The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin |
There are four objectives of this Workshop and its agenda reflects one way of achieving these goals. Primary discussions will revolve around work groups in break out sessions.
(1) The first objective is to survey and identify research areas that are strategic, timely and most pressing for the successful application of the information infrastructure. To facilitate work and discussion, participants are divided into 5 break-out groups (BOG) in Break-Out Session I (State of the Art Survey).(2) The second objective is to build consensus on the future directions of EC research efforts and how various research components of electronic commerce can be better collaborated considering their wider effects on economic and social institutions and interactions. The banner of Electronic Commerce reaches a wide range of technological, economic and social issues. Ultimately, computer-aided processes will become essential not only in commercial applications but also in other areas such as education, government services, crime prevention, health care, political participation and social interactions. This objective is achieved in the Break-Out Session II (Future Directions for Research).
(3) The third objective is to develop research priorities aimed at defining high-impact areas and guiding research institutions, industries and other members of the research community in their selecting and funding projects. For this purpose, break out sessions will be followed by BOG presentations to the whole group and a final consensus building session.
(4) The fourth and final objective is to disseminate the results of the Workshop and to support continued and increased participation in the identified priority areas by academic researchers and industry users. BOG sessions and the final consensus list will be published in a report to the NSF and online for wider distribution. To facilitate report writing, we ask participants and BOG facilitators to maintain written records as much as possible. Writing materials and aids will be provided for this purpose.
Expected Contributions of the Workshop
The main goal of the Workshop is to ascertain future research directions of the emerging and exciting field of Electronic Commerce. Although online commerce is in its infancy, technological developments in Electronic Commerce field have considerable and far-reaching effects on commercial as well as non-commercial activities as technologies supporting e-business also provide technical infrastructure for communications, services and social interactions.
Participants of this Workshop represent an effort to gather an interdisciplinary body of researchers and industry's leading decision-makers who are best equipped to decipher multi-faceted uses and effects of each technology in various, inter-related disciplines of research and industries. With detailed examination and discussion, it is expected that priority areas identified in this Workshop will be of greater and longer-term importance in determining which digital technologies and research projects to promote and fund.
