processes in command and control centers. Yet, experiences with the introduction of novel technologies in this setting show that field professionals tend to remain attached to traditional workflows and artifacts, such as pen and paper. We contribute the results of a comprehensive field study which analyzes how the information flow is currently performed within different units and persons in the command and control center. These findings provide insights into key aspects of current workflows which should be preserved by novel technological solutions. As our second contribution, by using a participatory design approach and based on our findings, we present a novel approach for computer support in command and control centers. This relies on digital pens and paper and smoothly integrates traditional paper-based workflows with computing, thereby combining the advantages of paper and those of computers.
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Alexandra Krakovsky. (2010). The role of social networks in crisis situations: Public participation and information exchange. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The goal of the paper is to discuss the framework for an interdisciplinary human-computer interactive technology that facilitates information and resource exchange and forms core groups for crisis management. The social networks discussed here are designed to incorporate local knowledge and participation and to foster institutional and academic ties by modeling interrelationships among global communities and exploring policy options. Social interactions between individuals and organizations are explored especially in situations when directed responses are helpful in predicting the complex interplay between social, political, and technological systems and practices that result in a transfer of information and resources in disaster situations. In the future, such networks shall identify patterns through which groups interact in responding to critical issues and shall incorporate more complicated actions by individuals and organizations allowing them to move away from a rigid path to manage disasters via the most situationally appropriate routes.
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Erkki Kurkinen, Helen T. Sullivan, Markku Häkkinen, & Markku Lauttamus. (2010). Optimizing mobile social media interfaces for rapid internal communication by emergency services. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Social media tools are seeing use in crisis situations. Authorities have recognized the value of such tools and are beginning to use services such as Facebook and Twitter to disseminate official information. However, the use of the social media concept as an internal, operational tool by emergency services is in its early stages. Current social media tools for mobile devices are of potential value, yet security concerns can render such systems unsuitable for operational use, and the user interface can hinder operational efficiency due to the inheritance of a text based model for input and display. The research to be described is examining interaction methods that may improve the efficiency and usability of mobile device-based social media for operational use by police services. A Twitter like model for police activity reports can provide a means for enhanced situational awareness for police command authorities, and for individual officers or patrol units engaged in the “professional” media interchanges. The proposed model, SUMO, is based on a hybrid symbolic and text interface to rapidly enter status, integrated with geolocation, and sensor-based data to automatically capture key information, and thereby minimizing the amount effort required create a complete status update.
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Gitte Lindgaard, Devjani Sen, Milica Stojmenovic, Sonny Lundahl, Patrick Noonan, Cathy Dudek, et al. (2010). Deriving user requirements for a CBRNE support system. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: When an adverse event escalates into a criminal investigation, it becomes very difficult to control and combine information into a manageable format. The PROBE project addresses this problem by developing two generations of working prototypes capable of undergoing live field tests and evaluation by a wide-ranging community of CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) responders. The paper reports the derivation of preliminary user requirements for PROBE based on interviews and observations of a large-scale simulated CBRNE exercise. Five Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers shadowed specialists representing different responder agencies (Emergency Medical Services, police, hazardous materials expert) during the three-hour exercise. Relying on cognitive ethnography, a variant of the concept of distributed cognition, video and audio recordings were merged with notes taken during the exercise and used to derive the preliminary user requirements. The study showed that these could be extracted from a relatively small set of behaviors and different types of utterances made by the active participants in the exercise. The paper concludes with a take-away message for researchers wishing to observe CBRNE exercises in which the command post event management team is collocated.
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Alessio Malizia, Pablo Acuña, Teresa Onorati, Paloma Díaz, & Ignacio Aedo. (2009). CAP-ONES: An emergency notification system for all. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In this paper we present an ontology-based system for managing emergency alert notifications. Our purpose is to generate emergency alerts that are accessible to different kinds of people, paying special attention to more vulnerable collectives like impaired people. By adapting alerts to different devices and users we can allow Emergency Management Systems (EMS) to communicate with collectives like blind or deaf people whom otherwise will be unreachable by usual channels. Moreover, if we consider the constrains imposed by the nature of the emergency situations we can also improve the information transmission to cope with situational disabilities (e.g. smoke during a fire can cause low vision problems). We centered our system architecture on two characteristics: The first one is an ontology that codifies knowledge about accessibility, devices, disabilities, emergencies and media so the alert notification can be tailored according to different parameters; the second one is the use of an open standard like the CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) that enables our system to interoperate with other existing systems.
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Willem J. Muhren, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2009). Sensemaking and information management in humanitarian disaster response: Observations from the TRIPLEX exercise. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system is designed to assist the United Nations in providing information during the first phase of a sudden-onset emergency and in the coordination of incoming international relief at the site of the emergency. In the immediate aftermath of such an emergency, the UNDAC team will set up an On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) from where the operational activities of the humanitarian organizations responding to the emergency are coordinated. Information management is a key aspect in this phase as the information gathering, processing, and disseminating activities will determine the timeliness and appropriateness of the response by the international humanitarian community. Through participatory observation in the international humanitarian “TRIPLEX” exercise we explore how information managers in the OSOCC make sense of the disaster, how the immediate needs are assessed, and discuss how information systems could improve Sensemaking in these activities.
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Christine M. Newlon, Mark Pfaff, Himalaya Patel, Gert-Jan De Vreede, & Karl MacDorman. (2009). Mega-collaboration: The Inspiration and development of an interface for large-scale disaster response. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The need to gather and use decentralized information and resources in responding to disasters demands an integrated interface that can support large-scale collaboration. This paper describes the development of a collaboration tool interface. The tool will surpass existing groupware and social networking applications, providing easy entry, categorization, and visualization of masses of critical data; the ability to form ad-hoc teams with collaboration protocols for negotiated action; and agent-augmented mixed-initiative tracking and coordination of these activities. The paper reports user testing results concerning the data entry interface, emergent leadership, and the directed negotiation process. The paper also discusses planned enhancements, including formalized collaboration engineering and the use of a disaster simulation test bed.
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Teresa Onorati, Alessio Malizia, Paloma Díaz, & Ignacio Aedo. (2010). Interaction design for web emergency management information systems. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The interaction design for web emergency management information systems (WEMIS) is an important aspect to keep in mind due to the criticality of the domain: decision making, updating available resources, defining a task list, trusting in proposed information. A common interaction design strategy for WEMIS seems to be needed but currently there are few references in literature. Our aim is to contribute to this lack with a set of interactive principles for WEMIS. From the emergency point of view, existing WEMIS have been analyzed to extract common features and to design interaction principles for emergency. Furthermore, we studied design principles extracted from the Turoff's model relating them to emergency phases and features. In particular, in this paper, we choose to follow the current trend in the definition of emergency life cycles. In our approach, referring to general policies in literature, the emergency management process is divided into two different sub cycles: back-end and front-end. From the interaction point of view, a formalization process based on the interactive PIE model has been defined. The result we propose here is a set of design principles for supporting interactive properties for WEMIS.
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Christian Reuter, Volkmar Pipek, & Claudia Mueller. (2009). Computer supported collaborative training in crisis communication management. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Crisis management requires stakeholders to not only show strategic, organisational preparedness for crisis events (e.g. by systematising and professionalizing coping work), but also to develop skills to deal with unanticipated events and other stakeholders involved in the same crisis. They should not only rely on established information flows and behaviour patterns, but should be able to deal with situational aspects. This usually involves communication work within and between organisations involved in crisis management. We describe the practice of the crisis communication training of a German electricity provider and the prototype we developed, implemented and evaluated. The collaborative training tool targets not only the local practice, but aims at inter-organisational trainings that would also allow improving the mutual understanding for communication practices and information needs of other stakeholders.
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Elly Searle. (2010). What is the best possible design for all my users?: A single question to guide user-centered design in low-resource environments. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper discusses how methodological frameworks are often too cumbersome to be used in full by field workers in low-resource environments. When time, money, and political capital are scarce, there often isn't time to follow every prescribed step. This research looks at helping field workers incorporate user-centered design when creating technology solutions through a single-question framework. It follows the author's case study of considering different wording for the single question, and then describes her experience implementing the lightweight framework while redesigning an attendance system for Entity Green Training in Jordan. The method is promising as an efficient way to expand one's thinking during the design process, but needs more testing to validate its benefits for workers who lack training in user-centered design methods. This research is particularly valuable for people working in low-resource environments where they lack the time and money to iteratively fix problematic designs.
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Sophia B. Liu, & Leysia Palen. (2009). Spatiotemporal mashups: A survey of current tools to inform next generation crisis support. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Developments in information and communication technology (ICT) have adjusted the opportunities for spatial and temporal representations of data, possibly permitting the simultaneous visualization of how different regions and populations are affected during large-scale emergencies and crises. We surveyed 13 crisis-related mashups to derive some high-level design directions to guide the design and testing of next generation crisis support tools. The current web mashups offer a new way of looking at how crises are spatiotemporally ordered. However, since all technology is constrained by limitations of design choice, examining the limits and possibilities of what current design choices afford can inform attributes of what next generation crisis support tools would require.
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Ulrich Walder, Thomas Bernoulli, & Thomas Wießflecker. (2009). An indoor positioning system for improved action force command and disaster management. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Managing emergency situations in large buildings and underground structures could be simplified if at any time the positions of on-site emergency crews were available. In this paper a system is proposed which combines inertial measurements of moving persons with building floor plans tagged with information on semantics to achieve a novel level of robust indoor positioning. A speech driven user interface tailored for visualization on head mounted displays makes information easily available for action forces. The system is complemented with a self-configurating communication network based on novel approaches combining mobile ad hoc networks, sensor networks, and professional mobile radio systems to make the locally determined positions available to anybody on-site.
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Philip Fei Wu. (2009). User acceptance of emergency alert technology: A case study. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors affecting the user acceptance of emergency alert systems. By studying the adoption of a SMS-based alert system at a large public university in the United States, this paper explores the research question: How are different motivational factors related to the intention and behavior of using emergency alert technology? Through a mixed-methods approach, the study demonstrates a “deepening” effort in applying the technology acceptance model (TAM) to emergency response system, drawing attention to the holistic nature of motivation-behavior in technology acceptance. Results of this research show that: The concept of usefulness has multiple levels of meanings to its intended users; the ease of use is more about the users' ability to control the system behavior; and subjective norm need to be examined with relation to its originating source.
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