using Sparse, Unreliable Evidence Life & Death Decisions using Sparse, Unreliable Evidence Information challenges and mitigations in front-line military environments Purpose of the paper: Useful to audience: Introduction to an 'extreme' information environment Useful to authors: gather contacts and concepts from other fields to use in this one Outline: Brief intro to environment. Empty Battlefield: sparseness & clutter Sharing understanding: vocab, context, pictures - mitigations Martin Hill, John Salt Sep 2010

Soldiers, commanders, patrols. Human processed information, some IT support Intro to set the scene Current ops Very simplified, very idealised, real world is messier

Low technology (not no technology, not old technology) Low technology (not no technology, not old technology). Cameras, PDAs, USB sticks. Reminds us that it's about people: Information to hand in IT vs in head

The Empty Battlefield Picture (Iraq). Empty. Enemy is hiding

Sharing Understanding Operating Pictures Blue force/red force picture What information How to share/commuicate it – context + changes, plus adapting How to store it security

Group Assessment Diagram – publish and subscribe Learned/adaptive interface redefinitions (people create own languages). Lessons for distributed governance

Individual Assessment Diagram – various inputs

Barriers to objective assessment Cognitive load – too much stuff. Not all the information Fear & Anger Cultural bias Feeds Sparse Drills Adapting, liason officers Training