A: No, unless you have negotiated the extension with the Panels Co-Chairs at the latest one week before the deadline for the call.
A: A panel is a spontaneous, interactive discussion about a controversial or unresolved issue among participants who have expertise on the topic, whereas a papers session is a series of prepared presentations on a related set of topics. Although panelists may have prepared statements to open the session, those statements should be very short and should serve to establish the panlists' positions on the topic. The bulk of a panel session should be discussion on specific issues within the topic about which the panelists have opinions. Good panel sessions also involve the audience to a greater degree than paper sessions. At a minimum, time should be set aside to let the audience members ask questions, but you can be creative about other ways to encourage further involvement. If a panel session is successful, the attendees should leave feeling like they participated in a stimulating and thought-provoking discussion. It is recommended that a collator or a moderator sollicits questions and encourages participative argumentation. When submitting your proposal make sure to specify the format for the panel presentation. We strongly discourage formats that specify a sequence of short talks followed by questions opened to the floor. Strive for interaction!
A: We encourage you to do so, although it is not required. If you send us a note describing your ideas about a topic and a format, we can help shape your proposal before it is formally reviewed.
A: Make sure that your panelists are experienced in the topic and confident enough to talk spontaneously about it - remember they have to respond quickly and coherently to the questions and comments of others. It is also good to find people who have a range of opinions on the topic and who approach the topic from different perspectives.
A: There are no hard and fast rules, but past successes have been controversial topics (e.g., Agency in Interfaces), area of methodological difference (e.g., Ethnomethodology versus psychology in UI design), futuristic discussions (cyberspace, its conduct and nature), enticing technology developments (mediaspaces) or issues to do with the relations between theory and application. We also welcome innovative formats and topics. At CHI 95, one particularly successful panel was conducted in the form of a formal debate, complete with rebuttals and strict time limits. The participants debated the merits of an interface that deliberately violated the design principles of the Macintosh interface. We strongly encourage these types of creative formats and topics.
A: A panel session is 90 minutes in length.
A: Three or four is a good number, but more can be included if the discussion is carefully managed.
A: The best names not only clearly describe the topic but also make clear the tension or issue to be discussed. For example, a title such as "3D in the interface" clearly conveys the topic, but not the issue. A better title, used at CHI 95, is "3D or not 3D?: `More is Better' or `Less is More'?" because the reader can infer the issue and the views that will be represented.
A: The better organized a panel, the more likely it will be successful. Each panelist should be very clear on the position or perspective they are expected to represent, and they should know the roles of the other panelists. You should make sure that each panelist knows the issues to be discussed and has thought about their positions and their responses to other panelists' likely positions. Many panel participants meet before the panel, perhaps at a dinner at the conference, to go over the format and to become comfortable with each other. This is a nice way to help make the panel run more smoothly. Finally, if you are the moderator, you should be prepared to keep the discussion focused and progressing, to make sure the panelists keep to their time limits, and to involve the audience as appropriate.
A: This is up to you, but in the past, some people have found that the discussion during the real panel feels more staged and less spontaneous when everyone has hashed out their views in advance. You might consider having an informal discussion about the topic without rehearsing the panel in the format you will use on stage.
A: Yes. Make sure to clearly specify your requirements on Cover Page Three when submitting your proposal. No late requirements will be accepted.
A: Yes. If accepted, the two-page summary of the panel will be published in the CHI 97 Volume of Extended Abstracts. The summary should include the panel title, the names and affiliations of the panelists, an overview of the panel topic and issues, and a summary of each panelist's position. This summary must be prepared in the Conference Proceedings format.
A: Yes, as an illustrative support for the discussion but certainly not as a commercial promotion.
A: Please send email or phone the panel chairs at the contact addresses provided (email to chi97-panels@acm.org is preferred).