Frequently Asked Questions

We are working hard to ensure that all of your questions can be answered by the area pages available from the main menu (above). We also know that some questions are just so common that a central collection of them, and their answers, can be a convenience. If you can't find your question's answer here, please try the area page(s) linked to the main menu. If even those pages don't help you, please contact us.

• Submissions FAQ
• Reviewers FAQ
• Attendees FAQ
• Student Volunteers FAQ

1. Which time zone is used for submissions deadlines?

   We consider deadlines to be at 23:59 (11:59 p.m.) Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) on the indicated dates. HST is 10 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (that is, UTC -10). For those of you in the US, that's six hours behind Eastern Daylight Time, five behind Central Daylight Time, and three behind Pacific Daylight Time. The effect is that almost everyone has several 'extra' hours to polish their submissions to a gleaming shine.

2. What is the typical paper acceptance percentage?

   For both SIGCSE and ITiCSE the paper acceptance rate is typically around 30%.

3. How many reviews does each paper receive?

   The Program Chair(s) and Committee ensure that every paper receives a minimum of four reviews.

4. How are papers selected?

   The Program Chair(s) and Committee use the results of the double blind reviewing process as a starting point. Typically, unless there are special circumstances, the top rated papers provide the majority of the program. The rest of the program is chosen from among the other highly reviewed papers based on desired goals such as presenting a balanced program, emphasizing particular topics, and encouraging under-represented groups. Particular attention is given to evaluating the suitability of papers that receive widely varying reviews or where a reviewer indicates a low familiarity with the paper's topic area.

5. What is a double blind reviewing process?

   By "double blind reviewing process", we mean that reviewers do not know who submitted the papers they review, and authors do not know who reviewed their submissions.

1. What should I do if I'm assigned a paper that I am not qualified to review?

   Please contact the Program Chair(s) as soon as possible to inform them of the problem. The Program Chair(s) may assign you an alternate paper.

2. What should I do if I recognize the authors of a paper?

   Make a value judgment. If you feel you can impartially review the paper then go ahead and review it. If you feel uncomfortable reviewing the paper then contact the Program Chair(s) as soon as possible.

3. What should I do if I notice plagiarism in a paper?

   SIGCSE will not accept papers that contain plagiarized material. Please contact the Program Chair(s) immediately.

4. Why is Photoshop trying to open my papers, and what can I do about it?

   For security reasons, reviewers receive papers via a URL that uses a .asp file extension. This extension is used for Active Server Pages, but also for Photoshop photo indices. If you have Photoshop installed, your web browser or operating system may believe that Photoshop is the appropriate application to access the file's content. Here are two suggestions to deal with this problem:

   1. Save the .asp file with a .pdf extension. Outside of your browser, use Adobe Reader (or another PDF file viewer) to open the file.
   2. Modify your operating system's and/or web browser's preferences to force it/them to open .asp files with Reader. When you are finished retrieving your assigned papers, you will probably want to return the setting(s) to the original value(s).

1. I am not a U.S. Citizen. Can SIGCSE give me an invitation letter?

   SIGCSE 2010 does not issue formal invitation letters. The Association for Computing Machinery can, however, issue a visa support letter. Please visit the Visa Information for International Travelers page for details.

2. Where can I leave my luggage during the Saturday luncheon?

   TBD

1. Can students register for the conference at a reduced rate?

   Yes! Conference registration is usually significantly less expensive for students than for regular attendees. For students interested in volunteering some of their time to contribute to the success of the conference, we reimburse the conference registration fee. For more information about how to volunteer, see our Student Volunteers page.