Shuming Liu, Christopher Brewster, & Duncan Shaw. (2013). Ontologies for crisis management: A review of state of the art in ontology design and usability. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 349–359). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: The growing use of a variety of information systems in crisis management both by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and emergency management agencies makes the challenges of information sharing and interoperability increasingly important. The use of semantic web technologies is a growing area and is a technology stack specifically suited to these challenges. This paper presents a review of ontologies, vocabularies and taxonomies that are useful in crisis management systems. We identify the different subject areas relevant to crisis management based on a review of the literature. The different ontologies and vocabularies available are analysed in terms of their coverage, design and usability. We also consider the use cases for which they were designed and the degree to which they follow a variety of standards. While providing comprehensive ontologies for the crisis domain is not feasible or desirable there is considerable scope to develop ontologies for the subject areas not currently covered and for the purposes of interoperability.
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Maike Kuhnert, Christian Wietfeld, Olivier Paterour, Alexander Georgiev, Katrina Petersen, Monika Büscher, et al. (2015). Next Generation, Secure Cloud-based Pan-European Information System for Enhanced Disaster Awareness. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: Information management in disaster situations is challenging, yet critical for efficient response and recovery. Today information flows are difficult to establish, partial, redundant, overly complex or insecure, besides the interoperability between heterogeneous organisations is limited. This paper presents a novel system architecture that enables combining of several communication technologies in a secure manner. This supports creation of a pan-European ?Common Information Space? by rescue organizations that can enable more efficient and effective information management in disaster response. Moreover, this technology can be used for disaster preparedness (e.g., training, tutorials). The modular architecture is designed to consider future evolutions of technology by defining interfaces for the integration of new technologies and services.
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Mehrdad Negahban, & Reza Nourjou. (2016). Internet of Things for Next-Generation Public Safety Mobile Communications. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: This short paper briefly introduces the beamCitizen, a next-generation public safety mobile communications technology. It provides a mobile cloud communication platform that allows sharing of live video, voice, text, photo, location and other critical information among citizens, dispatchers and responders. It aims to connect people, information, and sensors. Our approach was to apply and implement ?Internet of Things? for development of the beamCitizen. To evaluate the beamCitizen, we used the University of Maryland as a pilot to create an end to end public safety communication and response service among the citizens, the 911 center and the first responders in order to help connect and protect close to 20000 students, faculty and visitors. It is available for download.
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Mickael Babin, Nada Matta, Guillaume Delatour, Paul Henri Richard, & Patrick Laclemence. (2022). How to Support Situation Awareness in Operational Crisis Management: Case Studies. In Rob Grace, & Hossein Baharmand (Eds.), ISCRAM 2022 Conference Proceedings – 19th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 225–232). Tarbes, France.
Abstract: Situation awareness is created through the dynamic process of perception and action and serves as a foundation of overall performance throughout many different domains, such as education, military operations, air traffic control, driving, search and rescue, and crisis management [Endsley, 2006]. Information sharing is an important factor to be consider in situation awareness. In this paper, we present how tools can support information sharing in crisis management. So, we study how crisis management team dealt with two exercises using firstly whiteboards and secondly, CRIMSON a digital decision support tool.
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Peter L. O'Dell. (2008). Communities of trust. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (265). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Effective response to emergency, security and operational continuity events generally requires cooperation across political, physical and technical boundaries. It's necessary, therefore, to use a communications system that enables people in heterogeneous organization to communicate effectively. Since 2002, Swan Island Networks has been developing an Internet-based information sharing system that links responsible people with the information necessary to make better decisions, and to each other. The system allows people to form “Communities of Trust”, in which all community members are known and authenticated. Each community is formed by a responsible Champion, who determines who can participate and what information will be shared within the community. In order for people to be willing to share, and to accept the information they receive as genuine, the community must operate in an environment of trust. This presentation outlines the fundamental concepts, methodologies and features for access and information control that create a trusted environment, particularly Authorization, Authentication and Audit (AAA). In the system discussed, AAA elements function together to create a comprehensive trust framework, and provide a contextually appropriate level of information assurance, data protection and dissemination control.
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Gisli Olafsson. (2012). Humanitarian response in the age of mass collaboration and networked intelligence. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: The current humanitarian system is based on institutions created during the Industrial Age. It was built when connectivity was a very scarce resource and information sharing was something that only happened during meetings. The increased resiliency of mobile communication networks and the proliferation of satellite based network connectivity have lead to information being much easier to share. At the same time the rise of social networks and the explosive growth of mobile ownership amongst the affected communities has lead to a new way of communicating. Furthermore the large institutional humanitarian response organizations are no longer the only responders, with multiple smaller organizations responding. This paper looks at the opportunities new technologies have provided in rethinking the humanitarian response system and how new approaches may address some of the key issues faced in large-scale disasters in recent years. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Dick Ooms, & Willem-Jan Van Den Heuvel. (2012). Business not as usual: Civil-military interactionfrom an e-business perspective. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: In peace support operations, military and civil actors are often cooperating in international coalitions. In such operations, effective and efficient coordination and information sharing is a prerequisite for effective Civil-Military Interaction (CMI), but the literature shows that this still leaves much room for improvement. Most research in this area takes a behavioral-science approach. We argue that existing research could be complemented with a design-science approach, which is an Information Systems problem-solving paradigm with its roots in engineering. After developing a high level CMI information exchange model and identifying inhibitors for information exchange, this paper provides a comparison between CMI in peace support operations and the collaboration of commercial enterprises using the e-Business paradigm. Based on observed similarities, the paper argues that the enabling technology for e-Business could overcome current inhibitors for effective and efficient information exchange for CMI in peace support operations, and is complementary to other mechanisms for information exchange. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Jens Pottebaum, Anna Maria Japs, Stephan Prödel, & Rainer Koch. (2010). Design and modeling of a domain ontology for fire protection. 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 semantics of things represent the central problem of the heterogeneous domain of emergency response. Both the communication between human actors and the interface between information systems face this hurdle with high impact on the efficiency in mission and time critical command and control processes. The integration of applications and information sharing based on semantic technologies promise added value for a solution to this problem. Therefore a model of the domain is essential; this paper contributes a domain ontology for fire protection. The scientific discussion as well as expert interviews built the basis for a new modeling approach. The selection of ontology languages is one of the important design issues presented in this paper.
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Rustenberg, K., Radianti, J., & Gjøsæter, T. (2023). Exploring Demons for the Establishment of Team Situational Awareness. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 636–648). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: Individual situational awareness (SA) is crucial for building team SA, which is necessary for achieving a shared understanding of a situation, making informed decisions, and taking appropriate actions. This article examines the communication barriers that emerge when transitioning from individual to team SA in emergency management scenarios. We observed two emergency exercises on “ongoing life-threatening violence” and dam failure causing hospital congestion. The study was complemented with interviews with participants of these exercises, aiming at identifying barriers called SA-demons in the team setting. We discovered barriers that hinder the establishment of team SA, including a vicious cycle of mistrust, a fragmented information trap, a false feeling of mastery trap, and a decaying memory trap. These barriers can stem from individual, organizational, or technological factors. To complement existing SA theories, we applied the Cynefin framework and found that standard operating procedures can be potential barriers when transitioning into chaotic or complex domains.
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Tina Comes, & Anouck Adrot. (2016). Power as Driver of Inter-Organizational Information Sharing in Crises. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: Research on decision-making and coordination in critical settings has provided important insights on resources and behaviors that improve emergency response. However, literature often assumes that decision-makers can access information when necessary, while empirical reality suggests that information is not always so easily accessed, but more or less shared between emergency actors. This research in progress aims to investigate how a specific organizational variable, power, influences information sharing behaviors? and its impact on emergency management. This research relies on two field studies to highlight in an inductive fashion a set of hypotheses on power in emergency organizations. We propose axes of investigation that map out ways to further explore the issue of power in emergency settings.
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Ariën J. Van Der Wal, & Tim J. Grant. (2013). Simulating information sharing in crisis response coalitions as a minority game. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 120–124). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: A major crisis or disaster attracts a response from multiple organizations. These organizations need to work together as a coalition. To do so effectively, they must share information. Differences in organizational culture give information a scarcity value, leading to the emergence of information markets. As the crisis progresses, organizations learn to work together, building up trust and lowering the “price” for information shared. Organizations that have worked together in previous crises have a price advantage. In short, the information sharing changes dynamically. Evolutionary game theory – And the minority game in particular – has been recently applied to markets in which physical goods are exchanged. This paper presents the first results from simulating an information sharing market in crisis response coalitions as a minority game.
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Shuyan Xie, & Markus Helfert. (2011). Towards an information architecture oriented framework for emergency response system. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Emergency, situations characterized as high consequence, low probability, and short decision time, create a unique decision-making environment that must be conscientiously supported. Historically, one of the techniques business has used to improve complex processes is a maturity model. Organizations should create the capabilities to react to information sharing needs in advance, not react an ad hoc manner to the information crisis. Based on the IT-Capability Maturity Framework (IT-CMF), we detailed some aspects of this model from an information architectural perspective to examine a country wide emergency service. Although information system and information technology (ISIT) have been emphasized in emergency management system, architectural aspects- a structure emphasized semantic description however have been of limited considerations. We propose a framework to analyzing architectural aspects for information sharing that can help improve emergency response system. The framework is discussed and exemplified with a case study. We conclude that the proposed framework provides a deeper understanding of information in use from technical and managerial aspects during emergency response. Guideline for further improvement will be the focus in our future work.
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