Scope of the ITcon journal

The aim is to report on academic research and innovative industrial development work concerning the application of information technology throughout the life-cycle of the design, construction and occupancy of buildings and related facilities. The focus is on presenting research results dealing with or having relevance across disciplines and/or life-cycle stages. There are other, existing journals addressing specialised analysis, synthesis or optimisation methods particular to design or construction tasks within the individual subdisciples of construction.

In the following list some major topics which the journal aims to cover are mentioned:

  • IT strategies within organisations and groups, ranging from the level of the individual firm to a consortium of firms to national construction industries.
  • Construction process and enterprise modelling
  • Reengineering of the construction process using IT as an enabling technology
  • Methods of concurrent engineering
  • IT-supported communication across or within disciplines and life cycle stages (hypermedia, Internet, videoconferencing etc.)
  • Databases, translation methodologies, remote communication between programs, shared object libraries and other computing techniques for data exchange and sharing
  • Technologies and standards for the digital representation of buildings (building product models)
  • Standards for structuring and exchanging data in the construction process (building classification systems, EDI messages, CAD-layering, document management, representation of building regulations, component libraries)
  • The use of IT-based techniques for problem solving in construction (expert systems and AI, case-based reasoning, simulation, neural networks, the genetic algoritm et.c.).
  • Computerization of building standards, codes and regulations.
  • Distance learning of IT in civil engineering using IT itself.

Papers eligible for publication should present original research or be state-of the art reviews. Papers presenting research in the early stages or research ideas only should be avoided. (We should in fact stop talking about "papers" and use articles or information, since paper is the medium we want to avoid as far as possible.)

In addition to university researchers, the journal invites articles from industrial researchers and developers, especially those presenting how the new capabilities offered by IT are being incorporated into software products, or how companies are applying state-of-the-art IT solutions to design and construction practice.