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