Brian Shackel Award

PURPOSE

The BRIAN SHACKEL AWARD is associated with each INTERACT Conference, usually biennial, and is to recognise the most outstanding contribution in the form of a refereed paper submitted to and delivered at the Conference. The purpose is to draw attention to the need for a comprehensive human-centred approach in the design and use of information technology in which the human and social implications have been taken into account. The BRIAN SHACKEL AWARD consists of a commemorative plaque and a certificate.

PROCEDURE

The BRIAN SHACKEL AWARD will be made by IFIP TC.13. The general criterion is that of an outstanding contribution with international impact in the field of human interaction with, and human use of, computers and information technology. Any paper submitted to the next INTERACT Conference can be a candidate, except any written by members of the Award Committee. This Committee (three persons + a chairperson) will be chosen by and out of the members of TC.13.

The Chairperson(s) of the INTERACT Conference Papers Committee will be asked to invite all referees to draw attention to any paper which they consider to be of such outstanding quality that it merits consideration for the BRIAN SHACKEL AWARD. After they have reviewed all submissions and decided those to be accepted into the Conference Programme, the Chairperson(s) will consider the papers recommended by the referees and any others which they themselves consider meritorious. They will then forward a short list, of at least 3 and not more than 7, with copies of the papers to the Chairperson of the Award Committee.

The Award Committee will scrutinise, prioritise, shortlist and recommend with reasons a single paper to TC.13, to be written up in a brief report (only if the highest equal quality compels it will more than one Award be made). This nomination must be approved by TC.13 for the Award to be made. All submissions, discussions and votes relating to the Award are to be kept strictly confidential.

Before making public the decision the TC.13 Chairperson will inform the Author(s) of the chosen paper. The BRIAN SHACKEL AWARD will be presented to the winner(s) at an appropriate Ceremony of INTERACT, normally the Opening Ceremony. During this presentation the Chairperson of TC.13 will make a short speech based on the report of the Award Committee.

PUBLICITY

Information about the BRIAN SHACKEL AWARD will be given in the IFIP Newsletter, on the TC.13 and IFIP websites, and in the INTERACT Call for Papers. The members of TC.13 are responsible for obtaining free publicity for the award in the specialist journals of their own countries. Within one month after INTERACT, if possible, the Award Paper will be mounted on the TC.13 and the IFIP websites.

This award marks the contribution of Professor Brian Shackel to the establishment of Human-Computer Interaction as an international discipline. Professor Shackel, Emeritus Professor at Loughborough University and Founding Director of the HUSAT Research Institute, organised the first INTERACT Conference in London in 1984 and played a leading role in establishing the conference as a regular feature of the international calendar. In 1989 the IFIP Technical Committee No. 13 on ‘Human-Computer Interaction’ was established from his initiative to encourage international co-operation and foster the development of work on HCI around the world. He was the Chairman of TC.13 from 1989 to 1995. As a result of his tireless commitment many researchers around the globe now have opportunities to study human-computer interaction. Through this award the encouragement he offered to researchers in the field will be continued.