EPP: A Prototype for Electronic Paper Processing
Authors: A. Eggenberger, R. Stadler and M. Borla, Columbia University
EPP supports the electronic submission of papers and the paper review process using Internet and web technologies. It is a prototype system that has been built and used for the IM’'97 symposium, a conference with 150 paper submissions, a program committee (PC) of 50 members and two PC co-chairs.
EPP is in the public domain. People involved in organizing conferences or workshops can download the software and modify/extend it according to their needs.
Two basic ideas are behind the design of EPP. First, we wanted to use web technology wherever applicable. Second, we wanted to create a paper database that would allow the PC members to browse through the submissions--paper titles, abstracts, ps-versions of papers, etc. –--and to keep them informed about the state of the review process. Confidentiality was ensured by protecting the paper database with passwords and by making certain information available only to the PC co-chairs via an extended view onto this database.
Our experience with the system has been mostly positive. It has saved time for the PC Chairs and the administrative staff, and it allowed for short turnaround times. The majority of the PC members found it convenient to use. This has led us to believe that a web-based paper submission and review system can be an attractive tool for a program committee to cooperatively work on the technical program.
There is a caveat: EPP is not production-quality software. A person who installs, modifies, and administers the system needs knowledge in web programming and Unix. The nice thing, however, is that the software is quite small and has been tested for IM'97. Therefore, this package should be considered as an *interim solution* and should be used to get more experience with electronic paper submission and reviews. Later, it will be possible for someone to come up with a system that can be more easily customized, installed and maintained.
The EPP software is small--some 1000 lines of code. It contains several HTML-files, CGIs and filter programs that transform files from one format into another. (Filters are used by the adminstrator of an EPP system.) We have been using an NCSA web server under SUN OS to run EPP.
Copyright 1996, CTR, Columbia University, New York