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Publication Publication strategiesstrategies

Carlo GhezziCarlo Ghezzi

Politecnico di Milano, ItalyPolitecnico di Milano, Italy

carlo.ghezzi@polimi.itcarlo.ghezzi@polimi.it

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Outline: why not follow Outline: why not follow SE best practices?SE best practices? Stakeholders and goalsStakeholders and goals

– Who set the goals? Who set the goals? – What are the goals to achieve? What are the goals to achieve?

RequirementsRequirements– Operationalization of goals in a Operationalization of goals in a

desirable processdesirable process ImplementationImplementation

– Your jobYour job

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Stakeholders and Stakeholders and goalsgoals

The global The global scientific scientific communitycommunity

Your Your departmentdepartment

YouYou

Buildcommunity

Advancescience

Evaluate youfor promotion

Promote thebest people

Compete withinuniversity

and with peers

Establishyour reputation

in the community

Be promoted

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How to evaluate How to evaluate people based on people based on publications?publications? (Of course, publications are not the (Of course, publications are not the

only criterion to be considered)only criterion to be considered) Quality vs. quantity metricsQuality vs. quantity metrics

– Easier to evaluate quantity than quality!Easier to evaluate quantity than quality!– But quantity is self-referential, it does not But quantity is self-referential, it does not

lead to the ultimate goalslead to the ultimate goals– Quality evaluated byQuality evaluated by

In-depth scrutinyIn-depth scrutiny– Reviewers, interested peersReviewers, interested peers

Default rating based on the publication venueDefault rating based on the publication venue

Publication strategyis important here

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The role of publication The role of publication venuesvenues Your work must be good … Your work must be good …

but it gets the attention it but it gets the attention it deserves if the publication venue deserves if the publication venue has a good reputationhas a good reputation– archival journalarchival journal– flagship conferenceflagship conference– specialized workshop where the specialized workshop where the

main experts meetmain experts meet– ……

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Domain knowledge (1)Domain knowledge (1)

Each area has its top archival journals Each area has its top archival journals and other less prestigious , perhaps and other less prestigious , perhaps more specific, journals and magazinesmore specific, journals and magazines

Each area has its top conferences and Each area has its top conferences and more focused symposia/workshopsmore focused symposia/workshops

Conferences, symposia, workshops are Conferences, symposia, workshops are venues where you can meet your venues where you can meet your peers and where you become part of peers and where you become part of the communitythe community

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Domain knowledge (2)Domain knowledge (2)

Conferences/symposia/workshops Conferences/symposia/workshops require shorter papers than require shorter papers than journalsjournals

They accept "less complete", They accept "less complete", "less mature" results"less mature" results

They have shorter (and They have shorter (and predictable) turnaround timepredictable) turnaround time

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Requirements for a Requirements for a strategystrategy

Clearly understand scopes of different Clearly understand scopes of different publication venuespublication venues

Aim at covering both journals and Aim at covering both journals and conferences/symposia/workshopsconferences/symposia/workshops

Follow an incremental publication strategy for Follow an incremental publication strategy for your work your work – early notification of your workearly notification of your work– early feedbackearly feedback

start with workshop papers, as a way for you enter the start with workshop papers, as a way for you enter the fieldfield

significant intermediate results appear in the major significant intermediate results appear in the major conferences of the fieldconferences of the field

complete research, from conception to evaluation, complete research, from conception to evaluation, appears in journal papersappears in journal papers

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ConstraintsConstraints

Never republish the same materialNever republish the same material– Make sure that each time you have a Make sure that each time you have a

significant amount of material to addsignificant amount of material to add typically a journal requires 20-30% new typically a journal requires 20-30% new

material that wasn't in the originating material that wasn't in the originating conference paper(s)conference paper(s)

– later comments on "ethical issues"later comments on "ethical issues"

Avoid the LPU ("least publishable Avoid the LPU ("least publishable unit") syndromeunit") syndrome

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The peer review The peer review processprocess

papersubmission

paper toreviewers

reviews collecteddecision made

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More on peer reviews More on peer reviews (1)(1) Peer reviews aim at assuring Peer reviews aim at assuring

qualityquality Quality depends on venue -> Quality depends on venue ->

different thresholdsdifferent thresholds– carefully read the requirements carefully read the requirements

specified in the journal/conference specified in the journal/conference web site and comply with themweb site and comply with them satisfy time satisfy time

constraints/formatting/length…constraints/formatting/length…

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More on peer reviews More on peer reviews (2)(2) Peer reviewers do a voluntary jobPeer reviewers do a voluntary job

– help them to help youhelp them to help you don't give them an easy way to reject don't give them an easy way to reject

your work, submit your best (final) your work, submit your best (final) versionversion

– provide them useful feedback (only provide them useful feedback (only possible for journals)possible for journals) accompanying letter for resubmissionsaccompanying letter for resubmissions

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ImplementationImplementation

Build your publication Build your publication portfolioportfolio

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My My biasedbiased suggested suggested (selected) targets for (selected) targets for SESE ACM/IEEE top ACM/IEEE top

journalsjournals Other SE journalsOther SE journals Top flagship Top flagship

conferencesconferences Specialized Specialized

conferencesconferences WorkshopsWorkshops

ASE, SP&E,SCP, SPIP, JSSJSM, REJ, ESE,IEE Proc. Sw.

ICSEESEC/FSE

JACMTOPLASTC …

IEEE SwIEEE Computer

TOSEMTSE

OOPSLA,POPL …

ISSTARESM …

Often attachedto conferences

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Writing style pills: Writing style pills: audienceaudience

Each venue has a reference Each venue has a reference audience, and you write for an audience, and you write for an audienceaudience– Target themes may differTarget themes may differ

Emphasis on theory/principles vs. Emphasis on theory/principles vs. tools/empirical studiestools/empirical studies

– Journal/conferenceJournal/conference

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Writing style pills: Writing style pills: structurestructure

Title and abstractTitle and abstract– short and informativeshort and informative

IntroductionIntroduction– the problem, the current status, the proposed the problem, the current status, the proposed

solution, the outlinesolution, the outline State of the artState of the art

– be fair and complete, go back to sources 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 solutionThe proposed solution Comparison with competing approachesComparison with competing approaches Limitations and future workLimitations and future work

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Writing style pills: Writing style pills: "details""details"

Get rid of grammatical errors and Get rid of grammatical errors and spelling errorsspelling errors– ask a native language friend for helpask a native language friend for help– spell check!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!spell check!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make figures readableMake figures readable Comply with font size and page Comply with font size and page

limit requirementslimit requirements

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Personal Personal recommendations (1)recommendations (1) Find your way through the Find your way through the

publication junglepublication jungle Favor established venues with Favor established venues with

high reputation and strong high reputation and strong records over "easier" targetsrecords over "easier" targets

Aim at top journals but get there Aim at top journals but get there in a stepwise manner via in a stepwise manner via conferencesconferences

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Personal Personal recommendations (2)recommendations (2) Don't be frustrated by rejectionsDon't be frustrated by rejections

– good ideas and good work are a necessary good ideas and good work are a necessary but not sufficient precondition for an but not sufficient precondition for an acceptable paperacceptable paper

Don't be obsessed by publicationDon't be obsessed by publication– be confident in what you are doingbe confident in what you are doing– the purpose of publication IS NOT species the purpose of publication IS NOT species

selectionselection Strictly adhere to the ethical codeStrictly adhere to the ethical code

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Ethical code (1)Ethical code (1)

The ends don't justify the meansThe ends don't justify the means– NO double submissionsNO double submissions

CorollaryCorollary– Do not submit to a journal until the conference Do not submit to a journal until the conference

paper that subsumes the journal paper is paper that subsumes the journal paper is presentedpresented

Ask for permission if you wish to submit prior Ask for permission if you wish to submit prior to presentationto presentation

– NEVER report data/facts that are NEVER report data/facts that are unsubstantiatedunsubstantiated

– NEVER report as yours work done by NEVER report as yours work done by othersothers

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Ethical code (2)Ethical code (2)

You do not live in isolationYou do not live in isolation– There is no justification for ignoring There is no justification for ignoring

previous work and history of the previous work and history of the fieldfield

– Give proper credits to previous and Give proper credits to previous and contextual workcontextual work but then when you are a referee, don't but then when you are a referee, don't

reject a paper simply because it did not reject a paper simply because it did not refer to one of your minor papers…refer to one of your minor papers…

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Ethical code (3)Ethical code (3)

Take reviews seriouslyTake reviews seriously– Peer reviews are fundamental to Peer reviews are fundamental to

improve scientific workimprove scientific work Help the community as a reviewerHelp the community as a reviewer

– You may say no, but more often you You may say no, but more often you should say yesshould say yes