how to get your siggraph paper rejected

2 min read 12-01-2025

Getting your paper rejected from SIGGRAPH can be disheartening, but understanding the common pitfalls can help you improve your submission for future conferences. This guide isn't about sabotage; it's about learning from mistakes and strengthening your research. We'll cover several strategies — or rather, anti-strategies — that significantly increase your chances of rejection. Master these, and you'll have a much clearer understanding of what not to do.

Part 1: The Pre-Submission Phase - Setting Yourself Up for Failure

This phase is crucial. Laying the wrong groundwork guarantees a rejection.

1. Ignore the Call for Papers (CFP)

The CFP is your roadmap. Ignoring it is like navigating a maze blindfolded. Don't read the submission guidelines, deadlines, or suggested topics. Submit a paper wildly outside the scope, length, or format specified. This ensures immediate rejection.

2. Skip the Literature Review (Or Do a Terrible One)

Pretend your research exists in a vacuum. Don't bother reviewing existing work in your area. Failing to acknowledge related research shows a lack of understanding of the field. Or, if you do review it, do so superficially. Misrepresent existing work or cite irrelevant papers to demonstrate a lack of thoroughness.

3. Weak (or Nonexistent) Methodology

Methodology is the backbone of any research paper. Weaken yours by:

Insufficient detail: Don't clearly explain your methods. Leave out crucial steps, making your research impossible to reproduce.
Unjustified choices: Make arbitrary choices without explaining your rationale.
Inadequate data: Use too little data, or data of poor quality, and don’t explain how your data supports your conclusions.

4. Poorly Written Paper

This is arguably the most common reason for rejection. Here's how to guarantee yours is poorly written:

Terrible grammar and spelling: Let typos, grammatical errors, and poor sentence structure run rampant.
Lack of clarity: Write in convoluted, unclear prose, making your ideas nearly impossible to follow.
Unengaging introduction: Begin with a dull and uninspired introduction that fails to grab the reader's attention.
Poorly structured arguments: Don't present a logical flow of ideas. Jump between unrelated concepts without transitions.
Unclear figures and tables: Create figures and tables that are poorly labeled, difficult to understand, or irrelevant to your claims.

Part 2: The Submission Process - The Final Nail in the Coffin

Even if you've followed all the steps above, you can still improve your chances of rejection with these additional strategies:

5. Miss the Deadline

This is the simplest way to ensure your paper isn't even considered. Submit late, significantly increasing your chances of being rejected outright.

6. Disregard Formatting Requirements

Ignore any and all formatting requirements specified in the CFP. Submit your paper in an unusual format, using a different font, or failing to adhere to page limits.

Conclusion: Learning from Rejection

While this guide outlines how to get your SIGGRAPH paper rejected, the real goal is to learn from these mistakes. By understanding the common reasons for rejection, you can significantly increase your chances of acceptance in the future. Pay attention to detail, conduct thorough research, and present your work clearly and concisely. Good luck!