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> how do you suppose we determine who reviews which paper? How do we convince them to actually write the review? How do we know the review is any good? At leas

> how do you suppose we determine who reviews which paper? How do we convince them to actually write the review? How do we know the review is any good? At least in theoretical computer science these tasks are all done by the volunteer conference organizers. It's possible that this is different than in fields that primarily publish in journals, but it certainly seems like the volunteer approach works just fine. I have also never seen anything getting improved typesetting or prose. The reviews may reject based on bad writing, or the journal may reject due to latex warnings, but never more than that. I wonder what journal you work for?

scythe 9y ago
There are many academic fields where people work long hours for little pay, but I imagine theoretical CS is much more comfortable. I'm not surprised people have time and effort to spare, but they are still getting paid, you know. It just happens that the resume byline "conference organizer" is valuable enough in that field. Sometimes conferences pay a publishing company to do the review process for submissions, by the way. I'm not sure that your submissions are actually getting processed for free by conference volunteers. I'd rather not disclose details of my employer, sorry.
- jmmcd 9y ago
  > Sometimes conferences pay a publishing company to do the review process for submissions, by the way. I'm not sure that your submissions are actually getting processed for free by conference volunteers. Well, I'm sure, because I also review for the same conferences and journals that I submit to!
- Ar-Curunir 9y ago
  No conference in CS pays the publishing company (usually IEEE or ACM) to pick reviewers. None whatsoever. Instead, program committee (PC) chairs are selected, and they pick PC members who are responsible for reviews. All of this occurs on a volunteer basis, no matter which institution the PC chairs/members belong to. > just happens that the resume byline "conference organizer" is valuable enough in that field. Being editor of a journal/PC chair is a valuable thing in any field, not just CS.

scythe 9y ago

There are many academic fields where people work long hours for little pay, but I imagine theoretical CS is much more comfortable. I'm not surprised people have time and effort to spare, but they are still getting paid, you know. It just happens that the resume byline "conference organizer" is valuable enough in that field. Sometimes conferences pay a publishing company to do the review process for submissions, by the way. I'm not sure that your submissions are actually getting processed for free by conference volunteers. I'd rather not disclose details of my employer, sorry.

jmmcd 9y ago
> Sometimes conferences pay a publishing company to do the review process for submissions, by the way. I'm not sure that your submissions are actually getting processed for free by conference volunteers. Well, I'm sure, because I also review for the same conferences and journals that I submit to!
Ar-Curunir 9y ago
No conference in CS pays the publishing company (usually IEEE or ACM) to pick reviewers. None whatsoever. Instead, program committee (PC) chairs are selected, and they pick PC members who are responsible for reviews. All of this occurs on a volunteer basis, no matter which institution the PC chairs/members belong to. > just happens that the resume byline "conference organizer" is valuable enough in that field. Being editor of a journal/PC chair is a valuable thing in any field, not just CS.