Call for papers: Thematic Issues

Details

Category: Journal thematic issue

EMS Thematic Issue on

The Future of Integrated Modelling Science and Technology

Issue Editors: Gerry Laniak and Andrea E. Rizzoli

Scope and aims

Understanding and managing environmental systems is becoming more and more critical for a planet facing increasing pressures on limited resources, and at the same time subject to climate variations and other changes. Historically the major focus has been on sectoral studies of largely disconnected aspects of environmental modeling (air pollution, hydrology, ecology, economics, and other social and human aspects). But in the interests of more holistic understanding and management scientists are now investigating how to better represent the various components of environmental systems and their interactions. This involves focusing on the appropriate simplification of complexities and characterising uncertainties in the integrated models and their predictions. It also involves engagement with interest groups to frame the focus of modelling exercises and integrate and share knowledge throughout the model development process.

Scientists are invited to prepare and deliver integrated modelling and assessment studies and associated methods that support decision and policy makers advance the sustaining of our planet and its resources. Such studies may be at various scales but must be supported by rigorous science gained by analyzing and processing environmental data and the use of quantitative and/or qualitative models along with analyses of their credibility and limitations. At the very least we require a ranking of the uncertainties involved. Integrated models that embrace both the biophysical and social sciences are encouraged.

Integration opens many challenges including: linking the models and their feedbacks, the reuse of legacy code, the upscaling and downscaling of models at different spatio-temporal resolutions, evaluation of the credibility and utility of integrated models, engagement and communication methods (including visualisation techniques), and the efficient exploitation of high performance computer facilities where necessary to run the massive calculations required to produce simulation outcomes.

The aim of this ‘Thematic Issue’ of the Environmental Modelling & Software journal is ambitious: first we wish to identify the current shortcomings of integrated modeling with respect to the requirements of a broad range of end-users of integrated modeling (scientists and researchers, policy and decision makers); then we wish to outline science/research and technology roadmaps to enable integrated modeling to fulfill the present and future challenges that they are expected to face.

To this purpose, we are interested in receiving original submissions on topics such as: integrated modeling frameworks and software environments, standards for model integration, ontologies for knowledge representation in the environmental domain, designs for the interface between science/modelers and decision making/stakeholders, and good practice of integrated modeling including the characterization of integrated model and decision making uncertainty.

Participation and timeline

The issue editors would like to extend an open opportunity to the membership of iEMSs and the wider science community to participate in the development of the Thematic Issue, through either submitting or reviewing papers. Please feel free to promote the issue with colleagues unfamiliar with iEMSs and the journal EMS, noting for them that the journal has created a strong niche and has a rising Impact Factor of 3.085.

If you are interested in participating, please email your contact details and intended contribution (title, authors, abstract) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the 30th of November. After an initial selection of responses, we will ask for full papers by 30 April 2011.

We will use a three step review process:

1. Extended abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors and recommendations will be made regarding the scope of the full paper; extended abstracts should be about 1,000 words plus a strong bibliography that indicates the literature that the paper will build upon;

2. Full papers will be sent out for external peer review following Environmental Modelling & Software policy that, among other things, requires at least 3 reviewers per paper plus valuable editorial comment;

3. Revised manuscripts will be examined by the Guest Editors and, where necessary, the external reviewers.

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