Everyone makes decisions. Members of the Decision Science Institute (DSI) approach decision making as a science. Our domain of application is not limited to a particular type of institution, industry, functional area, or discipline, but is all inclusive of decision making in general. One of our goals is to advance the field of decision sciences within all disciplines where decision making is applicable. To support that goal we sponsor an annual meeting for DSI members and those interested in our fields of inquiry.

The Decision Sciences Institute’s 2008 Annual Meeting theme is “Improving Competitiveness through Information and Decision Sciences.” We invite basic, applied, theory, and case study research in the field of decision making, as well as proposals for panel discussions, symposia, workshops, and tutorials dealing with research or pedagogical issues. This meeting will include invited sessions featuring highly respected researchers, educators, and practitioners who will share their knowledge and experience on decision-making practices. The sessions will be organized into 22 tracks and miniconferences. The meeting will also focus on curricular issues, technology in the classroom, doctoral student consortium, grantsmanship, and faculty development programs for both new and senior faculty. Additionally, this meeting will feature academic and industry keynote speakers.

We invite you to join us for the 2008 DSI Annual Meeting, to be held in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel from November 22nd to 25th. Detailed information on the hotel and event activities in Baltimore will be made available in the future on the meeting website. For tourism information, visit www.baltimore.org. In the meantime, if you have any questions, suggestions, or requests, feel free to email Program Chair Marc Schniederjans at dsi2008@unl.edu.

Refereed Papers: April 1, 2008
Abstracts and Proposals: May 1, 2008

The Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) invites contributions to the 2008 Annual Meeting in the following categories: Refereed Research Paper, Non-Refereed Research Abstract, and proposals for a Workshop, Tutorial, Panel, Symposium, or Colloquium. Authors can choose between submitting a refereed research paper that will receive reviews from at least two referees or of submitting a non-refereed research abstract of 50 words or less (500 characters maximum). If accepted, refereed research papers will be published in the Proceedings (available in CD-ROM format only), as well as sched­uled for presentation during the annual meeting.

If an author elects to submit a non-refereed research abstract, it will be scheduled for presentation during the annual meeting but will not be published in the Proceedings. Acceptance of abstracts and papers are subject to final approval by the track chairs. Proposals for a workshop, tutorial, panel, symposium, or colloquium will be evaluated for possible inclusion in the annual meeting by the appropriate track chairs, coordinator or program chair.

Authors are required to submit all contributions online using the instructions provided in the following section and updated on the meeting Web site. When using the Web site for submission, contributors of refereed research papers and proposals for a workshop, tutorial, panel, symposium, and colloquium will also be required to submit an electronic version of their paper or proposal as a pdf attachment. So that a double-blind review process can be maintained, the electronic file should contain only the body of the paper and the title of the submission, but no author identification information (which will be captured via a Web-based form).

Any individual author or co-author may submit up to three refereed research papers and/or non-refereed research abstracts to the annual meeting. (This does not include invited papers, workshops, tutorials, panels, symposia, and colloquia.) The submission of a refereed research paper or non-refereed research abstract means the author certifies the manuscript is not copyrighted, has not been accepted for publication in a journal, has not been presented or accepted for presentation at a professional meeting, and currently is not under review for presentation at another professional meeting. (Material printed in its entirety in any conference proceedings is considered published.) Furthermore, the author certifies his/her intention to register for and attend the meeting to present the paper, abstract, or proposal if it is accepted. The copyrights for all forms of presentation at the Institute’s Annual Meeting shall remain with the authors.

The submission deadline for refereed research papers is April 1, 2008. The submission deadline for non-refereed research abstracts and proposals for workshops, tutorials, panels, symposia, and colloquia is May 1, 2008. (Please refer to specific competitive awards for their respective submission deadlines.) Submitting authors will be acknowledged through a reference number right at the conclusion of the submission process.

Instructions for Electronic Submissions

The 2008 DSI Annual Meeting will use the existing conference information system (CIS) owned by the Institute. The authors must do all submissions electronically only using this system, which will be available after February 1, 2008, on the DSI 2008 Annual Meeting Web site. All of the following information must be provided for the submission to be accepted.

a. Title of submission (title changes will not be allowed at a later date)

b. Type of submission (must select one of the following):

• Refereed Research Paper - treat as an abstract for presentation if the paper is not accepted for publication in the Proceedings
• Refereed Research Paper - withdraw if rejected
• Non-Refereed Research Abstract
• Workshop Proposal
• Tutorial Proposal
• Panel Discussion Proposal
• Symposium Proposal
• Colloquium Proposal
• Award Competition Entry

c. Track that best fits the submission (to determine the proper track for your submission, see the track list along with descriptions and contacts of the track chairs)

d. (Optional) Provide the name and contact information of a possible reviewer for the Refereed Research Paper only (not for abstracts). It is optional for track chairs to use these reviewers.

e. Abstract of 50 words or less, which must accompany all types of submissions

f. Stage of your research as of today and by the time of the conference

g. Invitation information