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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →A conference rejection is disappointing, but it is a decision about one submission in one review cycle—not a final verdict on the paper’s value or future. First check whether a response stage is still open; then use the reviews to decide whether to appeal, revise for another venue, or pause for more work. The right next step depends on that conference’s current rules.
What to do in the first day
- Save the decision and reviews. Keep the decision letter, individual reviews, meta-review, and any portal messages together so you can refer to the exact record.
- Check the current conference instructions and deadlines. Determine whether the decision is final or whether a rebuttal, revise-and-resubmit, or other response window remains. Note the deadline, time zone, and permitted response format.
- Wait before replying. Discuss the reviews with your coauthors before sending a response. A short pause can help separate useful criticism from the initial frustration.
Policies differ by venue and year. For example, the ACM CHI 2026 Papers Review Process gives eligible revise-and-resubmit papers five weeks to prepare a revision. CHI says a first-round rejection means the work is not ready for that year’s conference, rather than that it has no place at CHI at all. Its process page puts it this way: “Unlike journals, a rejection in round 1 should be taken to indicate that the work would not be ready for this year’s CHI, not that it has no place at CHI at all.” That statement describes CHI’s process; do not assume another conference offers the same route.
![Research Notebook: template for literature reviews, systematic reviews, and structured summaries [A4 - Tile] (Academic writing)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21TWzD0kBIL._SL160_.jpg)
How to turn reviews into a revision plan
Read all the feedback before deciding which comments to address. Classify each point by the kind of problem it identifies, then record a concrete action—or a reason a change is not warranted. A reviewer may have misunderstood a claim, but that misunderstanding can still reveal that the paper needs clearer wording.
- Factual misunderstanding: Identify the passage or evidence that answers the concern. If readers could reasonably miss it, revise the paper to make the point explicit.
- Correctness or evidence: Check whether the method, analysis, results, or supporting evidence actually justify the claim. If not, correct the claim, add analysis, or plan the additional work needed.
- Clarity: Note the section, term, figure, or explanation that caused confusion, and specify how you will make it easier to follow.
- Contribution or novelty: Reassess how the paper distinguishes its contribution from prior work. Clarify the comparison and significance rather than relying on assertion.
- Venue fit: Consider whether the work’s audience, problem, and contribution match the conference’s scope. A strong paper may still be a poor fit for a particular venue.
Prioritize concerns that affect the paper’s core claims, soundness, or fit before smaller presentation edits. Discuss disagreements with coauthors and preserve critiques that can improve the manuscript, even if a reviewer’s premise seems incorrect. UIST 2026 says its full reviews are provided for context and guidance on improving the paper; its guidance is specific to that conference and cycle (UIST 2026 author guide).
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Rebuttal and appeal are different steps
Rebuttal during review
A rebuttal is an in-process opportunity offered by some conferences, not a universal way to challenge a final rejection. If a rebuttal window is open, follow that event’s instructions for length, anonymity, permitted material, and deadline. UIST 2026, for example, instructs authors to maintain anonymity in the rebuttal (UIST 2026 author guide). Address substantive points directly and professionally; do not use the response to attack a reviewer.
Appeal after a final decision
Check whether the conference publishes an appeal route and what grounds it permits. The reviewed conference policies do not establish a universal right to appeal a paper rejection. If the venue allows an appeal, reserve it for a specific procedural problem or consequential factual error that is supported by the record. Keep the appeal brief, factual, and professional, and follow the conference’s stated process. If no route is provided, do not treat a rebuttal window—or an informal email—as an appeal mechanism.
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Choose the next step based on the problem
An appeal, a substantial revision for another venue, and a pause for more work are separate options; you do not have to pursue them in sequence. Compare them using the decision stage, the feedback, the work required, the target venue, and the rules that apply.
| Option | When it may make sense | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Use an open response or revise-and-resubmit stage | The conference has explicitly offered one, and the remaining deadline allows a credible response or revision. | Eligibility, deadline, format, anonymity, and exactly what the conference permits. |
| Appeal | The conference permits appeals and you can point to a documented procedural issue or consequential factual error. | Published appeal grounds, process, deadline, and supporting record. |
| Revise for another venue | The main concerns can be addressed and another conference is a better match for the paper’s audience, scope, or schedule. | Scope, submission dates, format, prior-submission disclosure, and concurrent-submission rules. |
| Pause for further work | Core correctness, evidence, or contribution concerns cannot be resolved responsibly by the next deadline. | What additional analysis, evidence, or reframing is needed before selecting a venue. |
Before submitting elsewhere, read that conference’s current author guide and portal notices. Rules about concurrent submissions and disclosure of prior versions vary, so do not assume that a rejection automatically makes every new submission permissible.
Prepare a resubmission carefully
- Make a change log. Connect each major reviewer concern to the revision made, additional work completed, or reason the paper retains its approach.
- Recheck scope and presentation. Adapt the framing, contribution statement, and format to the next venue’s audience and requirements rather than changing only the title page.
- Review disclosure and submission rules. Confirm what the next conference requires about previous versions, reviews, and concurrent submissions.
- Decide whether to include prior materials. IEEE VIS 2026 encourages authors resubmitting rejected papers to include earlier versions, reviews, a response letter, and a list of changes; it describes these materials as optional and notes that reviewer handling may vary. This is an example of one venue’s practice, not a general requirement (IEEE VIS 2026 papers information).
What rejection statistics can—and cannot—tell you
One study of ICLR 2022 found that 1,444 of 3,338 papers had increased average scores after rebuttal; the increased-score group had an approximately 58.38% acceptance rate. Those figures come from that conference dataset and describe an association, not a causal effect of rebuttal or the odds for an individual paper (Huang et al., 2023).
A separate randomized experiment involving 133 reviewers evaluating 19 papers found that a signal that a submission had been rejected previously was associated with an average 0.78-point lower overall score on a 10-point scale (95% CI: −1.30 to −0.24). The experiment focused on novice reviewers and a prior-rejection signal; its design and population limit what can be inferred from it. It is not a reason to conceal a paper’s history: follow the target venue’s disclosure requirements (Shah et al., 2020).
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