Introduction to the special issue: information and communications technology for crisis management: defining an agenda for scientific research

Information and communication technology (ICT) for post-disaster management of critical infrastructures functions best when its design follows from a solid understanding of the sociotechnical systems that it is meant to support. Yet as is evident from past and more current research, there are significant gaps in scientific understanding concerning how ICT should be designed, used and evaluated in this settings. An agenda for ICT-centered basic research in post-disaster management of critical infrastructures is needed to identify questions which will enable researchers to begin to close these gaps. This paper reports on the results of a workshop held in 2007 in Delft, The Netherlands, with a goal to define an agenda for future research in the area of ICT for crisis management. The paper conveys participants' views on the state of the art, emerging research questions, and mechanisms for achieving longer-term goals of scientific and engineering advancement in this area. The results identify promising opportunities for pursuing multi-disciplinary work that contributes to science and engineering with a longer-term view on making connections to practice.