Choosing a Venue

Selecting an appropriate venue is a foundational step in the research process. Our group has historically focused on two main types of venues that cater to different goals and interests. The first is Kaggle, a data science competition platform that provides an excellent environment for learning, often with the added incentive of prize money. The second, and the primary focus for our group's publication efforts, is the CLEF (Conference and Labs of the Evaluation Forum). We have a significant publication history at this European conference, with our contributions published as peer-reviewed working notes in the CEUR proceedings.

When selecting a competition, whether at CLEF, Kaggle, or another workshop, your decision should be driven by genuine interest. This interest typically stems from one of two motivations. The first is a passion for a specific domain. For example, a personal interest in a topic like herpetology can be a powerful motivator to contribute to a task like SnakeCLEF. The second is a desire to apply a particular technique. You may want to implement a method learned in a course or a research paper, such as applying network analysis principles to a citation dataset. Choosing a project that aligns with your intrinsic interests is critical for maintaining motivation throughout the semester.

Finally, it is essential to understand the requirements of your chosen venue and to be realistic about your own commitment. The bar for publication at CLEF requires submitting a functional system and a well-written, reproducible paper that details an interesting aspect of your work. Other academic venues may have a much higher bar for novelty, while a Kaggle competition might only require functional code. This commitment is not trivial; historically, only 50-75% of members who begin a project see it through to completion. Before committing to a team and a venue, ensure you have both a legitimate interest in the topic and the time required to contribute meaningfully.