In July 2024, the Computing Research Association Working Group on Socially Responsible Computing Subcommittee on Best Practices for Conference released a whitepaper to guide conference organizers in developing responsible computing policies by outlining key areas where attention seems necessary. This comes at a time when many, but not all, computing research conferences are increasingly incorporating ethical and societal considerations into their submission guidelines. 

Here are some ways conferences can help promote responsible research and publication practices.

• Include guidelines on avoiding research-related harm.
• Guide responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities in submissions.
• When appropriate for human-centered research, require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or equivalent review.
• Promote reproducibility by requesting public release of detailed documentation and artifacts.
• Clarify policies on financial conflicts of interest.
• Address concerns that Generative AI raises regarding authorship and review integrity.
• Create a separate ethics committee for reviewing submissions in parallel with the scientific review process. Establish clear reporting and retraction policies and procedures.
• Disclose ethical review outcomes broadly to inform and educate the research community.

By encouraging these actions, conference organizers can foster an environment that prioritizes ethical research while adapting to evolving challenges in the computing field.

Please stay tuned as we follow up with deep dives on ethics, disclosure and human subjects in computing research.