Call for Papers

Conference Scope

As in previous years, this third annual COSIGN conference provides an exciting cross-disciplinary event for exploring the ways in which meaning can be created by, encoded in, understood by, or produced through, the computer (using systems or techniques based upon semiotics). COSIGN is for anyone with an interest in areas of overlap (or potential overlap) between semiotics and computers including computer scientists, HCI and AI practitioners, digital artists, designers, critics, theorists, semioticians, narratologists, etc. In addition to the academic papers and artwork presentations, COSIGN will include a range of participatory events such as papers, workshops, tutorials, panel discussions to provide the space for the vital and vibrant discussions that it is know for.

COSIGN 2003 invites submissions in the following categories. A brief outline of the submission procedure is given below.

• Academic Papers
• Artworks
• Posters
• Technical Demonstrations

Media that make use of the unique capabilities of digital systems are of particular interest to this conference. These include, but are not limited to, the following: virtual reality systems and virtual environments; hypertext, hypermedia, multimedia and the internet; content analysis systems (particularly those that extract higher-level meaning); the semantic web (and similar systems); digital art, net art and other technology-based or technology-oriented art forms; computer games, interactive narratives and other forms of interactive entertainment.

The programme and proceedings of COSIGN 2001 and COSIGN 2002 - and the earlier workshop - are available online here.

Conference Location

COSIGN 2003 will be held in Middlesbrough, UK, hosted by the Virtual Environments Group of the School of Computing and Mathematics at the University of Teesside. Middlesbrough sits near the mouth of the River Tees in the north-east of England. It is a lively town with a proud industrial heritage and one of the main shopping and leisure centers for the area. It is also an important location for business and commerce, communications and civic administration. In the Tees valley heavy industry mingles with wetlands and wildfowl reserves while just a few minutes drive away are the North York Moors National Park and the dramatic North Sea coast.

Teesside International Airport is less than 20 kilometers from Middlesbrough and has several direct connections every day to both London (Heathrow) and Amsterdam (Schipol) which are major European hubs for international flights.

You can find further information about the University of Teesside, the conference location and the surrounding area here.

Submission Procedure

Authors of accepted papers will be required to prepare a written version of their paper for inclusion in the printed and online proceedings. Acceptance at the conference is dependent on authors providing this written version of their paper by the required date and in the required format.

Acceptance is also dependent on at least one of the authors registering for the conference by 13th of June 2003. As in previous years, COSIGN will endeavour to support as much as possible the registration fees and/or accommodation of those presenters who are not funded by an institution or organisation.

Academic Papers

Papers are invited on any subject that explores areas of overlap (or potential overlap) between semiotics and interactive digital media. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The use of semiotics in artificial intelligence and expert systems.
• Software architectures and technologies using, based upon or inspired by semiotic theories, systems or models.
• The use of semiotics in the creation or analysis of generative narrative systems, interactive digital games, entertainment and artworks.
• The use of semiotics in the study and criticism of digital interactive media.
• Narratology in games and new media.
• Semiotic-orientated HCI.
• Semiotics and Hypermedia.

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Submission date for Academic Papers: 28th March 2003
Acceptance will be notified on or around 12th May 2003
Camera-ready copy for the proceedings by 9th June 2003

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Artworks

In addition to academic and theoretical papers, presentations of artworks of all forms and in all formats are invited. We are particularly interested in digital art, net art and other technology-based or technology-oriented art forms.

Artworks will be assessed on the basis of documentation of the work presented in the form of an online website. The website should display the following:

• A textual description of the proposed artwork and any illustrations
• A biography of the artist(s)/author(s)
• Contact details

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Submission date for Artworks: 28th March 2003
Acceptance will be notified on or around 12th May 2003
Camera-ready copy for the proceedings by 9th June 2003

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Posters

There will be an opportunity for researchers to present new work and ideas that are not yet ready for the full presentation. Short papers will be presented in poster format, and will be included in both the hardcopy and electronic proceedings.

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Submission date: 24th April 2003
Acceptance will be notified on or around 12th May 2003
Camera-ready copy for the proceedings by 9th June 2003

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Technical Demonstrations

Demonstrations of relevant leading-edge work and work in progress are invited. Submissions will be peer-reviewed to ensure quality. Demonstration proposals must be submitted electronically.

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Submission date for Technical Demonstrations: 24th April 2003
Acceptance will be notified on or around 12th May 2003
Camera-ready copy for the proceedings by 9th June 2003

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Alternative Submission Procedure

Authors and artists who have difficulty in making their submission in the appropriate form or in viewing the detailed submission procedure should contact:

Frank Nack
CWI - INS2
Kruislaan 413
P.O. Box 94079,
NL-1090 GB Amsterdam
Email: Frank.Nack@cwi.nl
Phone: +31 20 592 4223
Fax: +31 20 592 4312

Committees

Organising Committee

Programme Committee

Elisabeth Andre - University of Augsburg (Germany)
Wilton Azevedo - Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, (Brazil)
Paul Brna - Northumbria University (UK)
Kevin Brooks - Motorola Human Interface Labs (USA)
Andrew Clarke - Kinonet (UK)
Brody Condon - Media artist (USA)
Chitra Dorai - IBM (USA)
Clive Fencott - University of Teeside (UK)
Troels Degn Johansson, The IT-University of Copenhagen (Denmark)
Werner Kriechbaum - IBM (Germany)
James Lester - North Carolina University (USA)
Craig Lindley - Interactive Institute (Sweden)
Grethe Mitchell - University of East London and Kinonet (UK)
Frank Nack - CWI (Netherlands)
Paolo Petta - OFAI (Austria)
Mirko Petric -University of Split (Croatia)
Doug Rosenberg - University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA)
Ola Stockfelt - University of Goteborg/University of Skovde (Sweden)
Robert Wechsler - Palindrome Inter-media Performance Group (Germany)

Artwork Committee