1st IEEE Symposium on
Biological Data Visualization

23-24 October 2011 / Providence, RI @ IEEE VisWeek

Paper Deadline
30 Apr 2011, 5 pm PDT
Abstract Deadline
8 Jul 2011, 5 pm PDT
Contest Deadline
7 Sep 2011, 11:59 pm

Call for Participation

Abstract submitters please note: A shorter version of the CFP specifically for abstract submissions is available for download.

Topics

We are looking for contributions on all aspects of visualization in biology. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

Symposium Format

The symposium will be a two-day single-track event with keynote and invited talks, papers sessions, panels, and abstracts presented through posters, demos, or videos. Tutorial sessions on visualization in bioinformatics/biology will be organized.

Submission Types and Criteria

Given the goal of bringing together members of both the biology and visualization communities for discussion, the symposium solicitation is purposefully broad and open-minded to diverse types and lengths of submissions. Authors are encouraged to identify the intent of their submission. Each paper will be reviewed by the Program Committee and given appropriate time and venue at the symposium in accordance with its stated intent and length. Types of submissions include, but are not limited to:

Additionally, we welcome submissions describing ideas for future research directions for the Abstract category.

Authors should indicate the intended publication type of their submissions, as one of two categories:

Papers: Up to 8 page papers describing high-quality research that is not necessarily fully completed but offers new insight. (Additional figures, etc. can be included as supplemental materials.) Selected papers will have an opportunity for an extended and refined invited follow-up submission (see "Publications" below). Authors will have an oral presentation in a session with an emphasis on questions and discussion with the audience.

Abstracts: Up to 2 page abstracts that either describe early-stage research or highlight previously published work that has been extended since the original publication. Accepted abstracts will be presented as posters, interactive demos or videos at the symposium and all presenters will have the opportunity to give a brief overview of their work in a plenary "fast-forward session". Additionally, presenters of selected abstracts will be given the opportunity for longer oral presentation at the symposium.

General Expectations (Ethics Guidelines)

At least one author of an accepted submission must attend the symposium to present the work. When submitting your paper you will be asked to provide a complete list of authors even when submitting an anonymized version of the manuscript. This is required to avoid potential conflicts of interest when assigning reviewers. In the event that the authorship changes after submission, one of the initially specified authors must attend the symposium.

Submissions will be treated as confidential communications during the review process, so submission does not constitute public disclosure of any ideas therein. Submissions should contain no information or materials that will be proprietary or confidential at the time of publication (at the symposium), and should cite no publications that are proprietary or confidential at the time of publication. Our symposium will adhere to the VGTC ethics guidelines for reviewers that can be found on the website of the Visualization and Graphics Technical Committee.

Review Process

The Program Committee will involve reviewers from both the visualization and bioinformatics communities. Papers will be reviewed for novelty and contribution. Abstracts will be reviewed for quality and value to the symposium audience as well as format.

Important Dates

Paper submission: Saturday, April 30, 2011
Notification of acceptance of papers: Thursday, June 30, 2011

Abstract submission: Friday, July 8, 2011
Notification of acceptance of abstracts: Monday, August 15, 2011

Camera ready copy: Wednesday, August 31, 2011

All deadlines are at 5:00pm Pacific Time (PDT).

Supplemental Material and Formatting Guidelines

Papers can include full-color figures throughout. We encourage the use of digital video to enhance the submission, particularly if part or all of the work addresses interactive techniques. Submission of working code and other supplemental material in order to increase the reproducibility of the work is also encouraged.

The review process will be optionally double-blind for those who want to submit their work anonymously. When submitting for double-blind reviewing you are asked NOT to include any identifying information in the submission. Alternatively, the review process will be single-blind, i.e., the reviewers know the identity of the authors, but the authors do not know the identity of the reviewers.

Links to detailed guidelines for preparing a proper submission and supplementary data can be found on the submissions page. Authors must follow the style guidelines specified therein.

Publications

The symposium proceedings will consist of all accepted papers and will appear in the IEEE Digital Library. All abstracts will be considered a "personal communication" to the symposium attendees. Abstracts will not be published in the proceedings, but will appear in the program, with the distributed symposium materials, and on the symposium website.

To increase the visibility of visualization within the bioinformatics and biology communities, a selection of the best accepted papers will be invited to be published in expanded form in an open-access, peer-reviewed bioinformatics journal.

Submission

Details on how to submit papers and abstract will be provided on the submissions page closer to the submission deadline.

Paper and Poster Awards

Best paper and abstract prizes will be awarded. Submissions that resulted from a successful collaboration between researchers from both the visualization and biology communities will be especially regarded. Reviewers will be queried on the review form with a question "Should we consider this paper/abstract for the best paper/abstract award? (yes/no/maybe)".