To write a computer science conference paper that meets submission requirements, first identify the exact conference, year, track, submission category, and review stage, then follow that venue’s current instructions. There is no universal template, page limit, anonymity policy, or file checklist: requirements can differ even between tracks at the same conference.
Start with the target conference’s current rules
Before drafting or formatting, find the official call for papers, author instructions, and submission-system instructions for the specific track. Record the details that determine what you must prepare:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Conference year, track, paper category, and whether the submission is initial or camera-ready.
- Review model and any anonymity requirements.
- Template and version, column layout, page size, and page-count method.
- Deadline and time zone.
- Required file types, supplementary-material rules, and any ethics, artifact, or disclosure requirements.
If the call and a general publisher template appear to conflict, ask the venue’s publication or program chairs which instruction governs your track. Formatting varies: GECCO 2026 specifies ACM SIGCONF formatting on US Letter pages, ACM CCS 2026 also specifies two-column ACM SIGCONF format, and ISCA 2026 uses its own IEEE-derived guidelines. SIGGRAPH instructions can vary by event; for most sponsored events, initial submissions use a single-column manuscript, while Technical Papers are an exception requiring full formatting. GECCO 2026 formatting instructions · ACM CCS 2026 call for papers · ISCA 2026 author guidelines · ACM SIGGRAPH submission instructions
Build a clear, assessable argument
A strong paper lets reviewers trace how the evidence supports the contribution. Before writing, sketch the argument in plain language:
- What problem does the work address, and why does it matter to this conference’s audience?
- What is missing from prior work or current practice?
- What contribution can a reviewer verify?
- What method, system, proof, dataset, or analysis supports it?
- What evidence supports each major claim, and what limitations remain?
Organize sections around that chain: problem, contribution, method, evidence, and interpretation. An introduction, related work, approach or design, evaluation or analysis, limitations, and conclusion can be a useful structure, but the inspected conference calls do not establish a universal required section order. For broad craft guidance on writing, editing, figures, algorithms, experiments, and ethics, Springer lists Justin Zobel’s Writing for Computer Science, third edition, as a 2014 book. It is supplementary reading, not a source of current venue rules. Springer book page
#1 Best Overall
Make claims easy to verify
Use precise language, define specialized terms and notation, and keep claims proportional to the evidence. Describe experimental setups and comparison baselines well enough for reviewers to assess the results; distinguish measured observations from your interpretation. Label figures and tables clearly, include units and data sources where relevant, and refer to each visual in the text.
ISCA 2026 specifically asks authors to make figures and tables legible, cite them in the text, and use colors that remain distinguishable in grayscale. UbiComp/ISWC 2026 asks for figure descriptions in the final source. ISCA 2026 author guidelines · UbiComp/ISWC 2026 author instructions
Recommended Free Tools
Use the right template and page limit
Download the template version named by the call and check exactly what counts toward the limit: references, appendices, and supplemental material may be treated differently. Do not assume a template from another conference—or even another year—is interchangeable. Do not shrink fonts, reduce margins, or alter spacing unless the venue explicitly permits it.
These 2026 limits illustrate why you must check the specific call; they are not field-wide rules:
| Venue and submission type | Limit | Counting details |
|---|---|---|
| GECCO 2026 full paper | Up to 8 pages | References excluded; poster-only submissions have a different rule. The full-paper abstract limit is 200 words. |
| ACM CCS 2026 | 12 pages of main content | The listed bibliography, well-marked appendices, and supplementary material are excluded. Reviewers are not required to read appendices or supplementary material. |
| ISCA 2026 | 11 pages | References excluded; guidelines describe printable, single-spaced, two-column text. |
For CCS 2026, the ACM template must remain unaltered. For GECCO, the formatting instructions require embedded Type 1 or TrueType fonts and do not accept Type 3 fonts. Check the applicable venue instructions for the complete rules, including paper categories and file requirements. GECCO 2026 formatting instructions · ACM CCS 2026 call for papers · ISCA 2026 author guidelines
Follow the venue’s anonymity policy
When review is double-blind or otherwise anonymous, treat anonymity as a document-wide check. Inspect author and affiliation blocks, acknowledgments, funding notes, document properties, PDF metadata, artifact links, repository history, and distinctive wording that could identify the authors.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Do not remove or anonymize citations by default. ISCA 2026 says to retain references and describe authors’ prior work in the third person; ACM CCS 2026 likewise directs authors to avoid identity-revealing material and refer to prior work in the third person. The ACM template warns that identifying information in a double-blind submission may lead to rejection without review. Apply the exact policy for your venue and track. ISCA 2026 author guidelines · ACM CCS 2026 call for papers · ACM proceedings template guidance
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check ethics, artifacts, and extra disclosures
Some conferences require more than a paper PDF. If your work involves human participants or participant data, check whether you must state whether approval was granted, by whom, and what it covered. ITiCSE 2026 requests these details while requiring authors to preserve review anonymity.
Best Value
For work that depends on code, data, models, or other artifacts, verify whether availability is required and whether hosting must be anonymous. ACM CCS 2026 requires an Open Science appendix locating artifacts or explaining their absence, and a separate ethics appendix for work with potential ethical concerns. These are venue-specific examples, not universal obligations. Check also for track-specific forms, ORCIDs, and supplementary-file requirements. ITiCSE advises first-time submitters to allow at least half an hour to complete a submission; that estimate applies to its process, not every system. ITiCSE 2026 call for papers · ACM CCS 2026 call for papers
Run a final submission check
- Compile from the final source. Resolve errors and warnings that affect the output, and confirm the PDF corresponds to the source files you intend to submit.
- Inspect the PDF. Make sure it opens, pages are complete and ordered, and figures and tables are legible. Check fonts and metadata against venue requirements, including anonymity.
- Validate references and files. Check for missing bibliography entries and include the required source files, appendices, and supplementary materials in the specified formats.
- Review every submission-system field. Match the entered title and abstract to the paper, and verify authors, track, keywords, conflicts, ORCIDs if required, and supplemental uploads.
UbiComp/ISWC 2026 says the LaTeX source should compile without errors and the bibliography should compile accurately for final publication. GECCO 2026 requires embedded Type 1 or TrueType fonts and rejects Type 3 fonts. Treat these as examples of venue-specific technical checks, not requirements to copy to another conference. UbiComp/ISWC 2026 author instructions · GECCO 2026 formatting instructions
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
