--- name: itcs-submission description: Use when auditing an ITCS submission for HotCRP readiness — the early-September abstract-then-paper deadlines, single-column >= 11pt format with no hard page limit, the first-10-pages merits window, complete proofs of all central claims, the lightweight double-blind sweep, and the archival-prior-publication check. --- # ITCS Submission Run this audit before uploading to the ITCS HotCRP site. ITCS papers publish **open access in LIPIcs** and are reviewed **lightweight double-blind with no rebuttal**, so the submitted PDF has to be complete, self-defending, and correctly anonymized on the first and only try. Every rule below was read from the ITCS 2026/2025 calls on 2026-07-09 via search renderings of the `itcs2026.hotcrp.com` and `itcs-conf.org` URLs (see [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md)); treat them as a one-cycle snapshot and reopen the live call first. ## The two-step deadline ITCS separates the **abstract/registration** from the **full-paper submission**, and the abstract cutoff is *earlier*: - **Abstract / registration** locks title, abstract, authors, and conflicts (ITCS 2026: **4 September 2025**, 7:59:59 PM EDT). The abstract drives PC bidding — register the *real* title and abstract, not a placeholder. - **Full-paper submission** uploads the anonymized PDF with complete proofs (ITCS 2026: **6 September 2025**, 7:59:59 PM EDT). Miss the registration and no submission slot exists. ## Format and page policy - **Single column, font size at least 11 point.** Beyond that, the submission call imposes **no hard formatting template** and **no hard page limit** (the LIPIcs `lipics-v2021` class is a *camera-ready* requirement, not a submission one — see [`itcs-camera-ready`](../itcs-camera-ready/SKILL.md)). - **First-10-pages merits window.** It is strongly recommended that the first ~10 pages give a clear presentation of the paper's merits, significance, innovations, and place in the literature. Reviewers judge the idea from this window; do not bury it (see [`itcs-writing-style`](../itcs-writing-style/SKILL.md)). - **Complete proofs of all central claims** must be included, in an appendix if needed. "Proof omitted" or "see the full version" for a load-bearing claim is a substantive defect, not a formatting one (see [`itcs-supplementary`](../itcs-supplementary/SKILL.md)). ## Lightweight double-blind sweep ITCS anonymity is **lightweight**: hide the authors *in the PDF*, but keep the references honest and allow a public full version. The leak surface is narrower than an empirical venue's (no code, no data), but real: ```bash # Mechanical pass on the submission PDF pdfinfo paper.pdf | grep -Ei 'author|creator|producer' # scrub metadata identity pdftotext paper.pdf - | grep -nEi 'thank|acknowledg|grant|supported by|our (previous|prior|earlier) (work|paper)' | head pdftotext paper.pdf - | grep -nEi '\\bwe (previously|earlier) (showed|proved)\\b' | head ``` - **Remove** author names, affiliations, emails, and acknowledgements/funding lines from the PDF. - **Neutralize first-person self-reference:** rewrite "in our prior work [12]" as a third-person "[Author, YEAR] showed." Do **not** anonymize or remove the reference itself — the reference list stays intact (see [`itcs-related-work`](../itcs-related-work/SKILL.md)). - **A public arXiv/ECCC/ePrint full version is allowed** and encouraged; you need not delay it for anonymity. Just keep the *submitted* PDF blinded. ## Prior-publication and dual-submission check - The result must **not** be published, presented, or under submission at another **archival** conference. Papers accepted to ITCS should not then go to another archival conference. - **Simultaneous submission to a journal is allowed** — a distinctive ITCS latitude; a journal version in parallel is fine. - Confirm the exact current wording each cycle; the archival/non-archival boundary and any workshop carve-outs are cycle-volatile. ## Desk-risk triage | Finding at audit time | Severity | Real fix | |---|---|---| | Central claim lacks a complete proof | Substantive reject-grade | Add the full proof (appendix); do not defer to the preprint | | Merits not legible within ~10 pages | High | Restructure so model+motivation+results come first | | Author identity in PDF metadata/acknowledgements | Anonymity violation | Scrub metadata; remove acknowledgements/funding | | First-person self-citation ("our prior [12]") | Anonymity leak | Rewrite in third person; keep the reference | | References anonymized/removed | Breaks the lightweight rule; reads evasive | Restore normal citations | | Abstract/authors not registered by the earlier cutoff | No submission slot | Nothing fixes this post-deadline — calendar it now | | Result already at another archival venue | Dual-submission violation | Withdraw or reroute; journal parallel is OK | | Font < 11pt or multi-column | Formatting non-compliance | Recompile single-column, >= 11pt | ## Final-week order of operations 1. Freeze the model and definitions early; proofs can be polished, the framing cannot churn. 2. Register title/abstract/authors/conflicts before the earlier registration cutoff. 3. Run the proof-completeness pass: every central claim fully proved *in the PDF*. 4. Run the mechanical anonymity checks on the **final** PDF (metadata + self-reference). 5. Post the full version to arXiv/ECCC/ePrint if desired (allowed); keep the submission blinded. 6. Fill every HotCRP field — topics, conflicts for every coauthor's institution and recent collaborators — a day early; late conflicts are the classic midnight failure. 7. Re-download the uploaded PDF and read the first 10 pages cold to confirm the idea lands. ## Reverify each cycle - The two cutoff dates and their timezone (EDT/AoE). - Whether the current call still runs **no rebuttal** and lightweight double-blind. - The exact prior-publication/dual-submission wording and any generative-AI-disclosure rule. - That there is still no hard page limit and the 11pt/single-column format holds. ## Output format ```text [ITCS submission status] ready / blocked / needs work [Registration] title/abstract/authors/conflicts locked by the earlier deadline? yes/no [Format] single-column, >= 11pt? merits legible within ~10 pages? yes/no [Proofs] every central claim fully proved IN the PDF (not only the preprint)? yes/no [Anonymity] metadata clean, self-cites neutralized, references intact? yes/no [Prior publication] not at another archival venue (journal parallel OK)? yes/no [Fix queue] ```