Conference Setup
Complete guide to configuring your conference settings
This guide covers the essential configuration steps for setting up your conference in PaperFox. Proper setup ensures a smooth experience for authors, reviewers, and organizers throughout the conference lifecycle.
🎯 Overview
Conference setup involves configuring all the core settings that define how your conference operates. This includes basic information, submission parameters, review processes, and workflow automation.
Setup Categories
- Basic Information: Conference details and branding
- Submission Settings: Forms, deadlines, and requirements
- Review Configuration: Process, assignments, and criteria
- Team Management: Roles, permissions, and responsibilities
- Timeline Management: Deadlines and automated reminders
📋 Basic Conference Information
Essential Details
Configure the fundamental information about your conference:
Conference Identity:
- Full Name: Official conference title
- Acronym: Short identifier (used in URLs)
- Edition/Year: If this is an annual event
- Theme: Conference theme or focus area
Event Details:
- Start Date: First day of the conference
- End Date: Last day of the conference
- Location: Physical location or "Virtual"
- Time Zone: Primary time zone for all deadlines
- Venue: Specific venue name and address
Contact Information:
- Primary Contact: Main organizer email
- Support Email: Help desk for authors and reviewers
- Website: Conference website URL
- Social Media: Links to conference social accounts
Description and Welcome Message
Create compelling content for your conference:
Conference Description:
- Brief overview of the conference scope
- Target audience and community
- Key topics and areas of interest
- Expected outcomes and impact
Welcome Message:
- Greeting to potential participants
- Important announcements
- Key dates and deadlines
- Submission encouragement
📊 Submission Configuration
Submission Timeline
Set up the key dates for your submission process:
Submission Deadlines:
- Abstract Deadline: If abstracts are required first
- Full Paper Deadline: Main submission deadline
- Late Submission: Optional grace period
- Payout Deadline: Last date to request payout
Review Timeline:
- Review Assignment: When reviews are assigned
- Review Deadline: When reviews must be completed
- Discussion Period: Time for review discussion
- Decision Notification: When authors are notified
Final Timeline:
- Camera-Ready Deadline: Final version submission
- Registration Deadline: Conference registration cutoff
- Presentation Submission: Slides or video deadline
Submission Limits and Rules
Configure submission parameters:
File Requirements:
- Maximum File Size: Usually 10-50 MB
- Accepted Formats: PDF, Word, LaTeX sources
- Page Limits: Maximum pages per submission type
- Formatting Requirements: Template specifications
Submission Limits:
- Per Author: Maximum submissions per author
- Per Track: Maximum submissions per track
- Anonymous Submissions: Blind review requirements
- Plagiarism Checking: Enable automated checking
Submission Categories
Define different types of submissions:
Full Papers:
- Research papers with complete results
- Typical page limit: 6-12 pages
- Full review process
- Oral presentation track
Short Papers:
- Work-in-progress or preliminary results
- Typical page limit: 2-4 pages
- Abbreviated review process
- Poster presentation track
Workshops/Demos:
- Interactive presentations
- Special submission requirements
- Different review criteria
- Alternative presentation formats
🔍 Review Process Setup
Review Types
Choose the appropriate review model:
Single-Blind Review:
- Author names visible to reviewers
- Reviewer names hidden from authors
- Faster review process
- Less anonymity protection
Double-Blind Review:
- Both author and reviewer names hidden
- More rigorous anonymity requirements
- Standard for most academic conferences
- Requires additional submission guidelines
Open Review:
- All names visible to all parties
- Transparent review process
- Less common but growing trend
- Promotes accountability
Review Assignments
Configure how reviews are assigned:
Automatic Assignment:
- AI-powered matching based on expertise
- Keyword and abstract analysis
- Conflict of interest detection
- Load balancing across reviewers
Manual Assignment:
- Track chairs assign specific reviewers
- Full control over assignments
- More time-intensive process
- Better for specialized topics
Hybrid Approach:
- AI suggestions with manual approval
- Combines efficiency with oversight
- Recommended for most conferences
- Allows manual adjustments
Review Criteria
Define evaluation standards:
Scoring System:
- Numerical scales (1-5, 1-10)
- Categorical ratings (Accept/Reject/Minor Revisions)
- Weighted criteria scores
- Overall recommendation format
Evaluation Areas:
- Technical Quality: Methodology and rigor
- Novelty: Originality and contribution
- Clarity: Writing and presentation quality
- Relevance: Fit with conference scope
- Impact: Potential significance
👥 Team Structure and Roles
Organizational Hierarchy
Set up your conference team structure:
Conference Chairs:
- Overall conference leadership
- Final decision authority
- Cross-track coordination
- External communication
Program Chairs:
- Oversee the review process
- Manage track chairs and reviewers
- Quality control for reviews
- Technical program development
Track Chairs:
- Manage specific tracks or topics
- Assign reviewers to papers
- Lead review discussions
- Make track-level decisions
Reviewers:
- Evaluate assigned submissions
- Provide detailed feedback
- Participate in discussions
- Submit recommendations
Permission Management
Configure access levels:
Admin Permissions:
- Full configuration access
- User management capabilities
- Data export and analytics
- System settings control
Chair Permissions:
- Track-specific access
- Reviewer assignment rights
- Decision-making authority
- Limited configuration access
Reviewer Permissions:
- Access to assigned papers only
- Review form submission
- Discussion participation
- No administrative functions
📧 Communication Setup
Email Templates
Customize automated communications:
Submission Confirmations:
- Thank you messages
- Submission details recap
- Next steps information
- Contact information
Review Invitations:
- Reviewer recruitment emails
- Assignment notifications
- Deadline reminders
- Instructions and guidelines
Decision Notifications:
- Acceptance letters
- Rejection notifications
- Revision requests
- Camera-ready instructions
Notification Settings
Configure when emails are sent:
Author Notifications:
- Submission confirmations
- Status updates
- Decision notifications
- Deadline reminders
Reviewer Notifications:
- Assignment alerts
- Deadline reminders
- Discussion updates
- Thank you messages
Admin Notifications:
- New submission alerts
- System status updates
- Review completion notices
- Issue notifications
🔧 Advanced Configuration
AI and Automation
Enable intelligent features:
AI-Powered Features:
- Smart paper categorization
- Reviewer expertise matching
- Quality score analysis
- Review summary generation
Automation Options:
- Automatic reminder emails
- Review assignment workflows
- Status update notifications
- Report generation
Integration Settings
Connect external services:
Payment Processing:
- Conference fees
- Submission charges
- Credit purchases
- Refund handling
External Tools:
- LaTeX template generation
- Plagiarism detection services
- Analytics platforms
- Email marketing tools
Data and Privacy
Configure data handling:
Privacy Settings:
- GDPR compliance options
- Data retention policies
- Export capabilities
- Anonymization features
Backup and Security:
- Automated backups
- Access logging
- Security monitoring
- Incident response
✅ Setup Validation
Pre-Launch Checklist
Verify all configurations before going live:
✅ Basic Information
- All conference details complete
- Contact information accurate
- Dates and deadlines set
- Welcome message finalized
✅ Submission Setup
- Forms created and tested
- File upload working
- Validation rules active
- Deadline automation enabled
✅ Review Configuration
- Review process defined
- Criteria and forms ready
- Assignment method chosen
- Email templates customized
✅ Team Access
- All roles assigned
- Permissions verified
- Team members invited
- Access tested
Testing Protocol
Perform comprehensive testing:
- Submit Test Papers: Use each submission form
- Review Assignment: Test the assignment process
- Review Submission: Complete a full review
- Email Flow: Verify all automated emails
- Admin Dashboard: Check all admin functions
📊 Launch Preparation
Soft Launch
Consider a gradual rollout:
Beta Testing:
- Invite trusted colleagues
- Test with a small group
- Gather feedback
- Make adjustments
Phased Release:
- Start with close collaborators
- Gradually expand invitations
- Monitor system performance
- Address issues early
Full Launch
When ready for public release:
Announcement Strategy:
- Call for Papers distribution
- Website and social media updates
- Professional network notifications
- Media and press releases
Monitoring Plan:
- Track submission volume
- Monitor system performance
- Respond to user feedback
- Document issues and resolutions
❓ Common Configuration Issues
Timeline Conflicts
Problem: Overlapping or impossible deadlines Solutions:
- Review all dates for logical sequence
- Allow adequate time between phases
- Consider time zones and holidays
- Build in buffer time for issues
Permission Problems
Problem: Team members can't access needed functions Solutions:
- Review role assignments
- Check track-specific permissions
- Verify invitation acceptance
- Test access with team members
Form Validation Errors
Problem: Valid submissions being rejected Solutions:
- Test forms with various inputs
- Check file size and format limits
- Review required field settings
- Test mobile compatibility
🔄 Next Steps
After completing conference setup:
- Create Submission Forms - Design detailed forms
- Set Up Track Structure - Organize topics
- Add Team Members - Build your team
- Launch Submissions - Begin accepting papers
Additional Resources
- Best Practices - Tips from experienced organizers
- Templates - Example configurations
- Video Tutorials - Visual setup guides
Ready to configure your conference? Start with your admin dashboard.