Call for Papers – Special Issue of Ergonomics

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Ergonomics

You are cordially invited to make a contribution to a special issue of Ergonomics (http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g931448109), entitled “Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Ergonomics.” The primary goal of this special issue is to explore human factors and ergonomics issues involved in designing, developing, evaluating and implementing brain-computer interface (BCI) systems for users with and without severe motor disabilities by including contributions from researchers in different disciplines.

As a valuable augmentative communication system, BCI has recently gained considerable research interest, especially for those who have lost all voluntary muscle control. BCI applications should allow for increased independence and hence, improved quality of life for people with severe neuromuscular disorders. However, there has been a general lack of understanding of, or inattention to, ergonomics/human factors issues such as interface design, usability, inclusive design, user-BCI interaction, etc. Further improvements to BCI systems are necessary to ensure that they can meet the needs of specific user groups.

We are seeking theoretical, methodological, and particularly empirical papers dealing with different topics that include, but are not limited to:

1. Empirical evaluation of BCIs in applications with target users;
2. Effectiveness of a theory or framework for designing, developing, and testing the usability of BCI systems in real-world contexts, or empirical evaluations of such tests;
3. Evaluation of improved user interfaces for established BCI systems (e.g., integration of word prediction in spelling applications, innovative spelling systems, adaptive user interfaces, etc.) to provide theoretical and/or practical implications for inclusive design;
4. Effective integration of BCI communication or control functions with other behaviors (e.g., muscle-, eye-, speech-based) with empirical evaluation of target users;
5. New applications for BCI control (robotics, wheelchairs, assistive technology software or hardware) with empirical evaluation of those with or without severe motor disabilities.

Please note that this special issue does NOT accept research papers that investigate only technical issues, such as algorithms, signal processing techniques, etc. Empirical studies involving human subjects with or without severe motor disabilities that explore human factors and ergonomics issues in relation to BCI research and development, will be received for peer-review.

SCHEDULE FOR SUBMISSION

• Submission of a Letter of Intent (no more than 500 words) to the Guest Editor: February 15, 2011
• Invitation for Full Paper Submission: February 22, 2011
• Deadline for Full Paper Submission: May 30, 2011
• Notification of 1st review outcome: July 31, 2011
• First Revision Due: September 15, 2011
• Notification of 2nd review outcome: November 15, 2011
• Camera-ready Papers due: January 15, 2012
• Expected publication: Early 2012 or mid 2012

SPECIAL ISSUE GUEST EDITOR

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/terg, indicating a special-issue submission. Please direct any inquiries, including the suitability of the work, to the Special-Issue Guest Editor: Chang S. Nam, University of Arkansas, [email protected].

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