Some problems with systems research in Europe Miguel Castro

Some statistics

Not many European papers 1.65 papers per conference in last decade about 7% of accepted papers not great can we do better?

Europeans cannot handle rejection ? pattern I have seen many times: –paper gets rejected –author gives up trying to publish it –author becomes bitter for life no use trying to send more papers to SOSP/OSDI

Good papers get rejected often lots of randomness in review process –submit often to increase your chances if rejected, don’t give up –address reviewers comments –submit again –example paper rejected two times receives best student paper award at OSDI

Inefficient publication pipeline ? another pattern I have seen many times: –lots of work invested in building new system –paper about new system is rejected –why? system is clearly an amazing engineering job but not clear how system advances state of the art another way –given an idea that advances state of the art –find the least effort way to prove that it does

US bias bias towards (particular) US institutions –it is undeniably present but you might not know that –many who publish often submit very often –example: 7 papers submitted to a conference one accepted 5 submitted none accepted

Countering the bias use workshops (SIGOPS EW, HotOS) –publicize your work 5 PC member overlap between EW and SOSP –get early feedback get to know the people that review often –internships, sabbaticals, visits –talk to them at conferences and workshops –publicize your work and get feedback