path: root/.agents/skills/ml-paper-writing/references/knowledge/submission-guides.md

# Submission Guides and Venue Requirements

This file contains venue-specific submission requirements, formatting guidelines, and checklist items extracted from ML conference and journal publications.

---

## NeurIPS Requirements

### Format Requirements
**Source:** NeurIPS 2025 Conference Guidelines

**Page Limits:**
- Main paper: 9 pages (excluding references)
- References: Unlimited (don't count toward page limit)
- Appendices: Allowed but reviewers not required to read

**Required Sections:**
- Abstract: 150-250 words
- Introduction: Must clearly state contribution
- Methods: Sufficient for reproduction
- Experiments: Comprehensive evaluation
- Discussion: Interpret results and limitations
- References: Complete citations
- **Checklist**: Mandatory submission checklist (16 items)
- **Lay Summary**: Required for accepted papers (1 page, non-technical)

**Formatting:**
- Double-blind review (anonymize submissions)
- LaTeX template required
- 9pt font, two-column format
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides

**Submission Checklist Items:**
1. Do the main claims of the paper match the checklist?
2. Have you checked the checklist for missing items?
3. Is the paper anonymized?
4. Are all figures/tables clear and readable?
5. Have you included code and data availability statements?
6. Are all equations properly formatted?
7. Is the abstract within word limit?
8. Are all citations complete and correct?
9. Have you addressed potential ethical concerns?
10. Are experimental settings clearly described?
11. Is statistical significance properly reported?
12. Have you included limitations?
13. Is the broader impact discussed (if required)?
14. Are all figures referenced in text?
15. Is the supplementary material well-organized?
16. Have you proofread for typos and grammar?

---

## ICML Requirements

### Format Requirements
**Source:** ICML 2026 Conference Guidelines

**Page Limits:**
- Main paper: 8 pages
- Camera-ready: +1 page (9 total)
- References: Unlimited (don't count toward page limit)

**Required Sections:**
- Abstract: Clear summary of contribution
- Introduction: Problem and contribution
- Methods: Complete description
- Experiments: Thorough evaluation
- **Broader Impact Statement**: Required (after conclusion)
- References: Complete citations

**Formatting:**
- Double-blind review (anonymize submissions)
- LaTeX template required
- Two-column format
- Margins as per template

**Broader Impact Statement:**
- Discuss positive and negative societal impacts
- Consider biases, fairness, environmental impact
- 1 page maximum
- Required for all submissions

---

## ICLR Requirements

### Format Requirements
**Source:** ICLR 2026 Conference Guidelines

**Page Limits:**
- Main paper: 9 pages
- Camera-ready: +1 page (10 total)
- References: Unlimited (don't count toward page limit)

**Required Sections:**
- Abstract: Summary of contribution
- Introduction: Clear problem statement
- Methods: Reproducible description
- Experiments: Comprehensive evaluation
- **Limitations Section**: MANDATORY
- **LLM Disclosure**: Required if using LLMs
- References: Complete citations

**Formatting:**
- Double-blind review (anonymize submissions)
- LaTeX template required
- Two-column format

**LLM Disclosure Requirements:**
- Describe LLM use in the paper
- Include model details (architecture, training data, compute)
- Acknowledge LLM limitations
- Note any automated text generation

---

## ACL Requirements

### Format Requirements
**Source:** ACL 2025 Conference Guidelines

**Page Limits:**
- Main paper: 8 pages (long papers)
- Short papers: 4 pages
- References: Unlimited (don't count toward page limit)

**Required Sections:**
- Abstract: 150-200 words
- Introduction: Background and contribution
- Methods: Technical description
- Experiments: Evaluation
- **Limitations Section**: MANDATORY
- **Ethics Statement**: Required if applicable
- References: Complete citations

**Formatting:**
- Double-blind review (anonymize submissions)
- LaTeX template required (ACL style files)
- Two-column format

**Ethics Considerations:**
- Human subjects research: IRB approval required
- Data privacy: Anonymization and consent
- Environmental impact: Compute resource usage

---

## AAAI Requirements

### Format Requirements
**Source:** AAAI 2026 Conference Guidelines

**Page Limits:**
- Main paper: 7 pages
- Camera-ready: +1 page (8 total)
- References: Unlimited (don't count toward page limit)

**Required Sections:**
- Abstract: 150-250 words
- Introduction: Problem and contribution
- Methods: Technical description
- Experiments: Evaluation
- References: Complete citations

**Formatting:**
- Double-blind review (anonymize submissions)
- **Strict style file adherence**: Must use official template
- Two-column format
- No modifications to style files

**Strict Requirements:**
- Follow AAAI template exactly
- No custom formatting beyond template
- Font sizes and margins as specified
- Page limits strictly enforced

---

## COLM Requirements

### Format Requirements
**Source:** COLM 2025 Conference Guidelines

**Page Limits:**
- Main paper: 9 pages
- Camera-ready: +1 page (10 total)
- References: Unlimited (don't count toward page limit)

**Required Sections:**
- Abstract: Summary of contribution
- Introduction: Problem and contribution
- Methods: Technical description
- Experiments: Evaluation
- **Focus**: Language models specifically
- References: Complete citations

**Formatting:**
- Double-blind review (anonymize submissions)
- LaTeX template required
- Two-column format

**Language Model Focus:**
- Papers should address language model challenges
- Method contributions applicable to LM community
- Experimental setup relevant to language tasks

---

## Common Submission Requirements

### Double-Blind Review
**Applies to:** NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, AAAI, COLM

**Requirements:**
- Remove author names and affiliations
- Anonymize citations to own work (use [Anonymous, 2024])
- Remove acknowledgments that reveal identity
- Avoid distinctive phrases that identify authors
- Supplementary materials must also be anonymized

**Common Mistakes:**
- Forgetting to anonymize GitHub links
- Including author names in file paths
- Thanking specific colleagues in acknowledgments
- Citing own work with author names

### Code and Data Availability

**Increasingly Required:**

**NeurIPS:** Encourages code/data availability statements
**ICML:** Encourages reproducibility
**ICLR:** Recommends code sharing

**Best Practices:**
- Include code repository link (anonymized if under review)
- Provide data access instructions
- Describe hyperparameters and settings
- Note any proprietary constraints

### Supplementary Materials

**General Guidelines:**
- Appendices allowed but not required reading
- Use for additional experiments, proofs, tables
- Keep main paper self-contained
- Reference supplementary in main text

**Formatting:**
- Same style as main paper
- Clear section numbering (S1, S2, etc.)
- Include in submission PDF or as separate file

---

## Citation Styles

### Common Styles in ML

**IEEE Style (Numbered):**
```
[1] J. Doe, "Paper title," Conference Name, Year.
[2] A. Smith, "Another paper," Journal Name, vol. 10, pp. 1-15, 2020.
```

**ACM Style (Numbered):**
```
[J. Doe and A. Smith, "Paper title," Conference Name, Year.
[A. Smith and B. Jones, "Another paper," Journal Name, 2020.
```

**Author-Year (APA-like):**
```
Doe (2020) J. Doe. Paper title. Conference Name.
Smith (2019) A. Smith. Another paper. Journal Name.
```

### Reference Management

**Best Practices:**
- Use consistent style throughout
- Include DOIs when available
- Provide arXiv links for preprints
- Check for broken links
- Verify all citations before submission

---

## Checklists and Templates

### Pre-Submission Checklist

**Content:**
- [ ] Novel contribution clearly stated
- [ ] Related work comprehensive
- [ ] Methods reproducible
- [ ] Results support all claims
- [ ] Limitations acknowledged
- [ ] Broader impact addressed (if required)
- [ ] Ethics compliance verified

**Formatting:**
- [ ] Page limits respected
- [ ] Style file followed exactly
- [ ] References complete and consistent
- [ ] Figures/tables clear and readable
- [ ] Equations numbered and referenced
- [ ] Supplementary material organized

**Anonymity:**
- [ ] Author names removed
- [ ] Acknowledgements anonymized
- [ ] Self-citations anonymized
- [ ] GitHub links anonymized
- [ ] Identifying information removed

---

## Notes

- **Always verify**: Requirements change between years - always check current conference guidelines
- **Plan ahead**: Some venues have strict formatting - start early
- **Read examples**: Look at well-received papers from previous years
- **Ask for help**: If unsure about a requirement, consult program chairs or experienced colleagues

**Updates:** This file is regularly updated as new conference requirements become available.