Submissions
Why do I need to provide a DBLP link, and how can I do that?
As a new initiative, we ask authors to add their dblp link in their PCS profile. The reason is to provide the ACs with a way to gain more information about you when they assign reviewers. We ask for the dblp link because the content is dynamically generated and automatically updated. You can also choose to add your google scholar link instead as this is also automatically updated. We ask you to add it to the field “Web page” in you contact information in PCS because this is a field which basically nobody is currently using (based upon current statistics). To the question: why not simply add a new field to PCS? Well it was on our (papers chairs) list for required changes in PCS for the last 6 months, but in the continuous prioritizing of changes to PCS it did not make it – also the field “Web page” already existed – so this was the solution. Now, in the case that you or your co-authors do not have such a link (potentially because this is your first paper submission), then please feel free to still check the box asking if you and your co-authors have added the dblp links to the best of your ability.
Where to add the dblp link: https://new.precisionconference.com/contact_info
How to you find your dblp link? Look here to learn more and search for yourself: https://dblp.uni-trier.de
Why does PCS count characters for the abstract when the limit is 150 words?
Yes, abstracts should be no longer than 150 words. However, the abstract field in PCS does not count words, but characters. It has not been possible to fix this for the CHI2020 deadline, however, based upon concrete examples and requests, we have extended the field to 1200 characters, which will hopefully allow for all types of 150-word abstracts. In case you experience a concrete problem, please send your concrete problem to the papers chairs and we will look into it.
Does the maximum paper length include appendices and references?
No. The main content and appendix must be within the maximum paper length. References are excluded in counting the paper length.
Should I submit an abstract first?
The Papers track requires all authors to submit a title, abstract and list of authors, and other required meta information before they can submit the final paper. This early submission must be entered directly on PCS.
Is it okay to leave out the other fields in the abstract submission deadline?
Yes. On September 13, only the title, abstract, author names, and some meta information are required. From the submission page, you should easily see what’s required. You need to submit everything that’s required by the abstract deadline before September 13th. After submission, PCS will say that your submission is incomplete (which means the full paper has not been submitted). As long as you don’t have anything missing that is required for the abstract deadline, it should be okay. You can complete the submission by the full submission deadline.
How do I know which subcommittee fits my paper’s scope?
First, read carefully the CFP of the subcommittee you want to submit to. If it is unclear, you may then contact the subcommittee chairs for clarification. However, we want to emphasize that there is no pre-screening process for submission before the deadline. This is the complete discretion of the subcommittee chairs. In case you chose a wrong subcommittee and the chairs detected it, they may discuss with the chairs of the appropriate subcommittee and move your submission there.
Is there a format for the supplementary materials?
No. You can submit your supplementary materials in any appropriate format. The instructions are explained on the submission form.
Can I submit an abstract for a paper awaiting decision from another conference?
Yes, but only if the decision of acceptance will happen before Sep 20 deadline. If the abstract/paper gets accepted in the other conference before the Sep 20 deadline, you must withdraw your submission in CHI. If the paper gets rejected to the other venue you can submit it – however CHI is a top-tier conference so the likelihood that a paper recently rejected from a different conference will be accepted without revisions is fairly low. We don’t allow double submissions, so if the review cycle overlaps, you cannot submit to CHI.
Can I submit a paper that I have presented in another conference?
It depends. Some workshops are considered to be “archival” and their proceedings as pre-publication, while others are not. Just appearing in a digital repository does not make it ineligible. To confirm, kindly send a link to the workshop, and a link/copy of the paper to the Papers Chairs.
Can I submit a paper that is similar to a poster submission in another conference?
A poster and a full paper is fairly different publications and the requirements and criteria for acceptance are quite different. Please read more about ACM policies here: https://www.acm.org/publications/policies/simultaneous-submissions
Can I submit a paper that was presented as a poster in a previous CHI conference?
For ACM conferences, including CHI, material that has been published in a semi-archival, widely disseminated publication such as the CHI Extended Abstracts, should not be republished unless the work has been “significantly” revised. Guidelines for determining “significance” of a revision are stated in the ACM Policy on Pre-Publication Evaluation and the ACM Policy on Prior Publication and Simultaneous Submissions. Roughly, a significant revision would contain at least 25% unpublished material and significantly amplify or clarify the original material. These are subjective measures left to the interpretation of the reviewers and committee members – authors are wise to revise well beyond the Policy guidelines. Whenever submitting material that has partially appeared in a widely disseminated publication, it is good practice to cite the prior publication in accordance with the ACM’s Plagiarism Policy and explicitly state the differences between the new and prior material.
For more details, check https://chi2020.acm.org/authors/selection-processes/
Can I submit a paper that I’m also submitting for review in another conference but in a different language?
No.
Can I talk about my submission while it is under review (i.e. social media, networking events, meetups)?
CHI doesn’t really have a policy about this. Our advice is to go for best effort to keep it to the minimum so that it does not affect the anonymous review process, but don’t censor yourself. The work shouldn’t hit a major tech/news site while the paper is under review as that could impact the reviewing process, or if you suspect someone you’re talking to may be a reviewer, best to change the topic. However, beyond that, if you’re talking to people outside of these issues, we don’t see a problem with that.
How should I submit multiple papers that cite each other or are part of the same project?
In each of your submissions, you should specify the other paper, so that the AC and reviewers can see the other submission as needed. If you need to cite the other submission, please submit the other paper as an anonymized document in the supplement material, and you can cite it in an anonymized fashion in your paper, such as: a claim [1] in the text, and in the reference section, you have a 1. Anonymized authors, Title, submitted to CHI 2020 conference, See document in supplement files, etc.
How should we anonymize our submissions?
https://chi2020.acm.org/authors/papers/chi-anonymisation-policy/
What is the policy to reference and cite a related paper by the same co-authors?
Anonymity is an important criteria for the CHI review process. That being said, extending previous work from the same authors is complex as it could give away the identities. The default expectations is that authors will use the following.
1. Write in a third person manner.
For instance, “We design PhotoTalk 2.0 that builds on McGrenere et. al’s PhotoTalk [X], addressing the limitations….”.
2. Cite the prior work as normal.
Even though reviewers may be able to guess who the authors are, with third person citing (and proper referencing), the reviewer is in a zone of doubt.For instance, perhaps the people iterating on PhotoTalk are the same as the original authors, however the original authors might have shared their system, leading to a new team doing the development.
If this is not possible, authors should seek advice from the Papers Chairs.
When can I publish the same paper elsewhere (i.e. personal website, arXiv)?
After the paper’s camera-ready is accepted.
I volunteered to review N papers during submission. Can I reduce that number or rescind?
Yes. In PCS, go to Reviews > Volunteer to Review and find CHI 2020 on the list. You can choose a lower number or 0 from the drop down. Please bare in mind that for CHI to function and treat all papers fairly (including yours) we depend upon people taking the time and writing high quality reviews – so as an author please make sure that you are paying back to the community in some form.
Does CHI extend its deadlines?
No. The Papers track usually receives a large number of submissions year on year. The submission deadlines are carefully scheduled to consider the amount of work needed to have a proper review cycle for all papers.
I wasn’t able to submit an abstract on September 13. Can I still submit on September 20?
No. Abstracts have to be submitted before the actual paper.
The contact author of our submission is unavailable and can’t submit on our behalf for the upcoming deadline. How can we proceed?
Please elect a new contact author and email the Papers Chairs immediately. Include your co-authors in the email as well. We will assign a new contact author and that person can now update the submission.
I have made mistakes in my submission and realized it after the deadline. How do I withdraw my submission?
Please email the Papers Chairs (papers@chi2020.acm.org) immediately.
Templates & Writing your paper
Can I still use the templates for CHI 2019?
No. For CHI 2020, we will be using the slightly revised templates from CHI 2018.
Which template should I use?
The CHI2020 templates are here: https://chi2020.acm.org/authors/chi-proceedings-format/
Do the different templates produce the same length of papers?
Your submission must not be longer than 10 pages, no matter which template you are using.
What is the suggested workflow if we have collaborators that prefer Word?
Use the word template.
What do I put in the copyright and DOI section on the first page of the template?
Leave it blank or with the default values. That information will be provided for accepted papers in their camera-ready.
Reviews and Final Decisions
How do we know if our “conditionally accepted” paper is finally accepted for publication and oral presentation?
There will be a final email notification from the Papers Chairs indicating the final acceptance of your camera-ready version.
Why was I desk/quick/early rejected?
See early reject policy and criteria https://chi2020.acm.org/authors/papers/early-reject-policy/
I was desk/quick rejected. Can I modify my submission and appeal for reconsideration?
Unfortunately, no.
