Reading, Reviews & Presentations
This course is a seminar, which means:
- You read the papers before class
- You contribute to discussion
- You review papers
- You present a paper
Here is what that entails.
Reading & Pre-Class Questions
Each week includes several required papers labeled:
- [Background] — foundational context
- [Question] — requires answering a pre-class question
- [Review] — requires deeper reading & critique
Before each class, you must answer a short question on Canvas for every [Question] or [Review] paper for which you are not the assigned presenter or reviewer.
These are graded for comprehension — short but thoughtful answers are sufficient.
Helpful resources
- S. Keshav, How to Read a Paper, CCR 2007
- M. Hanson & D. McNamee, Efficient Reading of Papers in Science and Technology
Writing Reviews (WINE 2024 Mini-Conference)
The class runs a small program-committee–style process using:
WINE (We do Internet Experimentation) 2024
HotCRP (link will be posted)
You will:
- Write 4–6 reviews
- Evaluate originality, significance, clarity, and methodology
- Participate in a PC meeting to discuss and “accept/reject” papers
- Lead discussion for one paper as a reviewer
Your reviews should follow standard conference expectations:
Suggested reading
- M. Allman, Thoughts on Reviewing, SIGCOMM CCR 2008
- T. Roscoe, Writing Reviews for Systems Conferences, 2007
Presenting Papers
Every student will present at least one paper.
Presentations are typically 15–20 minutes plus discussion.
A good presentation demonstrates:
- Understanding of the problem
- Clarity about the methodology
- Awareness of limitations
- Ability to explain why the paper matters
- Critical insight beyond regurgitating the text
Helpful guides
- M. Ernst, Advice on Giving Talks
- S. Peyton Jones et al., How to Give a Great Research Talk
- Microsoft Academic: Give Great Research Talks
Slides should be posted to Canvas before class.
Participation Expectations
You’re expected to:
- Engage with questions during discussion
- Challenge assumptions
- Offer alternative explanations
- Connect papers across weeks
- Bring your own research experiences into conversation
What you get out of school depends on what you put on it; this is speacialy true of seminars.