The Umeå Student Conference in Computing Science (USCCS) is an annual event organized as part of a course offered by the Department of Computing Science at Ume ̊a University. The primary aim of the course is to provide students with a hands-on introduction to independent research, scientific writing, and oral presentation.
A student who participates in the course selects a topic in computing science and related areas and formulates a research question. The course revolves around three significant milestones. The first milestone requires students to write a lit- erature overview with an annotated bibliography, demonstrating not only their academic proficiency but also grounding their research into existing literature - standing on the shoulder of giants. The second milestone involves the actual research and its description in a scholarly manner, demonstrating a commitment to academic excellence, rigour and adherence to high standards. The third milestone encompasses the analysis and discussion of the obtained results, ensuring a thorough and objective examination.
These three milestones are supported by three peer-review group meetings, consisting of 4-5 students each. During these sessions, each ongoing draft or milestone is efficiently and critically discussed aiming at guidance and improvement of the draft. This process provides valuable training in both giving and receiving constructive criticism.
In addition, four lectures support the students’ learning and progress in the incremental development and refinement of a scientific paper, and timely discusssions on research ethics and quality.
Each scientific paper is submitted to USCCS through EasyChair, an on-line submission system, and receives anonymous reviews from experts in the field. Based on the reviews and the editor’s assessment a decision of acceptance is made. Reviewers’ comments are incorporated, and the revised manuscripts undergo a final review before being included in these proceedings. The review process and conference format aim to simulate realistic settings for publishing processes and participation in scientific conferences.
The conference is the highlight of the course, and this year, we received 14 submissions out of a possible 16, each thoroughly reviewed by experts listed on the following page. As a result, 8 submissions have been accepted for presentation at the conference. We extend our gratitude to the reviewers for their efforts within a tight timeframe and busy schedules.
We also thank all authors for their dedication and outstanding final results, which will be presented during the conference. We wish all participants interesting exchange of ideas and stimulating discussions throughout USCCS.
Umeå: Umeå University, 2024. , p. 117