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 and 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 enough.
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 2025 Mini-Conference
The class runs a small program-committee–style process using:
WINE (We do INternet Experimentation) 2025
HotCRP: https://northwestern-ise25.hotcrp.com/
You will:
- Write several conference-style reviews
- Evaluate originality, significance, clarity, and methodology
- Participate in a PC meeting to discuss and “accept/reject” papers
- Lead discussion for at least one paper as a reviewer
Suggested reading for reviewing:
- M. Allman, Thoughts on Reviewing, SIGCOMM CCR 2008
- T. Roscoe, Writing Reviews for Systems Conferences, 2007
Reviews are expected to look like standard systems/IMC/NSDI/SIGCOMM reviews: a short summary, strengths/weaknesses, and a clear recommendation with justification.
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
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 a seminar is strongly correlated with what you put in.