The 2001 IMS technical program

Abstract

This year, we significantly enhanced our electronic paper submission, evaluation, and acceptance process. We also introduced a web-based paper grading and selection procedure for the first time. A comprehensive software program based on Lotus Notes was developed to handle the paper grading and selection process. Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the procedure we established to select papers for the IMS2001. Authors submitted their papers at a central website located in Washington, DC. The IMS2001 technical program admin- istration team handled all the logistics from Phoenix, AZ. A software engineer in Austin, TX, controlled the software program for paper grading and acceptance. The papers and software programs were archived at different sites as backups. The IMS and RF integrated circuit (RFIC) TPC members were divided into 38 different subcommittees to review over 1000 papers. TPC members were given secure user IDs and passwords to access the papers that belonged to their respective subcommittees. The scores were posted on the secure website along with the comments from the reviewers. TPC adminis- tration team compiled all the scores, and the composite scores were distributed back to the respective subcommittees chairs and members. At the TPC meeting, each subcommittee was provided with a laptop to access the website for online paper selection. Each subcommittee was able to access the score of each paper and the actual paper for further review. After the committee deliberations, disposition of each paper was entered at the website by the respective committee chairperson. Since all the computers were linked together, transfer of papers to an- other subcommittee could be done instantaneously. This online paper grading and selection process decreased the workload on