Special Interest Groups

CHI 99 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) enable conference attendees who share an interest to meet informally for 90 minutes of discussion at the conference. CHI 99 provides meeting space and advertises SIG meetings to the rest of the conference.

Submissions for formal SIGs at CHI 99 must be received by the deadline. Formal SIGs will be advertised in the CHI 99 Final Program. Informal SIGs may be accepted at the conference on a space-available basis.

Following the conference, SIG organizers are encouraged to submit an article summarizing the SIG for publication in the SIGCHI Bulletin. Additionally, several SIGs have led to proposals for successful workshops at subsequent CHI conferences.

Review Process

SIG proposals will be reviewed by a committee, with acceptance based on the relevance of the theme to the field of HCI. The success of a SIG depends on organizers providing effective leadership and planning.

Potential SIG organizers are encouraged to contact the Special Interest Groups Co-Chairs before submitting a proposal to discuss their ideas and any questions they may have.

Format

Prepare a one-page proposal, which will be used in the review process, and a one-page extended abstract, which will be published in the CHI 99 Extended Abstracts, if the SIG is accepted.

Proposal

Prepare a one-page proposal for review purposes describing the content of the SIG and how the SIG discussion will be organized.

This 1-page description is not for publication so the only format restrictions are those imposed by you, the author -- simply present your reasoning for the SIG clearly and convincingly.

Extended Abstract

Prepare a one-page extended abstract describing the SIG, suitable for publication in the CHI 99 Extended Abstracts. It should include the title, SIG leader, leader contact information, key words, and summary of the SIG topic. The extended abstract must be prepared the Conference Publications Format except that no abstract is required.

Upon Acceptance

You will be notified of acceptance or rejection of your submission by mid-March 1999. Note that because of the late submission deadline, there will be no opportunity to prepare a new version of the extended abstract, so your submission material must be clearly expressed, carefully proofread, and correctly formatted.

At the Conference

The only audio/visual support for SIGs is the use of an overhead projector.

Submissions

1. Your submission must be in English.
2. Electronic and fax submissions are not accepted.
3. Submissions which arrive after the deadline will not be considered.
4. Your submission should contain no proprietary or confidential material and should cite no proprietary or confidential publications.
5. Responsibility for permissions to use video, audio or pictures of identifiable people rests with you, not CHI 99.
6. We strongly suggest the use of express mail or a courier service for speedy delivery. Customs labels should bear the words "Educational materials with no commercial value."

Checklist

Please follow the steps in this checklist to ensure completeness in your submission.

• Read the conference overview.
• Fill out Cover Page One.
• Prepare an extended abstract (one page) in the Conference Publications Format, as described above.
• Prepare a proposal for review, as described above.
• Collect Cover Page One, the proposal, and the extended abstract, in the order given, in a packet. Make 7 copies of the packet. Use 8.5 x 11 inch or A4 paper.
• Make sure each copy of the packet is stapled, not loose or held by clips.
• Include 3 additional camera-ready copies of the extended abstract. Do not staple them.
• Send the 7 copies of your submission packet and the 3 camera-ready copies of the extended abstract to the Send To address shown.
• You may include a stamped, self-addressed reply postcard, which we will mail to acknowledge receipt of your submission.