Review Process and Instructions

This page includes information about the review process for NIME2025 and information for reviewers and meta-reviewers for all tracks. If you are a reviewer please log in to CMT to see your review assignments.

Guides for reviewers:

General instructions for NIME reviewers and meta-reviewers can be found in the reviewer guide repository.

Review Timeline

The review timeline for NIME2025 is:

  • 12 February, 2025: Paper and Music - Reviewer Assignments Complete
  • 5 March, 2025: Paper and Music - Reviews Due, discussion phase opens
  • 12 March, 2025: End of Review Discussion Phase
  • 19 March, 2025: Final Meta-Reviews are Due
  • 26 March, 2025: Draft Acceptance Decisions due for review by Committee
  • 2 April, 2025: Acceptance decisions and reviews released
  • 30 April, 2025: Publication-ready and presenter registration deadline
  • 24 June, 2025: NIME Workshops
  • 25 - 27 June, 2025: NIME Conference

Review Phases

The review time deadlines are above but here is an explanation about each phase:

  • Reviewer Invitations: Before the submission deadline and directly after, track chairs invite reviewers and meta-reviewers via the submission system (CMT). Invitations are normally sent to previous NIME reviewers and volunteers from the community, particularly authors of submissions.
  • Reviewer Allocation: Directly after the submission deadline, track chairs organise reviewer allocations with a goal of organising allocations in one week. In general, reviewers are allocated 2-4 submissions per track that they are involved with. Meta-reviewers are often responsible for 5-10 submissions.
  • Identify Un-reviewable submissions: Track chairs will do an initial pass through submissions to identify those that are not reviewable (see reviewer guides). The submissions are removed from the system (desk rejected) so as to not waste reviewer time and provide early feedback to authors.
  • Review Phase: Reviewers consider their assigned submissions, write reviews and answer questions in the review form. Meta-reviewers read and consider the submissions.
  • Discussion Phase: Reviewers and Meta-reviewer are now able to see completed reviews. The meta-reviewer leads a discussion in CMT between the reviewers to see if a consensus can be found. If there is no consensus or the meta-reviewer disagrees with the reviewers, a second meta reviewer may also consider the submission.
  • Meta-review Phase: The meta-reviewer submits their meta-review and an Accept/Reject recommendation to the track chairs.
  • Decision Phase: Track chairs make final Accept/Reject decisions based on meta-reviews and available space in the conference program.
  • Decisions and Reviews Released: Final decisions from track chairs, reviews and meta-reviews are released to authors.

Expectations for Paper Track Submission Types

Papers are expected to have a contribution commensurate with their length. Here are some guidelines for assessing contributions:

  • 6000 words (long): Submissions that are comparable in contribution to previous long or 6-page papers at NIME. These would feature original and innovative technologies or ideas and robust scholarly support that may be a form of evaluation or supporting argument.

  • 4000 words (medium): Submissions that are comparable in contribution to previous short or 4-page papers at NIME. These would feature original and innovative technologies or ideas and robust scholarly support but would typically have a smaller scope or depth than long papers.

  • 2000 words (short): Submissions that could propose an original or innovative technology, technical approach, prototype, idea or other novel contribution. They may not have an accompanying evaluation or have one of limited scope. The submission should nevertheless suggest a meaningful contribution to NIME.

All submissions are expected to be completed to a high scholarly standard including references, clearly articulated text, and excellent formatting.

All submissions are eligible for oral or poster presentation if accepted.

Expectations for Music Track Submission Types

Music submissions are expected to expand and reshape our understanding of NIME in the performance, conceptualisation, and reception of music. This year, the music track includes live and remote performances as well as installations. Reviewers should be aware of the submitters’ chosen performance type.

  • Live Performance: Live performances should involve the author and/or collaborators performing in-person at NIME comparable to traditional NIME performances. Feasibility could relate to how the performance and its technical requirements might fit within a busy conference concert program.

  • Remote Performance: Remote performances may involve an online connection to an artist not present at NIME, or some other method of performing remotely. Remote performance submissions need to clearly document the technical requirements to produce the work at NIME. Feasibility could include consideration of technical requirements at the NIME end given that the author would not be present to set up equipment.

  • Installation: Installations could include physical works to be exhibited in foyer, room, or gallery spaces as well as virtual works that exist online. The technical requirements and setup for the installation should be clear from the submission. Feasibility should include consideration of technical scope and space requirements with equipment that the author would contribute. The chairs will consider all submissions on their merits but, as an example, an installation involving a single screen and stereo pair of monitor speakers would be more feasible than one involving 8 screens and 32 speakers.

Contacting Track Chairs

If you have a problem with a particular submission, for example you can’t access some aspect of it or find that you have a conflict of interest, please contact the track chairs for that submission.

You can do this very easily within the CMT reviewer console by clicking the envelope icon which appears to the right of each submission, for example as in this image:

Screenshot of CMT showing the link to email track chairs, in this case the "Music" track.

Clicking this link will allow you to email the chairs for that track, including information about teh submission, who can take action to resolve the problem.