Call for papers: Virtual Reality in Machine Design and Manufacturing

Call for papers: Virtual Reality in Machine Design and Manufacturing

A special issue of International Journal of Design Engineering

The field of virtual engineering has gained significance in recent years with the availability of numerical procedures and software developed to support designers and analysts. The use of more and more realistic digital mock-ups increases designer productivity and allows detailed evaluation of the design choices at an early stage. Virtual reality (VR) allows not only visualization of a set of CAD representations of parts but also interaction with them by means of haptic devices and stereo vision, such as moving parts into and out of their installed positions, reaching around obstacles, etc.

The purpose of this special issue is to get up-to-date knowledge and the most recent developments in all aspects of numerical and virtual engineering to simulate mechanical systems design, manufacturing and assembling.

While encouraging all high quality submissions that are relevant for the topics addressed, the special issue seeks particularly to promote outstanding research that will be presented within the special session on “Virtual Reality in Machine Design and Manufacturing” at the 13th International Conference on Machine Design and Production, to be held on 3-5 September 2008 in Istanbul, Turkey . Therefore, conference participants who are interested in their papers to be considered for publication in the special issue are invited to submit their manuscripts to the guest editors.

Topics of relevance include, but are not limited to:

• CAD and computer graphics issues in virtual reality
• New design strategies for industrial products
• Virtual reality support system for choice of design solutions
• Virtual prototyping
• Virtual reality applications in design, manufacturing and assembly
• Virtual manufacturing process models
• Real time simulation using virtual reality
• Virtual environments for engineering applications
• Virtual simulation of mechanical and mechatronic systems with errors
• Virtual reality and product ergonomics
• Optimization of assembling procedures
• Influence of manufacturing and assembly errors on product performance
• CAD/CAE/CAM, virtual reality and multi-sensorial virtual prototyping
• Virtual reality in education
• Virtual reality for training in industry

Important Dates
Submission of papers: 14 July 2008
First decision notification: 15 September 2008
Submission of revised papers: 15 January 2009
Final decision notification: 15 March 2009

Special issue: Innovative approach in technology and manufacturing management

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management 14(3/4) 2008

• Modular and collaborative automation: achieving manufacturing flexibility and reconfigurability
• A robust scheduling rule using a Neural Network in dynamically changing job-shop environments
• Six Sigma methodology: an effective tool for quality management
• Supply chain management for virtual enterprises with adaptive multi-agent mechanism
• Capacitating ERP through mathematical programming: a case study
• Study of the EDM process effects on aluminium alloys
• A conceptual model and an information tool for the establishment of production networks based on small and smallest enterprises
• A study on integration of process planning and scheduling system for holonic manufacturing with modification of process plans
• A hybrid-approach to model design and development processes and the evaluation of innovation opportunities
• Improvement through process integration using a simulative, dynamic method
• An assessment of recent developments in the finite element software for modelling manufacturing processes
• Rapid renovation of operational capabilities by ERP implementation: lessons from four Chinese manufacturers
• Optimisation of cutting conditions in hard turning using ceramic-coated and uncoated PCBN cutting tools
• Manufacturing facilities layout design using Genetic Algorithm

Special issue: Agent- and aspect-oriented software development and evolution

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology 31(1/2) 2008

Includes papers from the Second International Workshop on Agent-Oriented Software Development Methodology (AOSDM), collocated with the International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (SEKE), San Francisco Bay, USA, July 2006.

• A knowledge hierarchy model for adaptive multi-agent systems
• An adaptive casteship mechanism for developing multi-agent systems
• An ontology-based multi-agent system conceptual model
• Formal architectural models for agent-based service systems
• A flexible negotiation model for an agent-based software process modelling
• Aspect mining from a modelling perspective
• Automated responsive web service evolution through generative aspect-oriented component adaptation
• A component-based and aspect-oriented model for software evolution
• Validated model transformation-driven software development
• Managing software evolution with a formalised abstraction hierarchy
• Aspect-oriented specification of threat-driven security requirements

Special issue: Online learning communities in context

International Journal of Web Based Communities 4(2) 2008

• The role of a web-based community in teacher professional development
• Learning relations and networks in web-based communities
• Learning spaces, context and auto/biography in online learning communities
• Changes within the practice of higher education: participating in educational communication through distance settings
• E-OLC in a context of the Other: face, trace and cyberspace
• How artefacts rule web-based communities: practices of free software development
• Braided learning: an emerging process observed in e-communities of practice
• Design of dialogic eLearning-to-learn: meta-learning as pedagogical methodology
• Community-based learning in the networked society

Special issue: Managing sport businesses in a complex environment

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing 4(1) 2008

• A stakeholder approach to football club governance
• Delivering strategic change in complex sport environments: Country Racing Victoria
• Assessing organisational culture using the competing values framework within American Triple-A baseball
• Take-over and turnaround at Celtic: the McCann years 1994–1999
• The Olympic brand, ambush marketing and clutter
• Sport new media
• Emotional engagement and experiential marketing: a case study of the Athens Olympic Games

Call for papers: The Internet Channel Affecting Service Sciences

Call for papers: The Internet Channel Affecting Service Sciences

A special issue of International Journal of Technology Management

The Internet channel has significantly affected most business companies since it has been adopted as a communication, trading medium. Those companies which are willing to adopt the Internet channel have enjoyed revenue increases, while those which are not have suffered revenue losses. The objective of this special issue is to highlight this particular aspect of the relationship between the Internet channel and service sciences.

Nowadays the service industry is the most rapidly expanding part of the economies in the United States, and in European and some Asian countries. In the United States, services account for about $7.1 trillion of the U.S. gross domestic product (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007). Service sciences try to understand the phenomena which happen in the service industry. In this context, maintaining the Internet channel effectively and efficiently is a very important issue to both service managers and service scientists who are strongly interrelated with the Internet channel productivity.

This special issue seeks original articles; we prefer case studies of implemented systems or descriptions of innovative technologies, highlighting actual usage results. We also invite papers that focus on sociological approaches for evaluation methods.

Appropriate topics include, but are not limited to:

• Internet channel affecting service sciences for the service industry
• Internet channel conflicts and resolutions in the service science
• Channels' integration and convergence in the service science
• Channel knowledge management as a service science
• Strategic channel usage for the service science
• Marketing and Internet channels in the service science
• Service creation and supply through the Internet channel
• Service channel productivity measurement
• Evaluation of Internet channel performance
• Personalization and customization of the Internet channel for the service science

Important Dates
Submission of abstract: 30 June, 2008
Submission of full paper: 31 July, 2008
Feedback from referees: 31 October, 2008
Submission of revised paper: 30 November, 2008
Second round from referees (if applicable): 31 December, 2008
Submission of final revised paper: 31 January, 2009

Call for papers: Electronic Knowledge Sharing, Collaboration, and Decision-Making

Call for papers: Electronic Knowledge Sharing, Collaboration, and Decision-Making

A special issue of International Journal of Business and Systems Research

"To be or not to be?" That is no longer the question. Due to rapidly changing competitive landscape, most organisations must work beyond their own four walls in order to gain an extant competitive edge. These organisations will rely on the advents of the digital information superfreeway, and will be collaborating vertically and horizontally, both internally and with external partners, via new computing and communications advancements, bringing together their core competencies and operating as one unified entity.

One primary advantage of e-partnership and electronically integrated organisation lies in the fact that it eliminates the traditional boundaries of organisations, greatly enhancing organisations’ abilities to take actions and make decisions at the speed of mind. These organisations have functions that are increasingly interconnected within themselves and with their partners in a highly coordinated operation. In such an environment, one unit or subunit’s actions may most likely affect many others. As such, within the context of an organisation’s operation performance and/or e-partnership, decisions cannot be made in isolation; decisions require consultation and inputs from all those that can influence or be influenced by them.

This special issue is an opportunity for those involved in the study and management of electronic knowledge sharing, collaboration, and decision-making to share and exchange ideas and examples of best practices.

The special issue cordially invites submissions of papers on both the theory and practice of all aspects of electronic knowledge disseminations and acquisitions, intra- or inter-organisation collaborations, and group or joint decision-making. The journal is seeking qualitative, experience-based and quantitative papers as well as case studies and reports of work in progress from academics, practitioners, vendors and government departments.

Subject coverage of the special issue includes, but is not limited to:

• Web/internet knowledge sharing and collaborative applications/environments
• Electronic or online workspaces, tailoring
• Tools and interfaces supporting collaboration, learning, and decision-making
• Monitoring and analysis of electronic or online group interactions
• Workflow management and coordination
• Administration support for distributed/virtual communities
• Social aspects of e-knowledge sharing, online group work and decision-making
• Nomadic and/or mobile collaborative work
• Virtual groups and e-partnerships
• Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)
• Comprehensive reviews of previous studies on e-collaboration and/or e-knowledge sharing and/or e-decision-support technologies in organisations
• Analysis of different research methods and their impact on the study of e-collaboration and/or e-knowledge sharing and/or e-decision-support technologies in organisations
• Design, implementation, and assessment of e-business solutions that include e-collaboration and/or e-knowledge sharing and/or e-decision-support features
• E-collaboration and/or e-knowledge sharing and/or e-decision-making technologies' impacts on knowledge management and organisational learning
• Organisational and national culture as moderating factors in the adoption and use of e-collaboration and/or e-knowledge sharing and/or e-decision-support technologies in organisations
• E-collaboration and/or e-knowledge sharing and/or e-decision-support technologies support for the creation of virtual teams and virtual organisations
• Web-based asynchronous conferencing tools
• Success factors of digital international/global business collaboration
• Intra- and inter-organisational collaboration and productivity
• Conceptual frameworks of e-collaboration and/or e-knowledge sharing and/or e-decision-support in the global economy
• All other issues related to e-knowledge sharing, collaboration, and decision-making.

Important Dates
Full paper submission deadline: 15 November, 2008
Notification of acceptance and review results: 30 January, 2009
Revised paper submission deadline: 30 March, 2009
Notification of acceptance: 15 May, 2009
Camera-ready version deadline: 1 July, 2009

First issue: International Journal of Corporate Governance

The first issue of International Journal of Corporate Governance has just been published.

The journal targets scholars from both academia and the business community. Papers examine emerging trends in corporate governance and fast-changing concerns faced by companies from a comprehensive range of areas. Papers that apply financial regulations and organisational behaviour to corporate governance issues are also included and contributions may be of a theoretical or empirical nature.

There is a free download of the papers from this first issue.

Call for papers: Aerodynamic Research and Potential Industrial Applications

Call for papers: Aerodynamic Research and Potential Industrial Applications

A special issue of International Journal of Aerodynamics

As we know, research into aerodynamics has always played a very important role in the whole family of fluid mechanics and significant outcomes have been widely applied in various industry fields. At the same time, however, people also neglect the potential applications of many other outcomes, which may be more important sometime in the future. Therefore, this special issue is mainly targeted at this gap with the following objectives:
Presenting new ideas, research results, technology integration and validation in all areas of aerodynamics, especially emphasising the potential applications in specific industrial fields.
Providing an opportunity for both researchers and industry experts to share results and experiences with a view to the future enhancement of capability.
Evaluating the possibilities and availabilities of applying the resulting research outcomes to specific industrial fields.

This special issue will cover, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• Fluid-structure interaction
• Flow-induced vibration and noise
• Vortex shedding and wake
• CFD and numerical simulation techniques
• Flow measurement techniques
• Passive and active control of flow, flow-induced vibration and noise
• Flight dynamics
• Microfluidics

Important Dates
Draft papers due: 31 July 2008
Peer reviewed comments returned by: 30 September, 2008
Final papers by: 30 November, 2008
Authors then notified of paper acceptance and receive proofs. The corrected proofs must be returned within 14 days.

Call for papers: R&D, Innovation and Marketing - How to Convince Internal and External Stakeholders of Technological Innovations

Call for papers: R&D, Innovation and Marketing - How to Convince Internal and External Stakeholders of Technological Innovations

A special issue of International Journal of Technology Marketing

The term "innovation" is nowadays used in almost every context in daily life. There is no company which does not use it within their internal and external communications. In this context, many of them neglect the fact that innovations can provoke resistance to change. Therefore, today, maybe more than ever before, it is important for companies to continuously build up sustainable competitive advantages by offering innovative products and services. People need to be permanently engaged to define the reasons for change, what should be changed and who should carry the necessary changes. This becomes even more important as the innovation process itself keeps permanently changing, particularly through one of the main trends of the last years: open innovation.

Hence, the aim of this special issue is to look at the challenges of internal and external communication related to major technological innovations within large enterprises. The selection of large entities is because this is where the resistance to change can be the strongest. Not only internal groups such as employees or managers have to be convinced, but also external stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, legislators or shareholders. In order to achieve this, specific management techniques, organisational routines and technology marketing methods are needed.

Potential authors are invited to submit contributions that could shed light on the organisational impact of innovations in marketing and in technology. The goal is to prepare a reference issue that can be of immediate use to those interested in the management of innovation and its implications, whether they are academics, practitioners and researchers.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to:

• Technology and marketing in major enterprises
• Marketing of technological innovation
• Internal and external communication of change
• Involvement of employees in innovative activities
• Integration of external partners in the innovation process
• The role of open innovation in facilitating change
• Change management in large organisations
• Effects of group think and/or group blindness on resistance to change
• Organisation theory and its impact on innovation marketing
• Management best practice
• Innovation networks and clusters
• The role of new business incubators
• Venture management and corporate entrepreneurship
• Initiativeness and responsibility in the intrapreneurial process

Important Dates
1-2 page abstract (max. 1200 words): 1 June 2008
Notification to authors: 15 July 2008
Submission of manuscripts: 30 September 2008
Notification to authors: 30 November 2008
Final drafts of papers: 31 January 2009

First issue: International Journal of Nanoparticles

The first issue of International Journal of Nanoparticles has just been published.

Nanoparticles are becoming key components in a wide range applications. Research into nanoparticles encompasses numerous disciplines such as nanotechnology, molecular engineering, medicine, pharmaceutical drug manufacture, biology, chemistry, physics, optical components, polymer science, mechanical engineering, toxicology, cosmetics, energy, food technology and environmental and health sciences.

The journal focuses on the chemical, physical and biological phenomena and processes associated with nanoparticles and nanostructures ranging from molecular size to 100nm which exhibit improved properties or have novel applications due to their size. It will include aspects of submicron nanoparticles in special cases.

There is a free download of the papers from this first issue.

Special issue: Global supply chain management practices

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management 4(4) 2008

Papers from the Fourth Annual International Symposium on Supply Chain Management held in Toronto, Canada from 4-6 October 2006.

• Best practices for the implementation of Supply Chain Management initiatives
• Environmental impacts on reverse logistics and green supply chains: similarities and integration
• The promise of information sharing and the peril of information overload
• Supply chain partnerships and supply chain integration: the mediating role of information quality and sharing
• Integration of e-business and Supply Chain Management for Small and Medium sized Enterprises in Iran
• Supply Chain Management implementation in Tunisia: an exploratory study of the dairy sector

Product Lifecycle Management Summit 2008

Inderscience, through the International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, is a media partner for the 4th European PLM Summit 2008 to be held in Toulouse, France from 23rd - 25th June 2008. The Summit is a conference and networking event that once again brings together the leading practitioners who are embracing product lifecycle management. The conference begins with the pre-event innovation tour, where you can see PLM in action at the Airbus manufacturing plant in Toulouse.

Free trial to Inderscience through Ingenta

Readers who belong to institutions using the IngentaConnect service to access electronic journals will be interested to know that Inderscience is offering such institutions a free 60 day trial to the complete collection of some 200 e-journals. To take advantage of this offer you need to ask your library to sign up - details are here.

200th published title

The publication of the International Journal of Services Sciences brings another milestone in the publishing history of Inderscience, bringing to 200 the number of published titles. Given the fact that there were only some 30 or so published titles five years ago, this represents a huge expansion. And there are more to come, with over 100 titles in development.

First issue: International Journal of Services Sciences

The first issue of International Journal of Services Sciences has just been published.

During recent years, there has been substantial and important growth in the application of quantitative analysis, i.e., operations research/management science, data mining, information, knowledge engineering and intelligent systems, statistics, and related fields to interdisciplinary problems arising in the service industry. This journal is devoted exclusively to research in this important, but under-represented area and provides the primary forum for both academic and industry researchers and practitioners.

There is a free download of papers from this first issue.

Special issue: Innovation networks

International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy 4(3/4) 2008

• Behavioural foundations of innovation surveys
• Why do firms cooperate for innovation? A comparison of Austrian and Finnish CIS3 results
• Location matters – measuring the efficiency of business social networking
• Innovation, networks and the research environment: examining the linkages
• Knowledge exploitation in innovation networks: the perspective of the knowledge source
• A garbage can model for Schumpeterian process: the network effects
• The prerequisites of public policy for technology innovation
• R&D collaboration networks in the European Framework Programmes: data processing, network construction and selected results
• Forecast on the growth climate of China's passenger vehicle ownership
• Fostering innovation by reengineering the academic research area: examples from Cyprus

First issue: International Journal of Business Excellence

The first issue of International Journal of Business Excellence has just been published.

The journal will promote research and application of new developments in business performance measures, metrics, benchmarking and best practices. Global business perspectives and the implications of business excellence are emphasised in developing appropriate strategies, tactics, techniques, tools and operational policies for being successful in achieving the best performance. The journal will also (i) raise the awareness of business excellence in emerging economies, (ii) focus on the excellence in creative economy and industries, (iii) provide insights regarding the latest business excellence and best practices, and (iv) offer a networking forum for academics, professionals and entrepreneurs.

There is a free download of the papers from this first issue.

Special issue: ICMB 2007: Harnessing the potential for mobile business

International Journal of Mobile Communications 6(3) 2008

Papers from the Sixth International Conference on Mobile Business (ICMB 2007) held in Toronto, Canada, 9-11 July 2007.

• User-device attachment – scale development and initial test
• Insights on the drivers and inhibitors of Mobile Data Services uptake
• Segmenting bank customers by resistance to mobile banking
• Applying the theory of task-technology fit to mobile technology: the role of user mobility
• An integrated product development process for mobile software
• Estimating the capacity of the Location-Based Advertising channel
• India: a case of fragile wireless service and technology adoption?
• A meta-analysis of Mobile Commerce Research in China (2002–2006)

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation - to begin publication in 2009 - will publish refereed high quality articles with special emphasis on research and development into recent advances in composites, ceramics, functionally graded materials, cellular materials, and ecomaterials. It will deal with all aspects of modern materials engineering, such as materials preparation and processing, relationships between structure (nano and micro) and properties (physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal, electrical and magnetic), computational and optimisation techniques, as well as performance and technological applications for advanced industry.

Special issue: Digital manufacturing

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management 14(1/2) 2008

• The development of desktop e-manufacturing system
• Collaborative manufacturing process planning for distributed integration in tooling industry
• Study on Manufacturing Grid and its executing platform
• The role of paper-nip interactions on electrostatic toner transfer forces in Xerographic printing
• Design of an agent-based distant and distributed manufacturing control system
• Finite Element analysis of aluminum tube hydroforming based on non-quadratic yield function
• Process simulation during the isothermal extrusion of Ti–6.0Al–2.0Zr–1.0Mo–1.0V alloy by 3D FEM
• Topological expression mode approach of Satellite Gear Mechanism for intelligent CAD
• Lightweight automotive doors design including material and manufacturing process selection
• Analysing inspection frequency for wafer bumping process and an empirical study of UNISON decision framework
• Geometric algorithms for manufacturing of freeform multi-material objects using reconfigurable tools
• Application of wavelet analysis to BIW assembly quality evaluation
• Study on PLM-oriented Product Lifecycle Genetic Model
• Logical interaction between domain knowledge and human cognition in design
• A robust process optimisation for fused deposition modelling

Call for papers: Techniques and Protocols for Merging Wireless and Mobility Services

Call for papers: Techniques and Protocols for Merging Wireless and Mobility Services

A special issue of International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems

Wireless and mobility have emerged rapidly as an exciting new paradigm that offers a challenging model of service computing and poses fascinating problems regarding distributed resource management, ranging from information sharing to cooperative computing.

This special issue is intended to foster state-of-the-art research in the area of integration of wireless and mobile services, including the topics of collaboration environment, implementations, running experiments, deployment on real systems and novel applications associated with this paradigm. The published papers are expected to focus on state of the art technologies advancement to realise mobile and ubiquitous service environments for advanced applications and services in wireless networks.

Mobility and wireless, special services and lessons learnt from particular deployment complement the traditional wireless topics. This special issue will serve as a landmark source for education, information, and reference to researchers, professionals, and graduate students interested in this fascinating area.

Topics of solicited original research papers include, but not limited to:

• Radio interfaces and systems
• Location-based services and positioning
• Mobility, location and handoff management
• Protocols for wireless and mobility
• Traffic and congestion control, QoS, resource management
• Management of wireless and mobile networks
• Security in wireless and mobile environment
• Networks convergence and integration
• Applications and services based on wireless infrastructures
• Standardization and regulations
• Cross-layer optimisations in wireless networks
• Emerging wireless technologies
• Wireless and mobile network deployment
• Circuits for wireless communications
• Spectrum allocation and management
• Performance analysis, simulation and testing of wireless and mobile systems.

Important Dates
Manuscript submission deadline: 15 October, 2008
Notifications: 26 January, 2009
Revised submission: 16 March, 2009
Final notification: 20 April, 2009

Special issue: Advances in data storage systems and technology

International Journal of Product Development 5(3/4) 2008

• Perspective of read heads for ultra-high recording densities and associated noise issues
• Perpendicular magnetic recording write head design
• A review of L10 FePt films for high-density magnetic recording
• Fabrication of FePt/M (M = C, Ag, Si) nanoparticulate thin films with perpendicular anisotropy
• Design optimisation of sub-5 nm Head-Disk Interfaces using a two-degree-of-freedom dynamic contact model with friction
• Slider-disk clearance characterisation and optimisation for high-reliability magnetic hard disk drives
• Flying height adjustment technologies for high-density magnetic recording
• Ultrathin carbon coatings for magnetic storage technology
• Chemical-modification approach for the near contact regime
• Head wear reduction in future hard-disk drives
• New approaches to in-contact recording system for high-density recording
• Flying height calibration with bump disk
• Flow-induced vibration in Hard Disk Drives
• Optimal precompensation for nonlinearities in longitudinal magnetic recording using dynamic programming
• Timing recovery in data storage systems: framework and approach of Kalman filtering
• R&D activity trend on optical storage technology

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology

International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology - to begin publication in 2009 - is a journal of new knowledge, reporting research and applications which highlight the opportunities and limitations of computer aided engineering and technology in today's lifecycle-oriented, knowledge-based era of production. Contributions that deal with both academic research and industrial practices will be included.

Special issue: Nanosensors

International Journal of Nanotechnology 5(4/5) 2008

• The all pervading nanosensors
• Towards practicable sensors using one-dimensional nanostructures
• Some recent trends in the fabrication, functionalisation and characterisation of metal oxide nanowire gas sensors
• Study of defect behaviour in Ga2O3 nanowires and nano-ribbons under reducing gas annealing conditions: applications to sensing
• Fabrication and characterisation of suspended carbon nanotube devices in liquid
• Nanomaterial resistive sensors: noise, power, and circuit interfaces
• Synthesis and characterisation of CZT nanowire arrays for gamma ray detection
• Analytical simulation of interfacial DNA hybridisation for design of an optimal nanotechnology handheld biosensor

Call for papers: Multimodal Biometric Systems and Biometric Fusion

Call for papers: Multimodal Biometric Systems and Biometric Fusion

A special issue of International Journal of Biometrics

The goal of this Special Issue is to solicit original, state-of-the-art research in the rapidly growing area of biometric fusion, concentrating specifically on unique aspects of multimodal biometrics as well as their practical applications.

Unimodal biometric systems often face limitations that negatively influence their resulting performance. The factors can be related to noisy data, intra-class variability among biometric samples, low distinctiveness, non-universality of the data, and other factors. To alleviate some of these problems, the concept of the multimodal biometric system was developed. A multimodal biometric system is system that uses more than one independent or weakly correlated biometric identifier taken from an individual, often coupled with an effective fusion scheme necessary to combine the information presented by the multiple domain experts.

In addition to the theoretical importance of the proposed topic, there is a growing awareness of the value of findings in the area of multimodal biometric to a broader scientific community, that involves computer graphics, geometric modelling, scientific computing, artificial intelligence, networks and security with significant activities spurred in many industries, especially those involved in the acquisition, processing and interpretation of large biometric data.

This Special Issue is devoted specifically to biometric fusion methods and their performance and utilisation in multimodal biometric systems. Papers related to all aspects of multibiometric systems, from conceptual development to real-time testing and deployment in commercial applications, are invited.

Original research in all areas related to multimodal biometrics and biometric fusion is solicited, which may include, but is not limited to:

• Reliability of biometric evidence
• Biometric synthesis and decision-making
• Pattern recognition, neural-networks and artificial intelligence methods in biometrics
• Multibiometric system architecture
• Large-scale authentication systems
• Fusion levels (rank, decision, sensor, feature and match-score)
• Multibiometric system applications and deployment

Important Date
Paper Submission Deadline: 1 July, 2008

Call for papers: Lean Principles in Manufacturing, Service and Public Sectors

Call for papers: Lean Principles in Manufacturing, Service and Public Sectors

A special issue of International Journal of Technology Management

The principles of Lean supply emerged from the Toyota Production System. Lean is focused upon the elimination of waste (all activities that add cost but not value) and continuous improvement. Lean has enabled companies to simultaneously increase productivity and quality whilst reducing inventory, lead times and costs.

Lean comprises a philosophy and a set of tools that are often pragmatically applied. The implementation of Lean usually requires the retraining of staff at all levels of the organisation and the implementation of effective change management. Lean changes the nature of the relationships both internally and within supply chains.

Lean originated in high volume automotive manufacturing, but it is now increasingly applied in many different contexts and sectors. Many organisations have adopted Lean as an approach to achieving operational excellence, which has become more important as markets have become increasingly competitive.

This special edition aims to explore Lean thinking and lean tools from both practical and theoretical perspectives. It is intended to facilitate learning across sectors from both academics and practitioners.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Toyota Production System
• Lean principles and philosophy
• Lean in the service industries
• Lean in the public sector
• Lean in health
• Policy deployment
• Lean design
• Procurement, supply chain management
• Product and process architecture
• Product development
• Production configurations
• Mass customisation
• Just-in-Time
• Kaizen
• Housekeeping/5S
• Maintenance management
• Plant/product life cycle management
• Modelling of Lean systems

Important Dates
Full paper due: 1 January 2009
Notification of status of paper: 1 March 2009
Final version of paper due: 1 May 2009

Call for papers: Lean Principles and Information Management

Call for papers: Lean Principles and Information Management

A special issue of International Journal of Technology Management

Lean has become prevalent in the manufacturing and service sectors. Lean supply is often supported by comprehensive information systems for communicating demand information, planning and controlling production and recording and reporting the use of resources. Some companies have implemented new accounting systems based upon activity based costing. Lean synchronises demand throughout the internal and external supply chains. This requires the real time sharing of information on demand, inventory and product specifications. The complexity of information has increased as companies have expanded their product ranges and moved towards supplying products on a make-to-order basis with a batch size of one.

This special issue aims to explore information systems in a Lean context. Papers are invited from both academics and practitioners.

Topics involve information systems relating, but not limited, to:

• Enterprise resource planning
• Demand management
• Planning and control
• Supply chain management
• Product and process architecture
• Information systems strategy
• Information management strategy
• Asset information management
• The use of information standards and coding
• In-process control
• Process monitoring
• Condition-based operations

Important Dates
Full paper due: 1 April 2009
Notification of status of paper: 1 July 2009
Final version of paper due: 1 September 2009

UK Serials Group Conference April 2008

Inderscience will be exhibiting at the 2008 Annual Conference and Exhibition of the UK Serials Group (UKSG). This major event for librarians and publishers will take place from 7-9 April 2008 at the Riviera International Conference Centre in Torquay.
If you are attending you will be more than welcome to come and see us on Stand 67. If you wish to pre-book an appointment, please contact informationmanager@inderscience.com.

Call for papers: Realigning the Innovation-Entrepreneurship Interface

Call for papers: Realigning the Innovation-Entrepreneurship Interface

A special issue of International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

True entrepreneurship is the essence of economic development, but it cannot exist without innovation. Innovation plays an important role in creating an environment for sustainable entrepreneurship. Both concepts foster interactions between academia and industry for sharing of ideas and experiences and for developing new technology in order to ensure skills and value transfer to the end-users.

While this blend between entrepreneurship and innovation is achievable at both the corporate enterprise and the small-to-medium enterprise (SME) levels, there are some indications that the cocktail has become poisonous and too dangerous for consumption. This is largely based on the recent practices of enterprises’ stifling innovation at the altar of entrepreneurship and vice versa. The question now is whether the definition of entrepreneurship can be complete without reference to innovation and vice versa.

The aim of this special issue is to provide a common platform for researchers, scholars and practitioners to address those issues relating to perceived gaps between innovation and entrepreneurship. Manuscripts based on entrepreneurship, innovation and/or a mixture of both concepts are particularly suitable for this issue, so are the comparative studies conducted in developing and/or emerging countries.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to:

• The innovation handicap of emerging countries' entrepreneurship
• SME entrepreneurship and innovation
• Corporate entrepreneurship and innovation
• Bridging the gaps between innovation and entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurship without innovation
• Entrepreneurship in non-innovative enterprises

Important Dates
Extended abstracts of no more than 5 single-spaced pages due: 22 July 2008
Full paper due: 18 August 2008
Acceptance notification for final paper by: 11 September 2008
Final paper due: 10 November 2008

Call for papers: Security, Privacy, and Identification Technologies in Wireless Sensor Networks

Call for papers: Security, Privacy, and Identification Technologies in Wireless Sensor Networks

A special issue of International Journal of Security and Networks

Sensors and sensor networks have attracted considerable research interest because of their potential in providing diverse services to pervasive computing applications, not only in science and engineering, but also, equally importantly, in issues related to critical infrastructure protection, security, health care, environment protection, energy, etc. The ad-hoc networking technology has also enabled sensor nodes to connect with each other via wireless communications in a much easier way. The flexibility of installing and configuring a sensor network is thus greatly improved.

However, security concerns remain a serious impediment to widespread adoption of wireless sensor networks. The underlying communication medium for wireless networks provides serious exposure to attacks against wireless networks. Wireless sensor networks cannot usually depend on the traditional infrastructure found in enterprise environments, such as dependable power sources, high bandwidth, and continuous connectivity. Without adequate security, enterprises will not be able to profit from the use of wireless sensor networks, defence organisations might be unable to guarantee the safety of their personnel, and wireless sensor networks will remain on the drawing board, even if the other problems associated with them are solved.

The scope of this special issue covers from basic concerns, such as system security, network security, privacy, and identification technologies, to application concerns, such as gathering information in a hostile environment, tracing mobile attackers, intrusion detection, and secure routing in wireless sensor network.

The special issue invites quality papers articulating new perspectives in the above directions. Both original research papers and application papers describing challenging system development are welcome. Reports of practical implementation are also welcome.

Any paper should have security in sensor networks as the focus. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Intrusion detection
• Location/data privacy enhancing technologies
• Authentication and access control
• Tracing mobile attacker
• Secure routing
• Secure communication protocols
• Availability and reliability
• Key management in wireless sensor network
• Denial of service
• Monitoring and surveillance
• Energy efficient cryptographic primitives
• Secure neighbor discovery
• Phishing in mobile environment
• Identity theft

Important Dates
Submission deadline: 30 September 2008
Notification: 31 December 2008
Final Paper Submission: 31 January 2009

Call for papers: Intellectual Capital Management for Service Productivity Improvement

Call for papers: Intellectual Capital Management for Service Productivity Improvement

A special issue of International Journal of Services Technology and Management

Similarly to manufacturing organisations, service organisations are challenged to continuous productivity improvement. Both in the case of globally-operating and competing companies as well as in locally-operating public welfare organisations, there is a need to make sure that service production is effective and efficient and that resources are optimised, properly allocated and exploited. This means that a key target for service organisations is the improvement of service operations productivity. This poses different issues, such as in particular:
How to link the management of knowledge resources to the improvement of the services quality and to the outcomes of service delivery?
How to measure service productivity when the output is intangible and cannot be counted similarly to goods (physical products)?

Indeed, by definition, service is something intangible and its production is fundamentally based on knowledge processes and resources. Managing service production may require different approaches, models and tools than those designed for manufacturing organisations. In order to explore how service operations productivity can be improved, a particularly useful approach appears to be intellectual capital management.

Intellectual capital has been an active research theme during the past decade. Significant research efforts have been used to develop frameworks and tools for understanding, analysing, measuring and managing the intangible and knowledge assets of organisations. This research field highlights some of the phenomena posing challenges to managing service productivity and services in general.

There are many different services and service organisations, and probably as many different ways to improve productivity. This Special Issue aims to investigate the contribution of the intellectual capital research stream to service productivity improvement.

Academics and researchers interested in this research theme are encouraged to submit a paper for evaluation. In addition, selected papers from IFKAD 2008 conference will also be included.

We invite to submit papers related to the theme including but not limited to the issues listed below:

• Intellectual capital (IC) and productivity: how are the concepts linked theoretically and empirically?
• IC in service companies: what is the role of IC in a service organisation?
• IC management: how different service companies manage IC in practice?
• Innovations in services: how to leverage IC to create productive services?
• Service productivity measurement: how to capture the intangible outputs?
• Value creation process in services: how is customer value created and how can it be measured?
• Knowledge-intensive services (KIS): how to manage companies for which knowledge is their key input and output?

Important Dates
Deadline for Submission of Papers: 15 September 2008
Review Deadline: 15 November 2008
Notification of Acceptance: 30 November 2008
Deadline for Revised Papers: 31 January 2009

Call for papers: Mobile and Ubiquitous Technologies for Language Learning

Call for papers: Mobile and Ubiquitous Technologies for Language Learning

A special issue of International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation

Language learning has become one of the important application domains of mobile learning. Recent developments in mobile and ubiquitous technologies provide new learning environments for language learning, which goes far beyond the traditional learning paradigms, i.e., classroom teaching and training in companies.

Research and development projects on Mobile CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) have appeared, concerning studies on innovative ways of language learning using mobile devices, such as learning vocabulary using mobile phones, and mobile learning applications for speech/audio language training. In addition, various commercial products have appeared, as well as many podcast contents for second language learning.

This special issue will discuss the latest mobile and ubiquitous language-learning (MULL) applications and technologies for language learning. Its purpose is to disseminate studies about how we meet the challenges of this technology, the practical experiences of the design of mobile and ubiquitous language-learning environments, the current development systems in either academia or industry, as well as the current economic and social context of mobile and ubiquitous learning development and empirical research into contemporary mobile learning environments.

The special issue aims at publishing a selection of papers addressing the topics indicated below, but is not limited to them:

• Innovative mobile and ubiquitous language learning (MULL) applications.
• Learner modelling for MULL
• Learning objects metadata for MULL
• New technologies that directly support MULL systems (devices, computational models, networks, tools, protocols, etc.)
• Practical studies of MULL in K12 schools, universities, companies, museums and organisations
• Human-Computer Interaction issues in MULL environments
• Mobile games and toys for language learning
• The role of wikis, blogs, podcasts, messaging, and other on-line tools and Web 2.0 components in MULL systems
• Personalisation and intelligent support for learner interaction and collaborative language learning with mobile devices
• Pedagogical models and theories for MULL
• Evaluation and assessment methodologies for MULL
• Privacy and security issues in MULL
• The role of context-aware and location based services for MULL

Important Dates
Proposal of submission (optional): 30 July, 2008
Full paper: 30 September, 2008
Notification of acceptance: 20 December, 2008
Revised submission: 15 February, 2009
Camera-ready version: 15 March, 2009

The proposal of submission should be no more than one page, and must cover a brief description of your proposed submission. It will only provide an opportunity for interacting with the editors before the full paper submission. Authors of accepted proposals will also have until 30 September 2008 to submit their full paper.

Special issue: Technology intelligence of SMEs

International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning 4(1) 2008

The special issue comprises mostly contributions to the ICSB World Conference 2007 held on 13–15 June 2007 in Turku, Finland.

• Commercialisation of new knowledge within universities: exploring performance disparities
• Using SME intelligence in mentoring science and technology students
• ''Don't rest on your laurels'': an inquiry into the barriers to radical follow-up innovation in New Technology Based Ventures
• SMME competitiveness through technology diffusion from higher educational institutions: a South African perspective
• Sustaining value creation in technology-based firms: the role of five protection options in securing rents from new product development
• Managing uncertainty in the marketing of new-technology products
• Planning of global sourcing from total acquisition cost perspective
• The impact of formal SME networks in emerging economies: a study of formal manufacturing networks in Pakistan

Special issue: Entrepreneurship and moral progress

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business 6(1) 2008

• Entrepreneurial wisdom: incorporating the ethical and strategic dimensions of entrepreneurial decision-making
• Entrepreneurship as wisdom
• Entrepreneurship: opportunistic or excellent?
• Opportunity recognition of social entrepreneurs: an application of the creativity model
• Synergising entrepreneurship, incubated business and socioeconomic upliftment in rural India
• The entrepreneurial wide boy. A modern morality tale
• A note on entrepreneurial trust in the Saint-Petersburg region of contemporary Russia
• The development of environmental responsibility amongst Slovenian SMEs
• Ethical entrepreneurs: a study of perceptions
• Women business owners in international trade: ethical issues, response strategies and moral progress
• How franchiser and franchisee relationships affect franchisees' satisfaction? The importance of fairness, communication and trust as ethical bases of relationship marketing
• A longitudinal study of the commitment to business ethics of corporate Australia

Call for papers: Sensors in the Information Age

Call for papers: Sensors in the Information Age

A special issue of International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications

The need to monitor, measure, analyse and respond to various phenomena such as temperature, vibration, acceleration, strain, humidity, acidity, visual images, sounds, radiation, etc., is of paramount importance in virtually every area of the modern world - manufacturing, agriculture, construction, healthcare, transportation, defence, meteorology, science, etc.

Recent advances in information and communication technology have enabled the development, implementation and application of new generation of intelligent sensing devices and systems characterised by superior signal and data processing capabilities backed by the explosive growth in computer power and data storage capacity. They can be employed as autonomous units or used as building blocks of medium and large-scale sensing, data processing and control networks. Such networks may include a multiple of embedded (or alternatively external working on-line) processors to simultaneously gather, store and process information from a large number of sensors and other data sources.

There has been increasing interest of science and engineering community to the information age aspects of design, development and applications of the sensing devices, sensor systems and networks. This special issue is our contribution towards addressing this interest.

The special issue focuses on all aspects of design, development, implementation, operation and applications of modern sensing devices, systems and sensor networks with the topics including (but not limited) to:

• Sensors and actuators
• Sensor phenomena and modelling
• Sensor characterisation
• Smart sensors and sensor fusion
• Sensor signal processing
• Sensor information and communication technologies
• Sensor arrays and sensor networks
• Vision sensing
• Electromagnetic sensors
• Chemical and gas sensors
• Physical sensors
• Electronic nose technology
• Biological sensors
• Electro-optic sensors and systems
• Mechanical sensors (inertial, pressure, and tactile)
• Nano-sensors
• Acoustic, noise and vibration sensors
• Wireless sensors
• Optical sensors
• Lab-on chip and solid state sensors
• Applications of sensing devices, sensor systems and networks

We also plan to include into the proposed Special Issue the extended versions of some of the best reports on modern sensing technology and applications presented at the 2nd International Conference of Sensing Technology, which was held in Palmerston North, New Zealand in November 2007.

Important Dates
Manuscript submission: 25 April, 2008
Reviewer reports: 27 June, 2008
Revised paper submission: 8 August, 2008
Final manuscript submission to publisher: 5 September, 2008

Call for papers: The entrepreneurial nature of sports marketing

Call for papers: The entrepreneurial nature of sports marketing

A special issue of International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing

Sport is a billion dollar global industry. Globalisation has presented challenges and opportunities in sport, and in a complex, changing environment, innovation and the way that advertisers market sports through the internet may hold the key to success. While sports marketing and entrepreneurship have not frequently crossed paths in academic research, as competition for consumer dollars increases, innovative marketing efforts must evolve to create competitive advantage for sports organizations and deliver value to consumers.

The aim of this special issue is to advance a body of knowledge that relates entrepreneurial innovation to sports marketing and team performance management. Quantitative analyses, qualitative studies, conceptual or theoretical research and cases studies are welcome.

This special issue will focus on entrepreneurial marketing and team performance management efforts in sports, including, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Entrepreneurial approaches to marketing
• The role of entrepreneurship in marketing innovation and team performance management
• Global marketing challenges and opportunities
• Entrepreneurial firms and marketing policies
• Sponsorship initiatives
• New media and marketing innovation
• The role of social networks
• Social capital and entrepreneurial marketing
• Innovative brand initiatives in teams
• The role of sport in marketing social change
• Ethics, social responsibility and sustainability
• The role of technological innovation in marketing
• Targeting and segmentation strategies in sports-based team management
• Relationship marketing initiatives
• Positioning and competitive advantage in sports teams
• Media relationships and marketing success
• Marketing metrics and assessment
• Sports marketing and entrepreneurship best practices in team performance

Important Date
Manuscripts must be received by: 30 June 2008

Special issue: on Learning environments in health sciences

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management 9(2) 2008

• An e-learning virtual quality centre for vocational education and training in healthcare management and informatics
• Computer-supported collaborative work systems and communication services in healthcare
• A virtual environment in the healthcare domain for the management of clubfoot deformity in newborn babies: a case study
• Learning conversations for people with established bad habits: a study of four health communities
• Simulation and learning environments in health care
• Integrating the healthcare enterprise process
• Medical device technologies: who is the user?
• Healthcare training expenditures in the US between 1982 and 1997: what do they mean for today's organisations?

Special issue: Narrative and interactive learning environments

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning 18(2) 2008
Papers originating from a workshop held in conjunction with the 12th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education held in Amsterdam in July 2005.

• Experiences authoring interactive pedagogical dramas
• A narrative centred Informant Design approach for interactive learning environments
• Narratives on platform: stories for women in computer science
• Programming as mathematical narrative
• Affect detection and metaphor in e-drama
• Senior design course in industrial engineering at Kuwait University
• Development of a practical engineering project and heat transfer solver to support a thermal-fluid system design course at NTU

Special issue: Issues of energy consumption and pollution in the use of renewable energy: no free lunch

International Journal of Nuclear Governance, Economy and Ecology 2(1) 2008

• The role of nuclear energy in the post-Kyoto carbon mitigation strategies
• A decision support system to compare different strategies for achieving the Italian Kyoto Protocol commitment
• Integration of wind-generating units into the Corsican electrical grid: determination of the maximal integration rate from a reliability analysis based on a stochastic process
• Reengineering of energy management
• IRadiation exergy: the case of thermal and nuclear energy
• Thermodynamic limitations to nuclear energy deployment as a greenhouse gas mitigation technology

Special issue: Discrete optimisation

European Journal of Industrial Engineering 2(2) 2008

Extended versions of papers from the International Conference on Service Systems and Service Management (ICSSSM06) held on 25–27 October 2006 in Troyes, France.

• The splittable pickup and delivery problem with reloads
• An adaptive algorithm for the knapsack problem: perturbation of the profit or weight of an arbitrary item
• An unrelated parallel machines model for an industrial production resetting problem
• Operating theatre scheduling using Lagrangian relaxation
• Modelling and solving a multimode and multisite industrial problem: Lagrangean relaxation and heuristic approaches
• Lot-splitting for inspection in a synchronised two-stage manufacturing process with finite production rates and random out-of-control shifts in the first stage

Special issue: Advances in e-business research – papers from the Fifth Workshop on Electronic Business (WEB 2006)

International Journal of Electronic Business 6(1) 2008

The Fifth Workshop on Electronic Business (WEB, 2006) was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA on 9 December 2006.

• Nonlinear pricing of e-market transaction services
• Visualising e-business stakeholders on the Web: a methodology and experimental results
• Finding seller quality and quality sellers in online markets: an agent-based analysis
• Knowledge sharing in a collaborative business environment
• Value Chain Crossing: insights and opportunities for future research

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion

International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion - to begin publication in 2009 - will highlight the latest trends in research in the field of power generation, transmission and distribution. Today there exist significant challenges in the power sector, particularly in deregulated/restructured power markets. A key challenge to the operation, control and protection of the power system is the proliferation of power electronic devices within power systems. The main thrust of the journal is to bring out the latest research trends in the power sector as well as in energy conversion technologies

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Computational Economics and Econometrics

International Journal of Computational Economics and Econometrics - to begin publication in 2009 - will explore the intersection of economics and computation. It will investigate the application of recent computational techniques to empirical economics studies and adopt an international and multidisciplinary scope in the pure examination of recent quantitative methods (and their problems) in policy analysis. The research areas addressed include computational modelling, computational econometrics and statistics.