Navigating the Future: Key Insights from IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026

Understanding the IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026 Submission Landscape

Getting your work considered for IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026 starts with understanding how to submit it. It’s not just about having a great idea; it’s about fitting it into the right format and timeline. This year, like many before, CHASE offers a couple of main ways to share your research.

Navigating Submission Tracks: Full Papers vs. Extended Abstracts

Think of it like this: full papers are for your more developed research, the kind that’s been thoroughly tested and has solid backing. These can be up to 10 pages, plus a couple more just for references. They need to show a clear contribution, something new compared to what’s already out there, and a good argument for why it matters and why it’s correct. On the other hand, extended abstracts are shorter, capping at 5 pages including everything. These are perfect for sparking conversations. They’re great for research ideas that are still forming, bold new concepts, or even preliminary findings you want to get feedback on. They really capture the original spirit of CHASE as a place for dynamic exchange and exploring new ideas, even if they’re a bit controversial or haven’t been fully fleshed out yet. The program committee might even suggest moving a full paper to an extended abstract if they think it would benefit more from discussion.

Adhering to ACM Empirical Standards for Research Rigor

CHASE 2026 is really pushing for solid research. They’re recommending that authors follow the ACM Empirical Standards, which basically means being really clear about how you did your research. This applies to whatever method you used. It’s about making sure your work is sound and repeatable. So, if you’re doing experiments or collecting data, be ready to explain exactly how you got it, how you looked at it, and what you concluded. The goal is to make it possible for someone else to look at your work and understand exactly how you got your results.

Key Dates for IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026 Contributions

Missing a deadline can be a real bummer, so here’s a quick rundown of the important dates to keep in mind for submitting your work:

• Abstract Submission (Recommended): October 16th, 2025, AoE
• Full Paper Submission: October 23rd, 2025, AoE
• Notification of Acceptance: January 5th, 2026, AoE
• Camera-Ready Submission: January 26th, 2026, AoE

Remember, ‘AoE’ means Anywhere on Earth, which is helpful for those of us in different time zones. It’s always a good idea to aim for the earlier dates if you can, just to avoid any last-minute tech glitches or surprises.

Core Evaluation Criteria for IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026

When you submit your work to CHASE 2026, the reviewers will be looking at a few key things to decide if it’s a good fit for the conference. It’s not just about having a cool idea; it’s about how well you’ve thought it through and presented it.

Ensuring Soundness: Assumptions and Their Implications

Every piece of research starts with some assumptions. The trick is to be upfront about them. CHASE wants to see that you’ve considered your assumptions carefully. Are they solid and reliable? If so, you might not need to say much. But if an assumption is a bit shaky or might not always hold true, you absolutely need to point it out and explain why it’s necessary for your work. They’re looking for honesty about the limits of your claims. This doesn’t mean risky assumptions are automatically bad. If you clearly label them as such, explain why they’re needed to explore something important, and convince the reviewers they’re often true in practice, your paper might still be accepted. Future work can then figure out exactly when those assumptions are valid.

Demonstrating Relevance: Practical and Theoretical Impact

Does your research matter? That’s the big question here. CHASE values work that has a clear connection to the real world of software development or that pushes our understanding of software engineering theory forward. You need to explain why your work is important. This could be solving a practical problem, building a better theoretical foundation, or even replicating previous studies to confirm their findings. Replication studies are very welcome! No matter what you’ve done, make sure you clearly discuss what your results mean for software engineers and researchers.

Prioritizing Verifiability and Transparency in Research

Reviewers need to be able to follow your steps. This means providing enough detail so someone else could, in theory, do what you did. Think about how you collected your data, how you analyzed it, and how you came to your conclusions. The more transparent you are, the easier it is for others to trust and build upon your work. Providing extra materials or detailed descriptions that support independent checking is highly encouraged. It’s all about making your research open and accessible.

The Scope and Focus of IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026

So, what’s actually in for CHASE 2026? This conference really zeroes in on the human side of making software. Think about how people work together, communicate, and generally just be humans when they’re building things. It’s not so much about the latest coding language or a super-fast algorithm, but more about the messy, interesting stuff that happens between people.

Exploring Human and Cooperative Aspects in Software Engineering

At its heart, CHASE is all about understanding the people involved in software development. This includes everything from how teams collaborate and communicate effectively to how individual personalities and backgrounds influence the process. They’re interested in how we can make these human interactions smoother and more productive. It’s about recognizing that software isn’t just built by machines; it’s built by people, with all their quirks and complexities.

Addressing Emerging Trends in AI and Software Development

With AI popping up everywhere, it’s no surprise CHASE is looking at how it changes the game for software engineers. How does AI affect teamwork? Does it change how we communicate or coordinate? This track is keen to explore these new frontiers. The conference wants to understand how these new AI tools are reshaping what it means to be a software developer and how teams work together in this evolving landscape. It’s a big question, and CHASE is a place to hash it out.

Topics of Interest: From Social Dynamics to AI Ethics

What kind of specific things are they looking for? Well, it’s a pretty broad net. They’re interested in:

• Social Dynamics: How do groups of people interact when building software? Think about team cohesion, conflict resolution, and knowledge sharing.
• Cooperative Work: What makes software development teams successful? This covers coordination, collaboration strategies, and managing distributed teams.
• Human Factors: How do individual differences – like personality, skills, or even cultural background – play a role in software projects?
• AI and Software Engineering: This is a growing area, looking at how AI impacts developers, the development process, and the ethical considerations that come with it.
• Research Methods: They’re open to all sorts of ways to study these topics, whether it’s through experiments, surveys, case studies, or even theoretical models. The key is that the research sheds light on the human and cooperative elements.

Navigating the Review Process at IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026

So, you’ve put your heart and soul into a paper for CHASE 2026. Now comes the part where others get to weigh in. It’s a bit like sending your kid off to school for the first time, right? You hope they’re ready and that everyone is kind. CHASE uses a double-anonymous review system, which is pretty standard these days. This means the reviewers won’t know who you are, and you won’t know who they are. It’s all about keeping things fair and focused on the research itself.

Understanding Double-Anonymous Review Procedures

This double-anonymous setup is key. To make it work, you’ve got to scrub your paper clean of any identifying information. That means no author names, obviously. But also, be careful with how you reference your own past work. Instead of saying ‘As I showed in my previous paper…’, you’ll need to phrase it like ‘Smith (2024) showed…’. It feels a little weird at first, but it’s important. Also, if you’ve put your paper on a preprint server like arXiv, make sure you haven’t mentioned it’s headed to CHASE. You might even want to change the title on the preprint to avoid any accidental links. The goal here is to prevent reviewers from guessing who wrote what based on their familiarity with the authors’ previous publications. It’s a bit of detective work for everyone involved, but it helps level the playing field.

The Role of Discussion Leads and Reviewer Feedback

Once the reviews are in, things get interesting. Your paper will likely be looked at by at least three people, and one of them will be a ‘Discussion Lead’. This person kind of shepherds the review process for your paper, making sure all the points are covered. Unlike some conferences, CHASE 2026 won’t have a formal rebuttal phase where you get to argue back and forth. This means the initial submission needs to be as clear and complete as possible. Pay close attention to the feedback provided. Reviewers will point out strengths and weaknesses, and their comments are meant to help improve the research community’s understanding of your work. They’ll be looking at things like the soundness of your methods and the relevance of your findings. It’s a good idea to review the ACM Empirical Standards, as reviewers will be keeping those in mind, especially for research involving data.

Adherence to ACM Policies and Ethical Standards

Finally, remember that CHASE operates under the umbrella of ACM policies. This covers a lot of ground, from making sure your work is original and not submitted elsewhere (no double-dipping!) to ethical considerations, especially if your research involves human participants. They’ve also got specific guidelines on using AI tools in your research and writing. It’s really important to read up on these policies before you submit. Violating them can lead to serious consequences, like having your paper retracted. So, double-check everything, be honest about your methods, and make sure your submission aligns with the ethical standards expected in academic research. It’s all part of contributing responsibly to the software engineering field.

Open Science and Publication at IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026

CHASE 2026 keeps moving forward with its open science commitments. Researchers are encouraged to share their data and code whenever possible, supporting more reproducible studies and open collaboration. If you’re planning to submit, it’s worth knowing what to expect so you can prepare ahead.

Embracing Open Artifacts and Reproducibility

CHASE 2026 stands by the idea that research should be accessible. Here’s what that means for contributors:

• Sharing research artifacts—like datasets, code, or study materials—is expected. If you can’t make materials public, you’ll need to say why.
• Supplemental material or links to anonymous repositories can be submitted alongside papers for the review phase.
• Not every project can be replicated; this is okay, but you must explain the situation, especially for those working with sensitive qualitative or industrial data.
• The goal is to make replication and inspection possible by default, which helps others understand and build on your work.
• For guidance on disclosing study limitations or challenges, consult the conference’s recommended resources.

Open Access Policies and Article Processing Charges

All accepted CHASE 2026 papers will be available through open access in the ACM Digital Library. Starting 2026, most authors won’t have to pay to publish, but there are exceptions:

• Check if your institution is part of ACM OPEN—if it is, publication fees may be covered already.
• For those not covered, look into available waivers or discounts through ACM, especially if you’re from an underserved region or face financial hardship.
• Extra publication charges for additional pages aren’t allowed, so stay within the page limits.

The Importance of ORCID IDs for Authors

CHASE 2026 requires all authors to have an ORCID ID. Here’s why that matters:

1. ORCID IDs help ensure accurate author identification and make your work easier to find.
2. They help disambiguate authors with similar names or those who have changed names over their career.
3. The submission system will likely require you to provide your ORCID before you can finalize your accepted paper.

If you don’t have one yet, now’s the time to register for an ORCID ID. It’s simple, free, and only takes a few minutes—just visit orcid.org.

In summary, CHASE 2026 is making it easier to share findings, increasing transparency, and cutting down on publication headaches. If you address open science early on, you’ll find the submission process smoother and your work potentially more impactful.

Future Directions and Community Engagement at IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026

CHASE 2026 isn’t just about presenting research; it’s about building a stronger community and shaping what software engineering looks like down the road. The conference really wants people to think about how we can all work together better.

Contributing to a Healthy Software Engineering Community

This conference is a place to connect with others who care about the human side of making software. It’s about sharing ideas, not just presenting finished work. Think of it as a big brainstorming session for the whole field. The goal is to make software development a more positive and productive experience for everyone involved. This means talking about challenges, sharing solutions, and generally supporting each other.

Collaborative Submissions and Group Reflections

CHASE 2026 is encouraging different ways to share your work. Beyond the standard papers, there’s room for ideas that might be a bit rough around the edges but spark good conversation. Extended abstracts, for example, are perfect for this. They’re shorter, up to 5 pages, and meant to get people talking. It’s a great way to introduce new concepts or early findings and get feedback from the community. The conference really values this kind of interactive exchange.

Shaping the Future of Software Engineering Research

What’s next for software engineering? CHASE 2026 is a key spot to discuss this. It’s where we look at new trends, like how AI is changing how people work together on software. The conference is interested in everything from how teams communicate to the ethical questions that pop up with new technologies. By bringing together academics and people who actually build software, CHASE aims to guide where the research goes next, making sure it stays relevant and addresses real-world needs.

Wrapping Up: What CHASE 2026 Means for Us

So, looking back at CHASE 2026, it’s pretty clear this conference is all about the people in software engineering. It’s not just about the code or the latest tech, but how we all work together, communicate, and deal with the human side of building software. They’re really pushing for research that’s sound, makes sense in the real world, and can be checked by others. This means we’ll likely see more studies that are easier to follow and build upon. Plus, with the move towards open access, more of this research will be out there for everyone to see and use. It feels like CHASE is setting a path for software engineering to be more human-focused, which is probably a good thing as things keep changing so fast.