FAQ-Chair

How do I contact CMT Support?

From any page when logged in as Chair, click the 'Help Center' dropdown in the top blue bar and select 'Contact CMT.'
Note: CMT Docs can answer most of your questions. If you have read the docs and still could not find answer, please provide issue description in the Subject and relevant details in the Body.

Is there a way to make conferences a single-blind or double-blind conference?

By default all conferences are single-blind conferences. The reviewers can see an author's identity. In a double-blind conference, set here, reviewers cannot see names of authors.

How do I upload a logo to my conference site?

At this time, only CMT can upload a conference logo.
Please email CMT Support with the image.
It must be 200px wide and 64px tall.

Where will the conference logo be visible?

Your logo is visible at the login page of your conference URL.

Why doesn't my conference logo show?

The logo doesn't appear because the file is likely a transparent image with a white font. Since CMT’s background is white, nothing will appear to show. Please send a corrected image.

Why are all the settings greyed-out?

In a muliti-track conference, you must select a track before you can configure settings.

When I go to Automatic Assignment Wizard, why are none of the papers I authored showing?

If there is something in the Automatic Assignment Wizard that is not desired, click the 'Start Over' button. This resets everything. In this case, the papers will appear.

Submission files must be uploaded before authors can see the link to submit supplementary material.

Why is the submission button not there when I enabled the activity?

It is likely you have an end date set in the past. Enable 'Paper Submission' and 'Edit Submission' with proper future dates.

Our conference has hundreds of submissions, so why is Excel empty after I export submissions to Excel?

This usually happens when there is a duplicate submission form question. Just change the question to something unique and the Excel will populate.

Where is the Submission Summary?

From the Chair Console click on the Paper ID of any paper. This brings up the Submission Summary page.

Why are some users not getting the conference emails?

Have the users check their "User Profile" to make sure 'Do not send me conference email (check this option only if you don't want to be contacted by any conference).' is not checked.

Why do email template placeholders show in the body of the email?

Placeholder names show because you are sending the email from a different page than where the template was created. Each page that you email from, may have different placeholders. Not all placeholders will work in all pages.

How do I get the Review values to show in the Chair Console?

Presuming the Review questions are 'Options with Value,' the ‘Show aggregate columns’ box needs to be checked in Settings>Features>Review page.

What is the Timeline Activity and where is it?

Activity Timeline is in the settings page. That is where deadlines and statuses of each phase of the conference are managed.

How do I remove 'User Tags' in bulk?

Please email CMT Support in this matter.

Why can't Reviewers or Meta-Reviewers download a paper for a particular Paper ID?

If the conference is enabled properly in the Reviewing/Meta-Reviewing phase, and there is no submission file for Reviewers or Meta-Reviewers to download but there is a Paper ID, then the Author has not uploaded a file. Chairs can check Submission Activity for that Paper ID.

How do you copy settings to a file to keep for later?

You have to copy settings to an existing conference. You cannot just download settings to a file.

In a multi-track conference how does TPMS work across tracks?

Tracks do not matter. The scores are between Reviewers and papers.

How can I renumber papers?

The first thing to note is CMT paper numbers are not guaranteed to be in consecutive order. Unfortunately, paper IDs cannot be changed nor a paper ID completely removed from a conference even if it were deleted. Even if a completely different track is created, the paper IDs will not start at #1 when other papers in the conference have been submitted (even if they were deleted).

How do I select a non-consectutive set of papers so we can send authors of those selected papers a targeted email?

Go to the Paper ID column in any console. Enter a bracket, the non-consecutive Paper IDs desired separated by a comma, and a close bracket. For example, [2,22,158].

Why are some aggregated scores showing on the Chair Console but not all?

There is a hard limit of 8 aggregate questions shown on the Chair Console. Any more than that, they will not show. However, if this is a multi-track conference, you may add yourself as a Track Chair and check on the specific track.

Who else can enable/disable discussions besides the Chair?

By default, only Senior Meta-Reviewers can enable discussions. To disallow that, go to Settings>Features>Senior Meta-Review and check 'Do not allow enabling discussion.' The Chair can also allow Meta-Reviewers to enable discussions. Go to Settings>Features>Meta-Review and check 'Allow meta-reviewer to enable discussion.'

When I click download 'submission plus files' it only download the files. How can I download the abstract?

From the Chair Console click Actions, select ‘Export to Excel>Submissions.’ The abstract can be found in column E of the Excel export.

Where can I find the timestamps of Reviewer submissions?

From the Chair Console, click Actions>Submission Activities and filter for what you need.

For a double-blind conference, why do I have to uncheck "Enable personal domain conflicts for authors and PC members?"

The constraint is to prevent reviewers from guessing author identity by changing domains during bidding.

How can I modify a user's profile?

Only a CMT user can update his/her profile. You will need to contact the user if it needs to be modified.

What notifications can be enabled for Chairs?

Chairs can receive notifications if a submission is created, updated and/or deleted, and when a discussion is posted. Click your name dropdown and select 'My Settings.'

Are deleted submissions recoverable?

Submissions that have been deleted are restorable by clicking 'Actions' on the Chair Console and selecting 'Deleted Submissions.' Choose the ones you want to restore by clicking 'More' at the end of the submission's row. Files deleted due to an account deletion are not recoverable.

If your conference will use IEEE eCF to submit copyright forms from CMT, please use http://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/rights/ecf_registration.html to register the conference publication title. This will allow the conference to be registered with IEEE and added to the eCF system before that title can be used. How-To links are here and here.

How do I enable IEEE PDF eXpress?

IEEE PDF eXpress is not supported at this time.

How do I set up CMT to allow video submissions?

This can be configured in the Settings>Features>Submissions page.
Enable Submissions

How do Chairs view a user's experience?

Only Chairs can impersonate a user, not Track Chairs.

  • From the Chair Console, click ‘Users’ and select ‘Conference User.’ Find the person you want to impersonate, then on the extreme right of the row, click ‘More>Impersonate.’

Please note that the user may be associated with other conferences, however, chairs would only see data relevant for their current conference. Chairs cannot change users’ profile data, which is independent of any conferences.

What is user type and how is it used?

User Type is typically used for assigning different number of papers based on a particular group of users. You can use User Type if you need grouping within a role. For example, Reviewers who are graduate students, Reviewers who are professors, etc., can be grouped into a User Type.

Chairs can enable IEEE Copyright submission for each track from "Settings -> Features -> Camera Ready Submission". Chairs need to register publication title. This will allow the conference to be registered with IEEE and added to the eCF system before that title can be used.

How do I put the Start Time in the Sessions?

The Start Date/Time accepts time in ISO format. The user can enter time zone offset along with the time if needed, however it shows up as the user's computer time-zone. Here are some examples:

2023-10-31T15:30:00+07:00
2023-10-31T15:30:00Z
2023-10-31T15:30:00-07:00

Be aware of any leading or trailing spaces.
Follow the guide.

How do Chairs export data only for "Accepted" papers?

Chairs can apply the "Accept" filter under the "Status" column on the Submissions page. Then use the "Actions, Export to Excel, Submissions" menu to export data for all accepted papers.

How do I add new users (Chairs, Reviewers, etc.) to the conference?

Chairs can only add a CMT registered user to a role in the conference. Here is how.

Why is there a discrepancy between the console and a user's bids?

The selection of ‘Not Willing’ is considered a bid and therefore counted as a bid.

Why is there a discrepancy between console and exported bids?

Chairs can click on "Clear All Filters" before applying filter on Bids to make sure there is no other filter already selected.

Why can't I delete my radio-button Chair Note?

If your Chair Note is a radio button list that has been added to a paper or papers, go to the Settings tab and change the Chair Note "Show As" dropdown to "List with multiple choice (checkbox list)." Then go back to the paper(s) note and deselect the checkboxes. You may then delete the Chair Note from Settings.

Why can't I see a user who I know created an account, in the "Users" page?

The User's page only shows the following users:

  1. Reviewer
  2. Meta-Reviewer (if added)
  3. Track Chair
  4. Chair
  5. Authors who have submitted a paper. If someone has only registered an account without submitting a paper and has not been added into one of the roles in 1) to 4), this person will not show up in the list.

Why can't PC members find their conferences after they log in?

This is more than likely because they are logging in with an incorrect email. Please note CMT does not keep conferences more than a couple of years after it has ended to reduce cost. Once the conference is removed from CMT, the data is no longer available.

If you receive a 4-digit error code, click here for the IEEE support site and enter the 4-digit code to find out how to rectify your issue.

Are there standard conference settings or templates to import?

There are no standard templates or default settings. Each conference is unique. All conference settings and forms will need to be configured and created by the Chairs.

Why are there no submissions in my Chair Console?

  1. First click "Clear All Filters". They should appear.
  2. Look in the Deleted Submissions. You can restore them from there.
  3. A track was deleted. This needs to be restored by CMT Support.

Data visibility

We need more than just 'Data visibility.' Please be more specific about what data should be visible and to whom. Do you want reviewers to see other reviews? Authors to see reviews? You can start by looking in the 'Cheat Sheets' section and 'Data Visibility' guides under the 'HOW-TO Chair' section of the Help articles.

How can I see user information?

  1. You can see user information (pertaining to their role(s) in the conference) in the 'Manage Conference Users' page. Click the User tab in the Chair Console and select 'Conference User'.
  2. As a Chair you can also impersonate the user to see what that user experiences.

Why do I just see a string of alpha-numeric characters in all of the fields?

It means the user deleted thier CMT account.

How to get a list of non-CMT registered emails?

You can get a list of co-authors who are unregistered, but it requires a little work.

  1. Filter the ‘Manage Conference Users’ page for ‘Author’. Then click ‘Actions>Export’. This will produces a .txt file which can be copied and pasted into an Excel document to get all the valid author CMT email addresses for the conference.
  2. ‘Export to Excel’ submissions from the 'Chair Console' and subsequently see every email associated with every paper. Then compare that list to the valid CMT accounts list.

How can I export the individual conflict data entered by each author?

Individual Conflicts (authors to mark individual conflicts with PC members, and vice versa) are included (along with Domain Conflicts) when chairs use "Action -> Export" on "Manage Conference Users" page to export users.

How do I copy Reviewer (and Meta-Reviewer) questions to other tracks?

Presuming your conference is a multi-track conference, you can follow these directions for Reviewer questions, and these for Meta-Reviewer questions.

I get an error copying questions from one track to another

If you get an error when copying questions to other tracks it means there are duplicate questions.

  1. Rename existing questions in all the target tracks
  2. Copy all the questions from the source track to the target tracks
  3. Delete duplicate questions that got added
  4. Rename the existing ones

How do I extend deadlines?

Chairs can extend/modify deadlines in the 'Settings' tab, 'Activity Timeline>Deadline' page.

How do I assign subject areas?

Chairs can create subject areas, but reviewers and authors need to select their own based on their personal expertise.

How do I filter Chair Note for numerals?

The Chair Note currently only supports text and string filtering.

Why do I get an error copying Review questions to another track?

It is because you have the same question(s) in the destination track.

How do I attach a file to a submission form?

Nothing can be attached to the form, however there may be a couple of workarounds.

  1. Host the file outside of CMT and have a link to it in the Welcome & Instructions section. This is the only section that can accept HTML.
  2. If your file is just questions for the authors to fill out, you can add the questions to the submission form and flag them as required.
    You can then export the submissions to Excel and see the papers with the answers.

Can I edit an auto-generated email?

Emails that are automatically sent out, such as a submission confirmation, cannot be edited. Chairs can make templates for other emails that are manually sent to PC.

How do I download Camera-Ready files in bulk?

In the Chair Console, go to Actions>Camera-Ready>Download files. They wil be downloaded as a zip file.

Why are all my settings grayed out?

A track must first be selected before any settings can be configured.

I accidentally removed myself as the only Chair.

If there are no other co-chairs to re-add you, contact CMT Support directly.

Why is my short name not what I requested?

Short names must be unique. Search for your proposed conference short name. If it returns a conference, it is taken and you must enter another.

Why are papers missing from my Chair Console?

Please note that Paper IDs are not guaranteed to be consecutive.

  1. First clear all filters
  2. Check your deleted submissions
  3. A deleted track can be a cause for missing papers. Chairs need to contact support in this case.

How do I restore a deleted track and its papers?

Chairs must contact CMT Support to have the track reinstated.

Please look at the eCF guide. It explains whom to contact and what to do.

Is iThenticate free?

To use iThenticate in CMT, the conference must be an IEEE conference. This is a conversation to have with IEEE.org

How to stop Meta-Reviewers from seeing Author identity?

To stop Meta-Reviewers from seeing authors' identity, follow this guide for Meta-Reviewer settings.

Why do users see one thing and chairs see another?

A good rule of thumb is when discrepancies like this arise, it is because the user is not logging into CMT with the same email the conference is looking at.

How can I hide columns?

In the Chair Console, hovering over the upper right corner of each column will show a 'Hide' function. The only columns that will not have it are 'Paper ID,' 'Paper Title,' 'Status,' 'Revision (in place) Submitted?'
There are also Console Customization settings for the Senior Meta-Reviewer Console and the Meta-Reviewer Console.

This issue is with your external URL. The link may show the current conference, but the hyperlink goes to the older/different version.

How do I get the review scores to show?

  1. Make sure you have Review Settings ‘Show Aggregate Column’ enabled
  2. Make sure your Review questions have the 'Type' set to 'Options with Values'

Why can't I filter Subject Areas in Chair Console?

Remove icons or bullets in the names of the Subject Areas in settings. Only use text.

How can I modify an automatically sent assignment email?

There is no way to modify an automatically sent email. Deselect ‘Allow chair to notify reviewer of new manual assignment’, then follow the email individual user guide

What to do when deleting a Subject Area says papers are attached?

It is ok to delete the Subject Area. It is a warning telling you papers are attached. The papers will remain untouched; only the Subject Area will be removed.

Can I add option to a submission form question after papers have been submitted?

As long as the 'Options' Type remains the same it will not affect the other submissions. Those papers can subsequently be edited to include the newer options if desired.

Why do I get an error with ECF?

It is likely the Publication Title is incorrect. Also, if in a Multi-Track Conference, make sure the track has the exact Publication Title and 5-digit code as the other tracks. You can also look here for the 4-digit error code.

How do I delete the conference?

Email support@msr-cmt.org with the request and reason.

How do I change a submission file?

Chairs can remove, modify and add submission files to any paper.

Why is my Chair Console experiencing latency?

Showing submission questions in the Chair Console incurs additional latency. You can try deselecting the setting (only select it when it is necessary to view submission question responses).

Why can't I filter Subject Areas?

Make sure the Subject Areas are in English only.

Why do I get file error when accessing Camera-Ready files?

If the camera-ready number of files settings were changed to zero files for both after files were uploaded, then there will be an error. Click for more

How do I bulk upload camera-ready papers?

There is no bulk upload for camera-ready papers.

How can I restore deleted tracks?

Chairs cannot restore deleted tracks. Contact CMT support.

Why does the Proceeding Editor not see all papers when the Track Chair enabled all papers for 'Camera-Ready = YES'?

In a multi-track conference, the Chair, not the Track Chair, must enable Camera-Ready papers in the Chair Console - so papers from all tracks are seen by the Proceeding Editor.

How can I delete entire conference?

You must contact CMT support

How can I edit an auto-generated email?

Editing auto-genrated emails, like an author confirmation of submission email is no supported and they cannot be stopped or paused.

How can I create an automated email?

Customized automated emails are not supported.

How do I stop automated emails to authors after Chair edits file?

Automated emails to authors cannot be stopped.