Selecting an Area
Starting with ACM Multimedia 2011, the conference will have ten areas, instead of the familiar tracks of content, systems, applications and human-centered computing. The introduction of areas allows the community to solicit papers from a wide range of timely multimedia-related topics. For example, this change has allowed us to focus on crosscutting topics, including scalability and mobility, as areas of interest.
Guidance for selecting the area for your submission
The SIG Multimedia area structure empowers the authors to select the set of researchers best positioned to review their work. When you submit your short or long paper, you will designate a primary area and an optional secondary area in the online system. It is your responsibility to read the descriptions of all the areas and select the primary area that best matches the primary focus of your submission. You should select that area, whose technical program committee members have the expertise to review your submission and whom you believe can best appreciate your contribution. The selection of a secondary area is optional; select the secondary area when the research crosses over to other areas.
For example, consider the case of a researcher who wants to submit a paper on fast, web-scale image search on mobile devices. Then, if the principal focus is on search algorithms, the researcher could select media search as the primary area. If the primary contribution is on scalable, real-time algorithms, but not the specific feature or specific media, then scalability could be a reasonable choice. If the secondary contribution were on the design on the interface, the human and social aspects of multimedia area would be a possible secondary area candidate.
While the ten areas are distinct, the mandate of each area is broad. We recognize that many, even most papers cannot be neatly pinned into one area. Papers that do select the optional secondary area will not be penalized. On the contrary, crosscutting, multi-disciplinary work is highly encouraged.
If you select one primary area, but no secondary area, then all three reviewers will be from the same area. If you do select a secondary area, then two reviewers will be from the primary area, and one reviewer will be from the secondary area.
If you find it difficult to select the area, please email the area chairs for guidance. All the area chairs are seasoned researchers and experienced with program committee work.