ISMB/ECCB FAQ for Area chairs and co-chairs.

1. Question: Does each area invite their own reviewers (area program committee)? It will most certainly result in multiple invitation of many reviewers.
   
   Answer: Yes, please invite by yourselves. The lists of past reviewers sent to the chairs were partitioned into areas and so should not have many overlaps between areas. Also, since there should be only about 30% turnover, there should be only about 30% new people invited. That will reduce the number of multiple invites, but it certainly can happen that someone is invited more than once. Then if they decline your invitation, you need to invite a different person.
   
   
2. Question: In previous years the area chairs were not allowed to contact the reviewers directly. But this year we should. Right?
   
   Answer: Yes.
   
   
3. Question: Will PC members receive a registration discount?
   
   Answer: Unfortunately, I have been told by the conference organizers that the answer is no.
   
   
4. Question: We've sent out invitations and are getting a list of PC members for our area. Are we supposed to forward the list of reviewers to you to go into EasyChair? Or do we enter them ourselves?
   
   Answer: We will centrally enter the names into easychair (we need first and last names and emails). So just send us your finished list when you have it - by the end of Nov.
   
   
5. Question: How many papers will each reviewer be asked to handle?
   
   Answer: Sorry for the confusion on this point. It would be best if each area committee is large enough so that each reviewer reads only three papers for that committee. However, it has happened and may happen again, that some reviewers are asked to review four or five papers for one area committee. So each area should aim for a committee large enough that the anticipated number of papers per reviewer is three for that area, but each reviewer should know that they might be asked to reveiw more. Generally, no individual should be on more than two area committees.
   
   
6. Question: Can you please resend the email that contains the reviewing dates and timeline? Answer: It is posted at
   Reviewing Timeline mail
   
   
7. Question: Several people have asked about restrictions and procedures for ISMB/ECCB 2009 submissions from area chairs, co-chairs and program committee members.
   
   Answer: There is no restriction on the number of papers submitted by Area Chairs, Co-Chairs, and Program Committee members (reviewers). The Proceedings Chair and the Proceedings Co-Chair (Dan Gusfield and Anna Tramontano) and members of their research groups, are not permitted to submit papers. Any paper (co-)authored by one of the 21 Area Chairs and Co-Chairs should be identified by the author(s) as such, and will be handled in the following way: If the paper is submitted to the area chaired or co-chaired by one of the authors, that paper will be transfered and handled by another area (if appropriate) or handled by the Proceedings chair or Proceedings co-chair. If the paper is submitted to an area NOT chaired or co-chaired by any of the authors, then that area Chair and Co-Chair may handle the paper, but may also request that the Proceedings Chair and Proceedings Co-Chair handle the paper. Of course, COI rules apply to papers handled by a chair or co-chair.
   
   Also, it has been the tradition in ISMB that papers (co-)authored by Area Chairs or Co-Chairs that are on the margin of the accept line, might be more likely to be rejected than a similar paper from someone not an area chair or co-chair. That is, the conference wants the papers from Area Chairs and Co-Chairs to be particularly strong. Note that this concerns area chairs and co-chairs only and not regular PC members (reviewers).
   
   
8. Q: Please post the reviewing instructions that were sent out earlier.
   A: The reviewing instructions, including COI rules, that were sent to all PC members and chairs is at
   Reviewing Instruction mail