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Workshops / Symposia

Update: The list of accepted 2021 workshops and symposia is now posted.

 

Quick Facts

 

Important Dates:

  • Revised Submission deadline for virtual conference: November 24th, 2020 at 12pm (noon) PT – Pacific Time
  • Notification: December 1st, 2020 at 12pm (noon) PT – Pacific Time
  • Call for Participation released by workshop organisers and website up and running: (on or before) December 15, 2020.
  • Publication-ready deadline (for workshop organisers): December 15th, 2020 at 12pm (noon) PT – Pacific Time
  • Participant submissions due: we suggest February 21, but workshops can change this as necessary to fulfill whatever selection process they need so that they can notify participants of acceptances before the Early Registration Deadline.
  • You must notify participants of acceptances at least seven days before the conference Early Registration Deadline
  • Workshop days: One-day or two-day sessions: Saturday and Sunday, May 8th-9th, 2021

 

Submission Details:

 

Selection Process: Curated

 

Chairs: Jofish Kaye, Hideaki Kuzuoka (workshops@chi2021.acm.org)

 

Jury: Julia Cambre, Jessica Colnago, Tzu-Yang Wang, Chi-Lan Yang

 

At the conference: Accepted workshops will be held on 8-9 May 2021.

 

After the conference: Workshop Extended Abstracts will be published in the ACM Digital Library

 

Message from the Workshops Chairs

 

We invite you to submit proposal for workshops at CHI 2021. Workshops are a gathering place for attendees with shared interests to meet in the context of a focused and interactive discussion. They are an opportunity to move a field forward and build community: a chance to find people who care about the same issues, questions, and research agendas as you. CHI workshops might address basic research, applied research, HCI practice, HCI education, new methodologies, emerging application areas, or design innovations. Each workshop should generate ideas that will give the HCI community a new, organized way of thinking about the topic or that suggest promising directions for future work. If you are working in an emerging area in HCI, please consider organizing a workshop.

 

Jofish Kaye, Mozilla
Hideaki Kuzuoka, The University of Tokyo, Japan

workshops@chi2021.acm.org

 

An Important Note on CHI 2020 Workshops

When you submit your workshop, we will ask you if this is a re-submission of a workshop that was accepted to CHI 2020.  Such workshops will be given special consideration but are not automatically accepted.  The nature of workshops is such that appropriate workshop topics and organizers change very rapidly; some will be more relevant than last year and some will be less relevant.  Our space limitations, too, will be particularly significant this year.

 

The core responsibility of the Workshop & Symposium Chairs is to create a carefully curated list of workshops and symposia which reflect the needs and desires and requirements of the community.  We also need to be able to propose modifications and augmentations, like suggesting that workshops be combined where appropriate.  As such, workshops accepted to CHI 2020 should feel free to plan on submitting for CHI 2021, and are welcome to inform their potential attendees of that fact, but should not go forward under the assumption that they will necessarily be accepted.

 

What is a CHI Workshop?

Workshops are held the weekend before the start of the conference, on Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 May 2021. Workshops are scheduled for six working hours per day, and are either one or two days long.  A typical workshop will have 12 to 25 participants, with a minimum of 10 paying participants.

 

Workshops are intended to foster discussion and exchange ideas. Because focused interaction among participants is important, participants should have informed positions based on prior experience. This is typically expressed in position papers submitted by workshop attendees. Workshops should not be miniature paper presentation sessions, but focus on community building and communal knowledge creation. Please note that CHI workshops are not classes in which instructors teach content (see CHI Courses for further guidance).

 

There are typically far more workshops submitted than we can accept, and so we have begun exploring new ways to allow more workshops at CHI without raising prices.  For example, we will likely have Early and Late workshops on a given day, 08:00-14:00 and 14:30-20:30.  These contain the same number of working hours as any normal workshop in previous years, but allow us to accept twice as many workshops. In any case, we will provide breaks with light refreshments, at fixed times. We can not and will not accept requests to have workshops on particular days or at particular times.

 

There are two groups of people involved in a workshop: the organizers and the participants. Organizers are responsible for the workshop’s topic, logistics, and final outcome. Participants are responsible for the content and discussion. The following is an outline of the submission and organization process:

  • Workshop organizers submit a workshop proposal (see below for content and format) to CHI.
  • The Workshop Chairs choose which workshops will be accepted for the conference.
  • Once a workshop is accepted, workshop organizers are responsible for publicizing the workshop and soliciting potential participants. Workshop organizers solicit participants for their workshop through a Call for Participation. CHI will also place a link to the workshop’s website on a page listing accepted workshops.
  • Upon acceptance, the workshop organizers are required to create a website with workshop specific information. They must include the website URL in the submission. The workshop organizers may decide to cap the number of attendees for the workshop.
  • Interested participants in the workshop typically submit a position paper to the organizers of the workshop. Position papers are statements of interest and/or expertise in the workshop topic, in any format or media as defined by the workshop organizers. The workshop organizers will review position papers using their own criteria, and will decide on the final list of participants. Workshop organizers are free to use other mechanisms to select active, informed participants.

 

Should I be submitting to the Workshops, Courses or  Special Interest Group track?

 

Workshops are different from Courses and Special Interest Groups. Workshops are meetings of subject matter experts exploring new knowledge.  Courses are delivered by expert instructors, typically with established reputations, teaching people who are new to a topic. Special Interest Groups enable attendees with a common interest to meet for informal but facilitated discussions during the main conference program. See Courses vs Workshops vs SIGs for more information.

 

Previous Successful Workshops at CHI

 

Some workshops have resulted in edited books or special issues of journals; you may consider including this goal in the design of your workshop. Others have created communities that spawned new, more specialized conferences.

 

Some example workshops from previous years include:

 

Note that many of these workshop proposals are in the old Extended Abstracts format. While the content is informative, remember your workshop must be submitted in the single column ACM Master Article Submission Templates format.

 

Preparing and Submitting your Workshop Proposal

 

A workshop proposal must be prepared according to the ACM Master Article Submission Templates (single column). Note that we eliminate the old CHI extended abstract format (landscape) and use the same format as full papers. It must be submitted via the PCS Submission System as a single PDF file. The proposal must be no more than 9 pages (including references) and have the following structure:

  • Background: Provide a strong rationale for the workshop, describe the issues to be addressed, and state concrete goals for the workshop.
  • Organizers: Present the organizers’ backgrounds, including the main contact person.
  • Website: Provide details of the planned website, including the URL. (This may be TBD until after acceptance.)
  • Pre-Workshop Plans: State your plans for recruiting and community-building (e.g. through a website or other communication with participants).
  • Workshop Structure: Explain in detail the workshop structure, including activities, timing, and resources. Please note that we can offer no guarantees beyond the necessary room space and limited supplies of markers and flip charts.
  • Post-Workshop Plans: State your plans for follow-up and creation of tangible outcomes (e.g., poster presentation, publication of a workshop report, plans for a special issue of a journal).
  • Call for Participation: Provide a 250-word Call for Participation that will be posted on the conference site to recruit participants for your workshop. This should appear at the end of your Extended Abstract, and should include the following:
    • The format and goals of the workshop
    • The participant selection criteria
    • Requirements for position papers (e.g. topics to address, page length, format)
    • Where these papers should be submitted
    • The requirement that at least one author of each accepted position paper must attend the workshop and that all participants must register for both the workshop and for at least one day of the conference.
    • A link to the workshop website.
  • References: Please add any relevant references using the updated CHI reference format. References, which should likely be minimal, must be included within the 9-page limit.

 

This Extended Abstract is the only document from the workshop which will be included in the CHI conference proceedings. Any position papers or other material submitted by workshop participants are not included.

 

Additionally, please note the following rules pertaining to workshops (most of which are not new rules, but we are making them more explicit this year):

  • Authors are limited to being on 2 workshops proposals.
  • All authors must be listed on the initial submission. After initial submission, authors can be removed but not added.
  • Carefully consider the length of your proposed workshop – the potential to attract enough of a CHI audience needs to be commensurate with the workshop length. Accepting a 2-day workshop will be judged against accepting two 1-day workshops. Authors should provide a compelling justification for a longer workshop.
  • Our assumption is that the workshop will take place onsite at the CHI conference. A room will be provided and assigned to your workshop.
  • There are a lot of factors and constraints that play into the scheduling decisions and so the workshop date and time is scheduled by the workshop chairs and not chosen by the organizers.
  • While breaks will include light refreshments, lunch is not provided. Workshop organizers should plan on going to local restaurants or other offsite arrangements (Student Volunteers can assist with reservations and recommendations). Outside catering cannot be used. The only exception is for accessibility issues.
  • The conference provides basic supplies such as pens and large paper pads. Workshop organizers are responsible for supplying all additional materials needed. Requests for any special arrangements / logistics planning must be approved by the workshop chairs ahead of time (e.g., something beyond a standard room). The venue restrictions vary (e.g. sometimes you cannot post or hang anything on the walls).

 

Authors are strongly encouraged to work on improving the accessibility of their submissions, using recommendations found in the Guide to an Accessible Submission.

 

Workshop Selection Process

 

Workshops are a curated track and highly selective: in prior years, acceptance rates have ranged from 25%-47%, meaning over half of submitted workshops are typically rejected. Workshop proposals will be selected by the workshop chairs. Once we confirm that workshops have met a basic quality standard, acceptance decisions will be based on an assessment of how compelling the workshop is likely to be for CHI attendees and the overall portfolio of workshops proposed. For this reason, there are no reviews for rejected or accepted workshops.

 

The workshop chairs will consider several factors during the selection process, including:

  • The potential for the topic of the workshop to generate stimulating discussions and useful results.
  • The organizers’ ability to demonstrate in the proposal a well-organized process and plan for the workshop that fosters interactivity.
  • The overall balance of topics in the workshops program and relevance to the main conference theme.
  • The proposed size of the workshop, and whether there is a clear and workable plan for facilitating a lively environment for discussion for all participants, particularly for larger workshops.
  • If multiple submissions are received on the same or similar topics, the organizers may be encouraged to merge them or differentiate them.
  • The diversity and inclusivity of the workshop organizers. For example, workshops that only include organizers of only one institution, country, or gender would be less competitive than those that include a diversity of identities and backgrounds. The workshop chairs may be able to help identify potential collaborators.

Submissions should not contain sensitive, private, or proprietary information that cannot be disclosed at publication time. Submissions should NOT be anonymous. However, confidentiality of submissions will be maintained during the review process. All rejected submissions will be kept confidential in perpetuity. All submitted materials for accepted submissions will be kept confidential until the publication of the CHI Extended Abstracts, with the exception of title, author and website information which will be published on the website prior to the conference.

 

Upon Acceptance of your CHI Workshop

 

Please note the following milestones which must be met for all CHI Workshops (see the top of this page for the dates):

  • Workshop organizers will be notified of acceptance or rejection by the notification date.
  • Authors of all accepted workshops will receive instructions on how to submit the publication-ready copy of their proposal.
  • Final acceptances for position papers must be completed by the acceptance deadline. This will give participants enough time for early registration to the conference.

 

Before the Conference

 

In addition, workshop organizers will be responsible for the following tasks during the time leading up to the conference:

  • Publicize Your Workshop: Organizers of an accepted workshop must set up and maintain their own website in which they provide further and updated information about their workshop. The workshop page will be linked to from the official CHI workshop site. In order to have a successful and well-attended workshop, we recommend that you post your call for participation early and widely (e.g. publicize on social media and on relevant mailing lists, such as CHI-ANNOUNCEMENTS).
  • Solicit Position Papers from Potential Participants: While some organizers may choose alternate formats, a position paper is generally 2-4 pages long and outlines the submitter’s view on the workshop theme and the reasons for the submitter’s interest in the topic.
  • Select Participants: Choose participants on the basis of position papers submitted to you and your goals for the workshop.
  • Provide a Participant List: A list of confirmed participants should be sent to the Workshop Chairs (workshops@chi2021.acm.org).
  • Workshop sizes are provisionally capped to 35 participants. The registration system will not allow more participants to register for your workshop. Please contact the Workshop Chairs if it becomes necessary to change the size of your accepted workshop. Workshops that do not attract at least 10 paying participants may be canceled by the Workshop Chairs. Under special circumstances, we may be able to arrange for larger workshops.
  • Distribute Position Papers and Pre-Workshop Materials: Materials should be made accessible to participants well in advance of the workshop.
  • Develop a final agenda of workshop activities.
  • Develop a plan for any follow-up activities.

 

Accepted Workshop summaries of the organisers will be distributed in the CHI Extended Abstracts, and will be available in the ACM Digital Library in the weeks leading up to the conference.

 

At the Conference

 

The workshop organizers are expected to facilitate discussion, help maintain productive interaction, and encourage participation. The emphasis should be on group discussion, rather than on presentation of individual position papers. Diversity of perspectives should be encouraged.

After the Conference

 

It is expected that workshop results will be communicated to a larger audience. For example, workshop organizers may wish to consider producing a report for publication in ACM Interactions. We encourage additional avenues of communication, such as organizing an informal Special Interest Group (SIG) at the conference, preparing an edited book or special issues of journals following the conference, or maintaining a website or email list to network with others who might be interested.

 

Workshop Registration Fees for Organizers

 

Workshop organizers receive complimentary workshop registrations as follows:

  • one single workshop fee is waived for a one-day workshop
  • two workshop fees are waived for a two-day workshop

 

This fee waiver can be given to any workshop attendee – the workshop organizers can decide. All other organizers, invited speakers, panelists, and participants who attend a workshop must pay the workshop registration fee.

 

In addition to the workshop fees, all workshop attendees (including organizers whose workshop fee has been waived) are required to register for at least one day of the CHI conference.

 

CHI 2021 Symposia

 

Some weekend meetings are labelled as ‘Symposia’. Symposia are intended for larger meetings that address a pressing need for CHI, and they are often persistent features across a series of CHI conferences. If you are interested in proposing a future CHI Symposium, please email the chair of the CHI Steering Committee https://chi.acm.org/ and cc: general and workshop chairs, well in advance of the workshop/symposia deadline.

 

Symposia must follow all of the rules of submitting a workshop, including submitting a proposal for the same deadline, but their acceptance is guaranteed, if approved in advance by the Workshop Chairs and the CHI Steering Committee.

 

Currently approved symposia for CHI 2021:

 

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