Call for contributions 

Submission for the iPRES 2016 is now closed and peer reviewing has started.

All accepted speakers have to register for the conference.  

iPRES is the premier international conference on the preservation and long term management of digital materials. iPRES 2016 will be held on October 3-6, 2016 in Bern, Switzerland.

Over the years, iPRES has served as a valuable forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange their insights, experiences, and best practices. For iPRES 2016, we invite paper and poster submissions about original research work and innovative practices, as well as proposals for workshops, tutorials and panels that will further support knowledge exchange and encourage a debate about important aspects of digital preservation.

 Papers & Posters  Due date
 Full papers, short papers and posters due    Submission closed
 Notification of acceptance  31 May, 2016
 Camera ready (all)   15 July, 2016
 Workshops, Tutorials & Panels  Due date
 Workshop, tutorial and panel proposals Submission closed
 Notification of acceptance for workshops and  tutorials  20 April, 2016
 Final workshop and tutorial descriptions    15 May, 2016
 Notification of acceptance for panels  31 May, 2016
 
 Programme  Due date
 Conference programme published online     17 June, 2016 
 
 Registration  Due date
 Early bird registration opens   15 May, 2016 
 Early bird registration ends   1 August, 2016

We invite original contributions that cover research and practices related but not necessarily limited to the following topics: 

Preservation strategies and workflows 
  • Migration; emulation; preservation planning, acquisition and ingest; preservation action, characterization, and access provision; risk analysis; audit, trust and certification; authenticity, security, and information/data quality
Digital preservation frameworks 
  • Digital preservation requirements and implications for the system lifecycle: modeling, design, development, deployment and maintenance; business models, sustainability and economic viability
Infrastructure, systems, and tools
  • Intelligent and secure storage; system architectures and requirements, software and hardware dependencies, distributed and cloud-based implementations; preservation resources; content management, characterization, and processing tools
Domain-specific challenges 
  • Preservation of cultural heritage, technical and scientific processes and data, engineering models and simulation, medical records, corporate processes
Case studies, best practices and novel challenges 
  • Implementations; lessons learnt, preservation at scale; preservation of distributed and cloud based systems; cross-platform access services
Training and education
  • Building capacity in novel technologies and practices; curricula effectiveness; career management, etc. 

iPRES 2016 is structured around two key strands:

  1. research in digital preservation
  2. innovative practices in digital preservation

Submissions are invited for both strands, with the goal to promote both the research initiatives and the preservation practices that are rooted in digital preservation activities. We expect that some submissions will encapsulate both strands and they are equally welcomed.

All submissions for iPRES 2016 are expected to be

  • Leading edge
  • Innovative
  • Effective in informing and promoting the digital preservation debates
Full paper

Full papers (8 to 10 pages) should follow the guidelines for authors, supported by the provided template.
All contributions must be novel, reporting on previously unpublished work. During submission, the authors should indicate whether the paper fits into the research strand or the practitioner strand. The papers will be peer-reviewed by at least 3 members of the Programme Committee.

Accepted papers will be published in the iPRES 2016 proceedings (in digital form).

Short paper

Short papers (3 to 5 pages) should follow the  guidelines for authors, supported by the provided template.
They can focus on new challenges and work in progress. All contributions must report on novel efforts. During submission, the authors should indicate whether the paper fits into the research strand or the practitioner strand. The papers will be peer-reviewed by at least 3 members of the Programme Committee.

Accepted papers will be published in the iPRES 2016 proceedings, in digital form.

Poster

Poster submissions (extended abstract up to 2 pages) are ideal for reporting on emerging issues, work in progress, or demonstrations of innovative solutions. The posters should clearly describe the topic that will be presented and state its unique contribution to the field.

Accepted posters will be displayed for the entire duration of the conference and presented to the conference participants during the poster exhibition. Dimensions of the posters have to stay within 118cm x 100cm (46in x 39in), in either landscape or portrait orientation. The standard A0 size is preferred. Posters that exceed the indicated dimensions will not fit on the available poster walls. All the contributions will be peer-reviewed by the Programme Committee Chairs.

Abstracts of accepted posters will be published in the iPRES 2016 proceedings (in digital form).

Panel

Proposals for thematic panels (extended abstract up to 2 pages) can be submitted by 3 to 5 experts. The panels will be held during the main conference programme. Panel proposals must include short bios of the panelists and the facilitator. Acceptance will be judged on the merits of the proposal and relevance for the expected audience. Proposals must detail the subject, motivation and panelists. All contributions will be peer-reviewed by the Programme Committee Chairs.

Abstracts of accepted panels will be published in the iPRES 2016 proceedings (in digital form).

Workshop

Proposals for thematic workshops (extended abstract up to 2 pages) are welcome. Proposals must detail the subject, scope, programme strand and intended content. As a rule, they should be planned for half a day (3 hours). Acceptance will be based on the merits of the proposal and the requirements for its organization. All submissions will be peer-reviewed by the Programme Committee Chairs. 

Abstracts of accepted workshops will be published in the iPRES 2016 proceedings (in digital form).

Tutorial

Proposal for tutorials (extended abstract up to 2 pages) should focus on a single topic and designate whether it aims at an introductory level or an expert level. As a rule, they should be planned for half a day (3 hours). Submissions should include a brief summary, content outline, description of the intended audience and expected learning outcomes. All contributions will be peer-reviewed by the Programme Committee Chairs. 

Abstracts of accepted tutorials will be published in the iPRES 2016 proceedings (in digital form).

Submissions of all types must be made in PDF format using ACM publishing templates for Word and LaTeX http://www.acm.org/publications/article-templates/proceedings-template.html.

We use EasyChair for all submissions. At the time of submission, please choose between two categories, research and innovative practices. For submissions that cover both aspects, please select the category that is most applicable.

The conference submission site is:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ipres2016

Acceptance criteria

The reviewers will apply the following guidelines to assess the quality of the submissions. They are provided here to provide authors with an indication of what is expected from their submissions.

  • Is the length appropriate (short papers 3–5 pages, full papers 8–10 pages; all other submissions up to 2 pages)?
  • Does the contribution make a significant addition to the digital preservation practices or research?
  • Is that addition original?
  • Is the contribution clearly written?
  • Does it fall under one of the topics?
  • Has the work been published/presented in some form before?
Research (academic)
  • Is the research methodology rigorous?
  • Are the citations appropriate?
  • Does the work significantly advance the knowledge in digital preservation?
  • Does the work adequately build on or contextualise previous work?
Innovative practice (practitioners)
  • Is there sufficient evidence for the claims presented by the authors?
  • Are there outcomes that other practitioners can benefit from?
  • Is the topic relevant and does it extend the digital preservation conversations?
  • Does the work significantly advance the practices in digital preservation?
  • Does the work build on previous work or contextualise their work within previous efforts properly?
Workshops, tutorials and panels

Workshops, tutorials and panels give presenters the opportunity to engage with the audience in a less formal manner than paper sessions. However, the reviews of the submissions are equally rigorous. Submissions will be assessed with the following questions in mind:

  • Is the level of interest expected to be high?
  • Do the authors clearly state the significance and relevance of their topic and the relation to digital preservation?
  • Is it sufficiently interactive and original?
  • Do the authors sufficiently identify the intended audience?
  • For tutorials and workshops, do the authors sufficiently define the learning outcomes?

Submissions that are accepted for inclusion in the conference will appear in the iPRES 2016 proceedings (in digital form). The proceedings will include:

  • Full text of the full papers and short papers
  • Abstracts of the posters, workshops, tutorials and panels

After the review notifications, authors of the accepted papers will have an opportunity to edit their submissions for the final proceedings.

Awards

iPRES 2016 will recognize these outstanding contributions:

  • The best paper, a full or a short paper, will be awarded CHF 1,000.-
  • The best poster will be awarded CHF 500.-

The prizes will be given out at the conference dinner on October 4, 2016, at the Rathaushalle in Bern.