Each year, PNSQC recruits volunteers to tirelessly read, edit, and mentor technical paper writers, to help bring abstract ideas into publishable content the author will be proud to show off. These reviewers are essential to maintaining the level of excellence we’ve sustained for now 35 years! PNSQC 2016 reviewer Jan Ralston shares below what the process is like.
Process from Proposal to Final Paper
By Jan Ralston
I volunteered at last year’s Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference as a technical paper reviewer. What a great way to get involved in a conference I had not attended before! Via an awesome review app, I virtually chose papers by viewing abstracts and “voting” on those I had a background and/or special interest in. Once assigned, Review Coordinator Srilu Pinjala set up online introductions between me and the papers’ authors. Her well-planned review schedule provided sufficient time for first, second, and final draft iterations.
The Review App organized the location of drafts, tracked review status, and made it easier to share information amongst all parties involved.
Working mostly by email with the authors, I suggested additional points for them to consider, as well as wording changes to help clarify their good ideas. All the authors were easy to work with and receptive to my input.
I felt proud to contribute to my first PNSQC! I was able to preview interesting talks and be acquainted in advance with knowledgeable speakers.
With the amount of time I volunteered (I reviewed 4 papers), I earned free registration. My company appreciated this as well as the seeds sown at the “Cultivating Quality” conference!
Jan Ralston
Corporate Quality Team
Synopsys, Inc.
Thanks, Jan! For more from her on being a reviewer, watch what she had to say at 2016’s conference.
Inspiring article, it makes the process seem interesting and engaging. Nice plug for both submitting and reviewing. Thanks Jan and Dan!