Reviewing Conference Papers

We're getting ready for the Program Committee Meetings for WikiSym.

Assembling the program for a research conference is a complex and serious matter; careers sometimes hinge on whether or not a paper is accepted, and I think it is quite common for a single year’s program to significantly change the direction of an entire field.

Despite its importance to research — especially in computer science, where conferences often replace journals as the primary medium — people don’t write much (or teach much) about refereeing. In the process of preparing for WikiSym — which has an unusually eminent and diverse program committee — I wrote some notes on the purpose and process of Reviewing Conference Papers (pdf). I've lightly adapted this draft for general use; your suggestions and additions will be very welcome.

Update: The download link now has the advantage of, well, working.