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Call for Papers (CFPs) need a file format

2009-01-22

http://wikicfp.org/ - a wiki for posting CFPs. I've posted a few. Many of the CFPs that flood my inbox are forwarded (by me) over to the wikicfp gmail e-mail address, but I know that the poor guy who runs it isn't keeping up with the CFP emails that I send his way. Also, I know that there's no automatic way of reading CFPs since they hardly have a standard format. Yes, there is standardized information that is contained within each, but not always in the same format. Anyway, CFPs should be released in a standardized format so that there is metadata, descriptions, authors/participants/keynote speakers, locations and addresses, deadlines, email addresses, URLs, BibTeX for previous proceeding publications, and so on. The wikicfp wiki has an interface for inserting information, but unfortunately it doesn't always capture all of the information of a CFP since not all CFPs follow the same three-tiered submission deadline format.

What are the advantages of sending around CFP files? You could process more of them, and more quickly. You would only have to download an RSS feed or zip file of CFPs and search for terms that you are interested in. You could use the calendar/date-time information to import into your own personal calendar/scheduling system. And it might also be a good way to keep track of your work on different abstracts, posters, papers, etc., with respect to deadlines, topics, etc. Perhaps even through the submission-review-editing-(hopeful)-acceptance process?