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SECOND AND FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS
(We apologize for possible multiple postings)
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Staff Scheduling and Rostering: Theory and Applications
(http://www.cmis.csiro.au/or/annals_rostering.htm)


A special issue of Annals of Operations Research
(http://www.baltzer.nl/journalhome.htm/0254-5330).


AIM

The principal aim of this issue is to report recent advances of
theory and applications and to provide comprehensive reviews in
the area of staff scheduling and rostering.


A NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE

The terms staff scheduling and rostering are both used in the
literature to refer to the processes involved in linking staff
to duties. Which term is used can depend on the application area
or perhaps the country of origin of the authors. It may be possible
to draw a fine distinction between the terms -- a roster being a
list of people who have been assigned to certain duties, and a
staff schedule being a list of actions or tasks to which certain
people have been assigned -- however the degree of overlap in
meaning is substantial. For the purpose of this call for papers
we shall take the terms to be synonymous.


SCOPE

This special issue will be devoted to recent advances in the area
of staff scheduling. We also aim to carry high quality reviews on
a few topics related to staff scheduling. Original research papers
of theoretical and computational orientation will be greatly
appreciated. Articles dealing with real-world practice will be
particularly encouraged.


TOPICS

Possible topics for papers submitted to this special issue include
but are not limited to:
  * Crew scheduling in airlines, railways, mass transit systems, and
    buses.
  * Nurse, clinician and ancilliary staff rostering in health systems.
  * Call centre operator scheduling.
  * Rostering in emergency services such as police, ambulance and fire
    brigade.
  * Scheduling of retail staff in department stores, supermarkets,
    franchise chains, and others.
  * Rostering security guards.
  * General personnel rostering such as post offices, ground staff at
    airports, hotel staff, and maintenance staff.
  * Days-off, shift, and tour scheduling.
  * Stochastic staff scheduling.
  * Forecasting of demand for services (such as in call centres).
  * Determination of staff requirements.
  * Leave planning.
  * Software survey (for a number of products).
  * The application of different solution techniques such as heuristics,
    meta-heuristics, column generation, mathematical modelling and
    simulation to crew scheduling applications.
  * Other relevant applications and techniques.


REVIEW PROCESS

All papers will be subject to a thorough and stringent refereeing
process, in accordance with the usual high standards of the Annals of
Operations Research.


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Authors of original manuscripts are invited to submit their papers
electronically by email to any or all of the Guest Editors listed
below, in either postscript or pdf format. Alternatively, 4 hard
copies may be mailed to any one of the Guest Editors.

To be considered for this publication, papers must be received by

     Wednesday 31 July 2002.

All papers must be written in English, and should not be simultaneously
submitted to any other refereed publication.


GUEST EDITORS

Houyuan Jiang
CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences
Building 108, North Road
ANU Campus, Acton, ACT 2601
GPO Box 664, Canberra, ACT 2601
Australia
Tel:  +61-2-6216-7116
Fax:  +61-2-6216-7111
Email: [log in to unmask]

Mohan Krishnamoorthy
CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences
Private Bag 10, South Clayton MDC
Clayton, VIC 3169
Australia
Tel:  +61-3-9545-8042
Fax:  +61-3-9545-8080
Email: [log in to unmask]

David Sier
CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences
Private Bag 10, South Clayton MDC
Clayton, VIC 3169
Australia
Tel:  +61-3-9545-8043
Fax:  +61-3-9545-8080
Email: [log in to unmask]