2026 Joint Open Conference of the IFIP WG 8.3 (Decision Support) & WG 12.15 (Generative AI) Overview

It gives us great pleasure to invite you (in-person) to University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland, for the 2026 Joint Open Conference of the IFIP WG 8.3 (Decision Support) & WG 12.15 (Generative AI). The IFIP Working Group 8.3 has a long-standing tradition of fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on decision support systems, with a focus on how information systems/technology can enhance human effectiveness in complex, uncertain tasks. IFIP WG 12.15 is the newest IFIP WG. Thus, this conference continues that legacy and openly pushes it forward into the age of AI. On this basis, we aim to continue the success of past IFIP WG 8.3 conferences in supporting the dissemination of quality research, but also to provide a memorable experience in University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland.

Decision-making in today’s world is increasingly shaped by complex, dynamic, and uncertain contexts. The role of decision support systems (DSS) has never been more critical, not just to automate tasks, but to augment human judgment, foster collaboration, and support sense-making in situations that cannot be fully specified in advance. The transformations enabled by AI (Artificial Intelligence) also signal a powerful force shaping the future of decision support systems (DSS), echoing both technological progress and strategic opportunities for system designers. Therefore, the 2026 IFIP WG8.3 conference theme is: Human-Centric Decision Making: Transforming with AI.

The IFIP WG 8.3 conference committee welcomes both academic and practitioner community contributions on a wide range of topics using a range of scholarly approaches that showcase the latest innovations and achievements in decision support and decision making. Submitted contributions that showcase methodological advances and real case studies will be especially welcomed. All contributions will be double-blind peer-reviewed, and the acceptance of a contribution will be based on the originality of the work, the relevance to the conference theme and its overall quality.

The 2026 Joint Open Conference of the IFIP WG 8.3 (Decision Support) & WG 12.15 (Generative AI) will highlight the applications, methods, analytics, stakeholders and impacts of decision making and decision support in society and business. Suggested research topics (presented as conceptual/theoretical, empirical, design science and case-based approaches, amongst others) can include, but are not limited to, the A to Z of Human-Centric Decision Making. We especially welcome papers that explore how AI, analytics, and decision support systems/technologies can be designed, developed, and deployed to enhance, not replace, human decision-making. This includes attention to how humans and machines co-create value, how DSS adapt to ill-structured problems, and how emerging technologies transform the very nature of managerial and societal decisions.

Conference Publications

Intending participants in the 2026 Joint Open Conference of the IFIP WG 8.3 (Decision Support) & WG 12.15 (Gen AI) are invited to make a submission for consideration for presentation at the conference and publication in its proceedings. Submissions must be original contributions that have not been previously published. Accepted submissions will be published when there is a unique author registration (to attend the conference) for each submission. Full academic research papers and research-in-progress papers will be presented in regular sessions.

Submission Types

• Full Research Papers (max 14 pages): The maximum length of submitted manuscripts is 14 pages. The maximum length of final versions of manuscripts is 17 pages. This includes the title page, references, and appendices. Over length manuscripts will not be accepted for publication (manuscripts with smaller page margins and font sizes than specified in the author instructions and set in the template files will also be treated as over length). Accepted full papers will be published in the Journal of Decision Systems (a Taylor & Francis publication) as a supplemental proceedings and available on the JDS site.
• Research-In-Progress Papers (max 8 pages): The maximum length of submitted (RIP) manuscripts is 8 pages. This includes the title page, references, and appendices. Over length manuscripts will not be accepted for publication (manuscripts with smaller page margins and font sizes than specified in the author instructions and set in the template files will also be treated as over length). Accepted research-in-progress papers will not be published in the supplemental proceedings.

Number and order of authors

Each author can be ‘lead’ on at most two (2) submissions and ‘co-author’ on at most four (4) submissions. After initial submission, authors cannot be added to or deleted from full research papers or research-in-progress papers.

Reviewing process 

The review process is double-blind (authors identities not known to reviewers). Manuscripts will be evaluated based on technical quality, novelty, potential impact, and clarity. Participants will be asked to confirm that no generative AI tools have been used in the writing of the article. If authors use AI tools in the production of images or graphical elements for the paper they should be explicitly mentioned and disclosed in the appropriate section of the paper.

Submission process

Electronic submissions for the 2026 IFIP WG 8.3 Conference will be handled through the Journal of Decision Systems Submission Portal. To submit your manuscript, please use the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Journal of Decision Systems Submission Portal
2. Use the “Login / Register using ORCID” button to login or create an account. If you don’t already have an ORCID, you will now be asked to create one.
3. Once you have logged on, you will be taken to a short submission form with four steps.
4. On the first page of the submission form, you will be asked to confirm the journal title and article type; make sure you have selected “Journal of Decision Systems”.
5. On the same page, you will be asked, “Are you submitting your paper for a specific special issue or article collection?”. Click “Yes” and then select “IFIP WG 8.3 Conference 2026 Human-Centric Decision Making”; this step is very important.

Manuscripts must be written in English and formatted according to the Taylor & Francis format. Download the author instructions and MS Word templates. References should use the American Psychological Association (APA) reference style.

Key Dates

Registration Fees

*A valid proof of registration (full-time/part-time student) is required

Further Information

IFIP WG8.3 Conference Co-Chairs

Dave: dsammon@ucc.ie | Ciara: c.heavin@ucc.ie

IFIP WG12.15 Conference Chairs

Dan: oleary@usc.edu