This blog highlights key points on considerations when using data from human subjects in a recent CRA whitepaper that outlined challenges and examples that computing conferences should address.  Here’s what you should know. Using human data responsibly and ethically can greatly benefit research and technology. When researchers collect and analyze data with informed consent, they can discover insights that lead to innovation and enhance public health, for example, delivering remote healthcare services like consultations and monitoring through video conferencing, improving access to healthcare for underserved populations. This approach creates a partnership between researchers and participants, where individuals are valued as active contributors to knowledge, not just subjects of study. By […]

When you hear supporting the research community and the peer review process, what do you think? Our recent CRA whitepaper published in July outlined key points for conferences to consider. Here’s what you should know. Encouraging good documentation practices and promoting the sharing of research materials, conferences can create a culture of transparency. This makes research more reliable and helps researchers collaborate to verify each other’s work. Commitment to reproducibility protects the credibility of individual studies and strengthens entire fields of research. Accurate documentation is crucial for ensuring reproducibility and replicability, which help maintain the accuracy and objectivity of research. Reproducibility refers to obtaining consistent results using the same data […]

CCC’s mission is to catalyze computing research, and we are always on the lookout for ways to promote visioning about the future of computing across disciplinary boundaries. When I was at the 11th Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany, I asked many of the laureates, all of whom have been awarded prestigious prizes in computing based on their groundbreaking technical advancements, about how they collaborate with diverse groups of experts. In response to my question about the best way to collaborate across disciplines and promote visionary thinking, Dr. Vint Cerf, widely known as one of the “fathers of the internet”, first emphasized the importance of in-person collaborations: “It’s when people are […]

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 […]

Today is day 4 of the 11th Heidelberg Laureate Forum, and throughout the week I have been asking the computing laureates to identify the grandest grand challenges in computing research, and extrapolating grand challenges based on relevant lectures and discussions. Here are some of the challenges that emerged: Increasing Data Efficiency of Computing Systems. Dr. Alexei Efros posited that computers need to require less data to perform well in order to solve a wider range of problems. While children are very good at learning from a few examples, computers are much less data efficient.  Improving Accuracy of Large Language Models. Dr. Vinton Cerf identified hallucination as a significant problem with […]

I am thrilled to share that I am reporting from Heidelberg, Germany this week where I am attending the 11th Heidelberg Laureate Forum as a member of the press. The forum brings together young researchers across mathematics and computing disciplines, and distinguished Laureates that have won significant awards in the fields, to network and learn from one another. The program consists of panels, workshops, lightning discussions, poster sessions, networking opportunities, and more in the beautiful old town of Heidelberg. As a member of the press, I have the opportunity to represent CCC in interviews with many of the incredible laureates, and listen in on groundbreaking lectures and discussions about pressing […]