Online Dispute Resolution Services: Justice, Concepts and Challenges

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) services are e-justice service conduits that utilize Electronic Negotiation Systems (see the chapter by Kersten and Lai, this volume). They are a key mechanism that may provide a viable solution to the flood of e-disputes. Justice is important in negotiation processes (see the chapter by Albin and Druckman, this volume).It is therefore suggested that ODR services are a viable means to serve justice on the web.In this chapter we describe the state of e-justice and introduce the need for online dispute resolution services. We then present the concept of ODR, its different forms, and its association with Negotiation Support Systems. To this end we portray a classification of ODR services, give examples of different types of services, and specifically discuss one of the promising types, namely Principle-Based Dispute Resolution Services. The chapter concludes with an overview of the challenges associated with the introduction of ODR services, and specifically with their adoption by users; an issue that is echoed in several other chapters as well (see chapters by Etezadi, and Kersten and Lai, this volume)