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         ** TwD98 ** 
        Thinking with Diagrams: Is there a Science of Diagrams? 
 
        Workshop call for papers/participation. 
        University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK. 
        21-22 August 1998 
 
Diagrams are essential in most fields of human activity. There is 
substantial interest in diagrams and their use in many academic disciplines 
for the potential benefits they may confer on a wide range of tasks. The 
extent and variety of research interest is witnessed by recent books and 
conferences: Diagrammatic Reasoning: Cognitive and Computational 
Perspectives. (Glasgow, Narayanan, & Chandrasekaran (Eds.), 1995); Forms of 
Representation (Peterson (Ed.), 1996); two AAAI symposia on reasoning with 
diagrammatic representations in 1992 and 1997; the Thinking with Diagrams 
Colloquium in 1996 and the 1997 TwD workshop. 
        Are we now in a position to claim that we have a science of 
diagrams? That is, a science which takes the nature of diagrams and their 
use as the central phenomena of interest. A science which is attempting to 
understand how diagrams differ from other representational systems and 
trying to develop principles for the design of effective graphical 
representations. A science which considers how diagrams communicate 
information and how they are used to solve problems. If we have a science 
of diagrams it is certainly constituted from multiple disciplines, 
including: cognitive science, psychology, artificial intelligence, logic, 
mathematics, and others. 
        If there is a science of diagrams, then like other sciences, there 
is an applications or "engineering" discipline that exists alongside the 
science. Applications and engineering provide tests of the theories and 
principles discovered by the science and extend the scope of the phenomena 
to be studied by generating new uses of diagrams, new media for presenting 
diagrams, or novel classes of diagram. This applications and engineering 
side of the science of diagrams also comprises multiple disciplines, 
including: education, architecture, computer science, mathematics, 
human-computer interaction, knowledge acquisition, graphic design, 
engineering, history of science, statistics, medicine, biology, and others. 
        The theme of TwD98 will be - Is there a Science of Diagrams? By 
providing a forum for the presentation and discussion of quality research 
on diagrams and diagram use, we not only try to answer this question, but 
more importantly attempt draw together the many different approaches, 
theories and results that we have in the many diverse disciplines that are 
concerned with diagrams. The question provides a vehicle on which to 
attempt to integrate what is currently a disparate and disordered set of 
activities into a more rational and coherent programme of research. Is 
there any common core to the activities which provides a basis for the 
claim that the TwD community could constitute a science? 
        The TwD98 programme will include: (i) technical sessions for the 
presentations of papers; (ii) invited talks on issues relevant to the TwD 
community as a whole; (iii) a panel session on the theme of TwD98. 
 
Call for Papers/Participation see: 
       http://www.aber.ac.uk/~plo/TwD98 
or contact 
       [log in to unmask] 
       Thinking with Diagrams (TwD98), Department of Computer Science 
       University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, UK SY23 3DB 
       Tel: +44 1970 622447/ Fax: +44 1970 622455 
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