Introduction to the Negotiation Support Systems Minitrack

As this minitrack celebrates its ninth year of existence, one of its major theoretical contributions is the development, verification and validation of the evolutionary system design (ESD) paradigm for supporting negotiation. In ESD, we advocate a process that helps antagonists evolve along with the dynamics of negotiation in hope of finding a consensus. When encountering an impasse, negotiation parties are encouraged to expand their solution spaces (are there other possible solutions?), their personal values on the issues being negotiated (why do you weigh so much or so little on this particular issue?), and their problem spaces (are we debating on the right problem?). The accepted papers for this year’s minitrack continue to align with ESD. Interestingly, however, they do offer new negotiation techniques, new applications and new potential use of negotiation support systems.