Close

TPC composition

TPC composition is one of the most important aspects impacting overall conference quality.

The TPC should have expertise to assess the expected papers and represent the overall community
My suggestions:

Coverage technical expertise

  • Based on previous years’ paper submissions, identify expected technical areas and their submission numbers.
  • create table with topics, expected submission numbers
    • maintain table over the years, it can provide further insights
    • identify number of TPC members per topic needed
  • TPC members should
    • be experts in their field
    • be familiar with the conference, best actively participating and publishing at it
    • care about conference and its goals
    • be supportive of TPC chair
      • e.g., reading and following instructions for reviewing
      • following guidelines for paper evaluation
        • not the ones from all the other conferences
    • have practical competence and willingness
      • best technical experience of no use if late or no-show
      • remember PC members performance, also talk to other conferences
    • don’t helicopter in TPC members unfamiliar with the conference
      • except for particular goals, e.g., support for outsider, with mentoring, see separate entry
  • The size of the TPC should reflect expected workloads:
    • too small put too much load on individual TPC members
    • too large risk reducing engagement of individual PC members
      • “why should I participate when I have only x papers?”
      • less “forced” acitivity in PC meeting risks less attention during meeting
      • too large PCs are often the result of selecting members based on “friends and benefactors” rather than technical reasons
    • don’t add TPC members without a (conference) reason – it creates extra work and makes the decision process more complex
  • Diversity among conferences is important for community health
    • Problem for all if same people run all conference in the same way
  • Continuity is good
    • PC members who are invested in the conference, share its goals, have done well can help strengthen the goals
    • keep a base of PC members over the years, but ensure some change
    • rules on who to swap out when can have adverse effects

Coverage Community


in addition to the technical coverage, the TPC should reflect the community by including members:

  • from underrepresented communities, e.g.,
    • with economic difficulties for participation
    • without support “from within”, e.g. without “dynasty” or support network, but good technical contributions, overlooked (junior) researchers – I checked papers, participation etc
  • from technical areas the conference wants to strengthen or expand into

Leave a Reply

© 2025 1 is the Only Acceptable Acceptance Ratio | WordPress Theme: Annina Free by CrestaProject.