CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS
Proposal Submission Deadline: December 30, 2008

Decision Support Systems in Agriculture, Food and the Environment:
Trends, Applications and Advances

A book edited by Basil Manos1, Konstantinos Paparrizos2, Nikolaos
Matsatsinis3, Jason Papathanasiou2

1 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
2 University of Macedonia, Greece
3 Technical University of Crete, Greece
http://algor.uom.gr/DSS_book/

Introduction
Building successful Decision Support Systems (DSS) is a highly complex
procedure, involving a number of disciplines like informatics,
operational research and management, business administration, behavior,
sociology, and management of human resources, all of which constitute
sources of information that concern the manner in which humans
potentially behave at the treatment of information and the
decision-making process. As the use of sustainable resources is becoming
more and more a necessity due to various, very often unpredictable,
factors, the role of DSS will gradually increase, especially in key
aspects of sustainability in the agricultural sector and the
environment. DSS can be applied to various policy levels of these
sectors, from the local and national levels, to the international level
with organizations like the EU. Operational research modeling techniques
have been developed to reach scientifically justified and robust
decisions, which will enhance the process to achieve the target of
continuous and viable sustainability in the long run. The DSS can range
from simple accounting-based systems to systems based on detailed
deterministic, stochastic or simulation models. As agricultural
production involves high risk decisions, risk analysis and management
tools have enjoyed increased popularity over the last years as well,
especially as issues like food supply chain management, governance,
conservation of biodiversity and global climate change have entered the
agenda. For the aforementioned reasons, a need exists for an edited
collection of articles in this area.

Objective of the Book
This book will aim to provide relevant theoretical frameworks and the
latest empirical research findings in the area. It will be written for
professionals who want to improve their understanding of the strategic
role of DSS at different levels of the decision making procedure; such a
book can also serve as an excellent dissemination tool for highly
specialized DSS like those on agriculture, food and the environment,
especially as these results are often difficult to reach production or
acquire broader acceptance. Extensive case studies, using certain DSS
and proving their effectiveness under various scenarios, can well
contribute to the overall objectives of the book; governance institutes
and stakeholders of different levels can gain from practices and
experiences applied by their counterparts in different parts of the
world, thus improving their effectiveness. Successful DSS case study
stories are expected to arise the interest of many DSS practitioners and
researchers around the world. Experiences can be transferred, views can
be exchanged, ‘bad’ management concepts can be avoided and above all
research in the many scientific fields addressed by the DSS technology
can gain new momentum.

Target Audience
The target audience of this book will be composed of professionals and
researchers working in the field of decision support systems and in the
disciplines of agriculture, food and the environment. This includes
operations research practitioners, academics, agricultural and
environmental economists and engineers, agronomists, geographers,
farming industry practitioners and policy makers in developing
organizations, governance institutions and regional and management
authorities. Moreover, the book will provide insights and reference for
scholars and PhD students concerned with the management science,
operational research, information science and international development
issues like sustainability of resources, ecosystem management,
biodiversity conservation and climate change.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
Review articles on DSS in agriculture, food and the environment in
relation to current status and trends
DSS modeling (Mathematical Programming Models, Network Models, Queuing
Models, Simulation Models, Decision Analysis Theory, Markov Process
Models, Analysis of Heuristics Process, Forecasting Methods, Inventory
Models)
Expert Systems (Diagnostic-Prognostic, Operational-Control, Advisory,
Shorting)
Intelligent, Web-based, Spatial DSS
Applications of DSS in:
•       environmental management
•       water resources assessment and management
•       ecosystem reconstruction and management
•       governance for conservation of biodiversity
•       irrigation management
•       sustainable land use
•       simulation of agricultural and environmental systems
•       farm management
•       sustainable forest and rangeland management
•       regional planning
•       dairy farming
•       field performance prediction
•       livestock systems
•       warehouse management
•       fisheries management
•       pest management
•       food processing
•       food supply chain management
•       logistics
•       traceability
•       other
Case studies involving the use of DSS are especially welcome

Submission Procedure
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before
December 30, 2008, a 2-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the
mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Proposal authors
will be notified by January 31, 2009 about the status of their proposals
and if accepted they will receive chapter guidelines. Full chapters are
expected to be submitted by April 30, 2009. All submitted chapters will
be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. This book is scheduled to be
published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the
“Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference) and
“Medical Information Science Reference” imprints. For additional
information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com.

Important Dates:
December 30, 2008: Proposal Submission Deadline
January 31, 2009: Notification of Acceptance
April 30, 2009: Full Chapter Submission
June 20, 2009: Review Result Returned
August 31, 2009: Final Chapter Submission
September 30, 2009: Final Deadline

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically only (Word
document) to:
Dr. Jason Papathanasiou
Dept. of Marketing and Operations Management, University of Macedonia
Tel.: (+30) 2310 340435, E-mail: [log in to unmask]