Access and Participation: General Instructions

All presentations of REFSQ 2021 (including satellite events) will be streamed live via Zoom meetings.

In parallel we will use Discord, which serves as central “access” point and virtual “floor” of the conference. On Discord, all participants will gather during the breaks between the sessions, and have the possibility to get in touch with other participants directly.

The main conference will use two virtual rooms (“Essen” and “Duisburg”). The links for the according Zoom meetings will be valid from Tuesday till Thursday. Here, you will able to attend the research paper presentations, the keynotes, the industry track sessions, the OpenRE presentations, the posters presentations, and the social event.

The satellite events on Monday will have different rooms (each room will be named after the event to avoid confusion). You are welcome to switch rooms on Monday as often as you want if you want to participate in different satellite events.

Each virtual room is represented in Discord - from there you will get access to the Zoom meetings. In the Discord #info-board of each room, you will find the conference day’s agenda as well as the access links for entering the corresponding Zoom meetings. The following screenshot gives an overview of the Discord main window as well as the #info-board channel of one of the rooms.

In Discord you will only see those events for which you have been registered.

Registered participants will receive an invitation link to access our REFSQ 2021 Discord presence in a separate email about 2-3 working days before the conference. When accessing our Discord presence, there will be an automated verification of your participation status by Marvin our automated Discord bot. For us to be able to identify you properly, please use your real first and last name for your Discord account as provided in your registration (for instructions on how to change your user name, pleased follow our guidelines upon your arrival in Discord).

Apps and Accounts

Please install the desktop clients of these two tools on your machine (both can be used via the browser but we recommend the use of the clients to avoid technical problems):

• Discord: https://discord.com/download
• Zoom: https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting

You will need to create a Discord account (if you do not already have one), and optionally a Zoom account. Please make sure to have the most recent version of your Zoom client installed. For the functionalities we will, use you require at least the Zoom client version 5.3.

Set up of the Sessions and Discussions

Upon entry in the Zoom Meeting, you will be muted as the default setting. We highly recommend activating your camera and turning on your video in your Zoom client during the paper sessions to enable better interaction and to allow the hearing impaired to read your lips. If you have accidentally unmuted yourself during somebody else’s presentation, we may mute your microphone.

Please download the following image file to your computer, and please use it as the background image for your Zoom camera video stream: https://2021.refsq.org/getImage/orig/Zoom-Background.png

Please note that Zoom’s automatic live transcription will be activated by default throughout all conference sessions. You can deactivate live transcription for you by clicking on the small upward arrow besides the “CC Live Transcript” button in your Zoom meeting window, and selecting “Hide Subtitle”. Note that when the network slows down, lipreading may become difficult. Live transcription is done by an AI and is thus not perfect. We hope that both problems do not happen at the same time, so that everyone is able to understand everything that happens by at least one method.

Please actively contribute to discussions:

• After each presentation, all participants will get the chance to ask questions and discuss the talk in the remaining time.
• In the research paper sessions, a designated discussion leader will initiate the questions and answer session. The general discussion will start right after the presenting author has addressed that first question.
• If you have questions during the presentations (and discussant’s talks): Please use the Zoom chat to type the questions.
• For questions during the general discussion part of a presentation: Please use either the Zoom chat or the “Raise hand” function to get attention of the session chair.
• Questions are collected by the session chair for asking in the discussion part after the presentation. If and when the session chair calls on you to ask your question, please unmute yourself and turn on your video - so you can be heard, transcribed, and lipread - and then ask the question directly. If you cannot unmute and turn on your video, the session chair will ask your question for you.
• For questions and detailed discussions after the paper presentations, which cannot be answered due to time constraints, or other questions/remarks coming up later: Please use the session’s Discord text channel named according to the following scheme: “#ps[no]-[session name]”. This channel can be found in Discord under the category of the virtual room corresponding to the paper session (e.g., Room 1: Essen). Note: These Discord text channels will become visible upon start of the paper session.

For some sessions, Breakout rooms will be used. Breakout rooms split the session’s Zoom meeting into smaller rooms for subgroups with fewer people. A few screenshots showing how to use and switch between breakout rooms (if required) in Zoom can be found below.

Special Instructions

Instructions for Presenters

• The session chair manages the entire session in Zoom and will prompt you for your parts and contributions.
• You will be given the permission to share your screen for your presentation. Use the screen sharing option only upon request by the session chair, and only during your own presentation.
• Please be available and enter the Zoom meeting of your session at least 10 minutes before the start of the session to avoid technical problems. If you have unfortunate technical problems, please contact the technical support team member present in then Zoom meeting or use the general contact information shown at the end of this document.
• Activate your camera at least during your own presentation to enable better interaction and to allow lipreading. This means making sure, by looking at your own image on the screen, that your face fills most of the image vertically so that the image of your lips will be as big as possible. Before you share your slides, please put them directly under the camera hole so that when you are looking at the slides, you are also looking at the camera, and are thus lipreadable. Once you share the slides, do not move them on your screen because if you move them out of the current monitor, Zoom will stop updating your slides to all of the other participants. Ensure good visual conditions for your camera and proper transmission of your screen. Ensure that light shines on you from the front and try to avoid having a window in the background.
• You will need to open your presentation file on your device and then click the Share Screen button in the Zoom controls to select the application (for example, PowerPoint) window. Your screen will then be shared with the conference participants; don’t forget to run your presentation in fullscreen. Make sure to select the right screen/window (e.g., in case you use multiple displays).
• Please provide, before your presentation begins, the slides of your presentation so that they can be downloaded by the participants before your presentation, if convenient for you. With a downloaded copy of your slides run locally, the hearing impaired can better lipread by maximizing the image of your face. Furthermore, the blind can run software that speaks the words of your slides shown in their native application. In a separate email, we will send you a link with which you can upload your slides. The slides will be provided to registered participants only.
• You can also upload a backup video of your presentation we can play in the event that you are not able to connect at the time of your presentation, if you have prepared one. We do, however, not require you to provide one. If you do not provide one, and you are not able to connect at your scheduled time, you will lose your opportunity to present. Because participants are switching between parallel sessions according to the published schedule and are counting on our adhering to this schedule, we will not move another presenter into your slot in the hopes that you will be able to connect later.
• As you will be sharing your computer screen to present your work, it is recommended to prepare your presentation in a Widescreen format (16:9).
• Do not be distracted by text messages posted in the Zoom Meetings chat during your presentation. Questions will be collected by the session chair and raised after the presentation in a structured manner. As a presenter, you do not need to worry about the sequence of questions to be answered. This will be managed by the session chair. Thus, please keep focused on the session chair’s voice and inquiries throughout the entire discussion part.
• After the session, in which your presentation took place, please have a look at the Discord text channel corresponding to the session (named “#ps[no]-[session name]”). Therein, other participants can ask questions (e.g., that may have remained unanswered due to time constraints) and continue the discussion.

During each session, there will also be a member of our technical support team present. He or she will monitor all the participants’ activities in order to assure a smooth process. In case of technical (or other problems) do not hesitate to contact us (see the contact information at the end of this document).

Special Speaker Instructions

Discussant

• You will read the paper assigned to you prior to the conference.
• You will initiate the discussion of the paper right after the presenter has finished the talk. The session chair will give you the floor. Start with a short praise of the paper, indicating what you particularly enjoyed, then make your question.
• Try to make an open question that does not allow for a yes/no answer: your role is to stimulate the scientific debate around some aspect of the paper.
• Unlike in previous editions of REFSQ, you will not prepare any slides.

Industry Speaker:

• After the session, in which your presentation took place, there will be both a text and a voice channel in Discord, in which participants can ask questions (that may have remained unanswered due to time constraints), continue the discussion and generally get in touch with you. The text channel is called “#industry-track-text-chat”, and will be available throughout the whole industry day, while the voice channel is called “industry track: meet the speakers” and will be activated only during the breaks. Please make sure to be available in the voice channel during the break after your session and also keep an eye on the text channel to participate in the discussions.

Poster and Tool Presenter

• In addition to the short presentation in Zoom Room 1: Essen on Tuesday, there will be a Poster and Tool showcase on Thursday, which will take place in Room: 2 Duisburg. This will be organized as a breakout sessions, which will be named after the posters. Every participant will be able to choose herself/himself which breakout session to attend. Thus, make sure to be in the session on time and make sure to join the breakout session dedicated to your poster. In this breakout session make sure to share your screen and show the poster that you prepared. Also, please activate your camera during at least your own presentation to enable better interaction and to allow lipreading (see general presenter instructions above).
• Please be available in the breakout session during the whole session.

Depending on the track/event in which you are presenting you might get additional instructions about the organization of your session from your track chair/event organizer.

Instructions for Session Chairs

• Please be available and enter the Zoom meeting of your session at least 10 minutes before the start of the session to avoid technical problems. If you have technical problems, please contact us using the general contact information provided at the end of this page.
• Activate your camera throughout the entire session that you chair, to enable better interaction and to allow lipreading. This means making sure, by looking at your own image on the screen, that your face fills most of the image vertically so that the image of your lips will be as big as possible. Ensure good visual conditions for your camera. Ensure that light shines on you from the front; try to avoid having a window in the background.
• Manage the entire session and ask the different contributors (i.e., presenters and discussants) to begin their parts. Please use the time before the session to ask the presenters to try screen sharing functionality. In case of any problems, e.g., unavailability of a presenter, please consult the technical support team member present in the meeting.
• When introducing the session, explain that the questions should be made by raising hand or by posting in the chat in Zoom. The discussion on Discord starts only after the session ends.
• Please announce to all participants that automatic live transcription will be activated throughout the session (and all sessions). Each participant will see a “CC Live Transcript” button at the bottom of his Zoom window and caption window showing a live transcript of what is being said by any participant. Notify the participants that they can deactivate the live transcription for themselves by clicking on the “^” arrow in the button labeled “CC Live Transcript” and select “Hide Subtitle” in the menu that pops up. Please also announce to the participants that, if a caption window has not come up, they can click on the “CC Live Transcript” button at the bottom of their Zoom window and select “Show Subtitle” to activate it.
• To begin a presentation, please ask the presenter to share his or her screen and start the presentation.
• During the paper presentations and the ensuing discussions, our technical support will assist you by monitoring the activity of the participants. If participants have turned on their microphone and produce noise by accident, our technical support will react and mute them. During the presentation, you do not need to focus on such technical aspects. Please keep your focus on the presentation.
• Keep track of the time allocated for the presentations to ensure the speakers finish their presentations within the given time constraints. Please notify the speakers in due time (e.g., 2 minutes before the end of the presentation time slot) about the remaining time and the approaching end of their time slots.
• Monitor the Zoom chat and collect questions posted there during the presentations. It is your responsibility to collect and prioritize them, and raise these questions after the discussant has finished his or her talk.
• After thanking the presenter for the talk, introduce the discussion: the discussant starts, then the rest of the audience can make follow-up questions or comments, and then the general discussion starts.
• During the general discussion: Before the discussion starts, please look at the questions posted to the Zoom chat and prioritize them to be asked. In choosing the people to ask questions, pay attention also to participants who have raised their electronic hands. Before the discussion starts, announce to all participants: “If I call on you to ask your question, please quickly unmute and turn on your video in your Zoom client - so you can be heard, transcribed, and lipread - and then ask your question directly. If you cannot unmute and turn on your video, I will ask your question for you.” During the discussion, monitor participants for further hand raises and messages or questions posted in the chat.
• Once the time of the session is up, you should close the session verbally. Say that the questions that were not addressed will be answered and discussed in Discord. Our technical support will close the meeting and transfer the final chat contents to Discord.

During each session, there will also be a member of our technical support team present. He or she will monitor all the participants’ activities in order to assure a smooth process. In case of technical (or other problems) or new requirements that just occurred during the session (e.g. having breakout rooms) do not hesitate to contact us.

Special Session Chair Instructions

Research paper session chairs:

• Directly after a paper presentation, ask the corresponding discussant to start his or her talk and share the prepared slide(s). The discussant will NOT present slides. Once the discussant has finished his or her initial discussion talk, the general discussion involving the rest of the audience starts.
• At the end of the session, refer participants with open questions to the Discord server and the corresponding text channel named according to the following scheme: “#ps[no]-[session name]” (only for research paper sessions).

Session Chairs with Breakout Rooms (Industry Interactive Session /Graduate Student Event / Poster & Tool Showcase):

• If you are using breakout rooms in your Zoom session, please notify us a couple of days before the conference so that we can prepare the session accordingly. If you already know how many Breakout rooms there will be (and maybe already know the names of them), we can configure the setting accordingly.
• It is also possible to create the breakout rooms ad hoc in the session. Please contact the technical support team member present in your session about the details. In any case, he or she will start and close the breakout rooms upon your request.
• Please decide in advance whether you want to allow participants to be able to choose freely, which breakout room to attend, whether they can change breakout rooms during the session or whether they will be assigned to a specific breakout room (this can be done randomly or manually).

Industry Track Chair:

• At the end of the session, refer participants with open questions to the Discord presence and the corresponding text/voice channel (under the section for Room Essen), where the industry speakers will be available for follow-up questions, discussions, and to get in touch with the participants.
• For distributing information and announcements specific to the industry track, please contact the technical support team so that they can post it in the #info-board under Room Essen in Discord.

Workshop Organizer/Workshop Session Chairs:

• Please feel free to handle the Zoom meeting in the way you prefer. However, we recommend collecting questions through the chat function during the presentations and then ask them at the end of the presentation. Consider that a technical support team member will be there to resolve possible problems.
• If you want to create breakout rooms for direct interaction with the speakers, for example during the breaks, please contact the technical support team member present during the meeting, and he or she will create the rooms for you.

Depending on the track/event in which you are chairing a session, you might get additional instructions about the organization of your session from your track chair/event organizer.

Demo Rooms

If you are actively involved in REFSQ 2021, please attend one of the Demo Sessions we are offering. You will be able to join in the Zoom room to test your presentation and settings. If you are still working on your slides do not worry, this is just to test your setup and get you acquainted with the Zoom platform. More detalis on the demo sessions have been sent to you via email.