ACM UbiComp 2014 Policy on Anonymization in the Review Process

Background: Anonymization is sometimes used in academic review processes in a number of ways. First, reviewer identities may be kept from the authors; this allows reviewers to write critical reviews without the authors identifying them. Second, reviewer identities may be kept from other reviewers; this can help more junior reviewers share their frank assessment of the paper without worrying that they are contradicting more senior people who they perhaps normally would not contradict. Third, author identities may be kept from reviewers; this can help avoid bias (or unintentional bias, or just perceived bias) towards authors (or their institutions) by reviewers.

In the text below, “reviewer” includes both “PC member” and “external reviewers” (who are not PC members).

None of the policies below override the conflict policy – in no case will a reviewer identity be shared with anyone who has a conflict with a paper.

UbiComp has the following policies on anonymization: