----------------------------Original message---------------------------- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP ON INTEROPERATING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, USA DECEMBER 3-4 AND 5-6, 1997 PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PARTICIPATION The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis and the Open GIS Consortium Inc announce an International Conference on Interoperating Geographic Information Systems, to be held in Santa Barbara December 3-4, 1997, and to be followed December 5-6 by an invitational Workshop. Topics to be addressed at the conference include the current state of research in related disciplines concerning the technical, semantic, and organizational issues of GIS interoperation; case studies of GIS interoperation; theoretical frameworks for interoperation; interoperation of data and metadata; interoperation in GIS application areas, including environmental modeling; and evaluations of alternative approaches. The program will include invited keynote presentations and contributed papers; limited space will also be available for posters, demonstrations, and exhibits. Proposals for contributed presentations are invited. They should include an extended (1,000-word) abstract, and must be submitted by email prior to September 15, 1997. Full versions of papers will be due by the conference date. Further information on registration will be available shortly via the NCGIA Web site www.ncgia.ucsb.edu or directly via www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/conf/interop97/. This site will also be used to post the program and full papers as they become available. A CD of the papers will be issued after the conference. The workshop following the conference will be limited to approximately 30 invited participants. It will build on the conference proceedings by focusing on the development of a research agenda, identifying those topics of interest that will likely yield to concentrated research effort within short, medium, and long timeframes. Funds to support participation in the workshop will be provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation through NCGIA's Varenius project. Expressions of interest in participation in the workshop should also be submitted by email prior to September 15, 1997. They should include a short resume and short (1,000-word) position paper on the issues to be addressed by the conference and subsequent workshop. Email concerning the conference and workshop, including submissions or requests for information, should be sent to [log in to unmask] or to the Conference Secretariat by phone (805) 893-8224 or FAX (805) 893-8617.