NSEFS-071 Publication strategies Carlo Ghezzi Politecnico di Milano, Italy

NSEFS-072 Outline: why not follow SE best practices? Stakeholders and goals Stakeholders and goals –Who set the goals? –What are the goals to achieve? Requirements Requirements –Operationalization of goals in a desirable process Implementation Implementation –Your job

NSEFS-073 Stakeholders and goals The global scientific community The global scientific community Your department Your department You You

NSEFS-074 How to evaluate people based on publications? (Of course, publications are not the only criterion to be considered) (Of course, publications are not the only criterion to be considered) Quality vs. quantity metrics Quality vs. quantity metrics –Easier to evaluate quantity than quality! –But quantity is self-referential, it does not lead to the ultimate goals –Quality evaluated by In-depth scrutiny In-depth scrutiny –Reviewers, interested peers Default rating based on the publication venue Default rating based on the publication venue Publication strategy is important here

NSEFS-075 The role of publication venues Your work must be good … but it gets the attention it deserves if the publication venue has a good reputation Your work must be good … but it gets the attention it deserves if the publication venue has a good reputation –archival journal –flagship conference –specialized workshop where the main experts meet –…

NSEFS-076 Domain knowledge (1) Each area has its top archival journals and other less prestigious, perhaps more specific, journals and magazines Each area has its top archival journals and other less prestigious, perhaps more specific, journals and magazines Each area has its top conferences and more focused symposia/workshops Each area has its top conferences and more focused symposia/workshops Conferences, symposia, workshops are venues where you can meet your peers and where you become part of the community Conferences, symposia, workshops are venues where you can meet your peers and where you become part of the community

NSEFS-077 Domain knowledge (2) Conferences/symposia/workshops require shorter papers than journals Conferences/symposia/workshops require shorter papers than journals They accept "less complete", "less mature" results They accept "less complete", "less mature" results They have shorter (and predictable) turnaround time They have shorter (and predictable) turnaround time

NSEFS-078 Requirements for a strategy Clearly understand scopes of different publication venues Clearly understand scopes of different publication venues Aim at covering both journals and conferences/symposia/workshops Aim at covering both journals and conferences/symposia/workshops Follow an incremental publication strategy for your work Follow an incremental publication strategy for your work –early notification of your work –early feedback start with workshop papers, as a way for you enter the field start with workshop papers, as a way for you enter the field significant intermediate results appear in the major conferences of the field significant intermediate results appear in the major conferences of the field complete research, from conception to evaluation, appears in journal papers complete research, from conception to evaluation, appears in journal papers

NSEFS-079 Constraints Never republish the same material Never republish the same material –Make sure that each time you have a significant amount of material to add typically a journal requires 20-30% new material that wasn't in the originating conference paper(s) typically a journal requires 20-30% new material that wasn't in the originating conference paper(s) –later comments on "ethical issues" Avoid the LPU ("least publishable unit") syndrome Avoid the LPU ("least publishable unit") syndrome

NSEFS-0710 The peer review process paper submission paper to reviewers reviews collected decision made

NSEFS-0711 More on peer reviews (1) Peer reviews aim at assuring quality Peer reviews aim at assuring quality Quality depends on venue -> different thresholds Quality depends on venue -> different thresholds –carefully read the requirements specified in the journal/conference web site and comply with them satisfy time constraints/formatting/length… satisfy time constraints/formatting/length…

NSEFS-0712 More on peer reviews (2) Peer reviewers do a voluntary job Peer reviewers do a voluntary job –help them to help you don't give them an easy way to reject your work, submit your best (final) version don't give them an easy way to reject your work, submit your best (final) version –provide them useful feedback (only possible for journals) accompanying letter for resubmissions accompanying letter for resubmissions

NSEFS-0713 Implementation Build your publication portfolio

NSEFS-0714 My biased suggested (selected) targets for SE ACM/IEEE top journals ACM/IEEE top journals Other SE journals Other SE journals Top flagship conferences Top flagship conferences Specialized conferences Specialized conferences Workshops Workshops ASE, SP&E, SCP, SPIP, JSS JSM, REJ, ESE, IEE Proc. Sw. ICSE ESEC/FSE JACM TOPLAS TC … IEEE Sw IEEE Computer TOSEM TSE OOPSLA, POPL … ISSTA RE SM … Often attached to conferences

NSEFS-0715 Writing style pills: audience Each venue has a reference audience, and you write for an audience Each venue has a reference audience, and you write for an audience –Target themes may differ Emphasis on theory/principles vs. tools/empirical studies Emphasis on theory/principles vs. tools/empirical studies –Journal/conference

NSEFS-0716 Writing style pills: structure Title and abstract Title and abstract –short and informative Introduction Introduction –the problem, the current status, the proposed solution, the outline State of the art State of the art –be fair and complete, go back to sources there is more than the web and wikipedia! there is more than the web and wikipedia! The proposed solution The proposed solution Comparison with competing approaches Comparison with competing approaches Limitations and future work Limitations and future work

NSEFS-0717 Writing style pills: "details" Get rid of grammatical errors and spelling errors Get rid of grammatical errors and spelling errors –ask a native language friend for help –spell check!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make figures readable Make figures readable Comply with font size and page limit requirements Comply with font size and page limit requirements

NSEFS-0718 Personal recommendations (1) Find your way through the publication jungle Find your way through the publication jungle Favor established venues with high reputation and strong records over "easier" targets Favor established venues with high reputation and strong records over "easier" targets Aim at top journals but get there in a stepwise manner via conferences Aim at top journals but get there in a stepwise manner via conferences

NSEFS-0719 Personal recommendations (2) Don't be frustrated by rejections Don't be frustrated by rejections –good ideas and good work are a necessary but not sufficient precondition for an acceptable paper Don't be obsessed by publication Don't be obsessed by publication –be confident in what you are doing –the purpose of publication IS NOT species selection Strictly adhere to the ethical code Strictly adhere to the ethical code

NSEFS-0720 Ethical code (1) The ends don't justify the means The ends don't justify the means –NO double submissions Corollary Corollary –Do not submit to a journal until the conference paper that subsumes the journal paper is presented Ask for permission if you wish to submit prior to presentation Ask for permission if you wish to submit prior to presentation –NEVER report data/facts that are unsubstantiated –NEVER report as yours work done by others

NSEFS-0721 Ethical code (2) You do not live in isolation You do not live in isolation –There is no justification for ignoring previous work and history of the field –Give proper credits to previous and contextual work but then when you are a referee, don't reject a paper simply because it did not refer to one of your minor papers… but then when you are a referee, don't reject a paper simply because it did not refer to one of your minor papers…

NSEFS-0722 Ethical code (3) Take reviews seriously Take reviews seriously –Peer reviews are fundamental to improve scientific work Help the community as a reviewer Help the community as a reviewer –You may say no, but more often you should say yes