OSDI '21 Instructions for Presenters

These instructions are for presenters at the 15th USENIX Symposium on Operating Systems Design and Implementation (OSDI '21). If you wish to submit a paper or deliver a talk at another upcoming USENIX event, please review the open Calls for Papers and Calls for Participation for our upcoming USENIX conferences.

Contact

If you have questions, please contact the OSDI '21 Program Co-Chairs, Angela Demke Brown and Jay Lorch, or the USENIX Production team.

Important Dates

  • Final papers deadline: Tuesday, May 25, 2021
  • Consent form signature deadline: Tuesday, May 25, 2021
  • Presentation video deadline: Tuesday, June 15, 2021
  • Presentation slides deadline: Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Instructions for Authors of Refereed Papers

  1. Coordinate with your paper shepherd. All papers have an assigned shepherd who will review your paper before the final submission. Please coordinate with your shepherd so they have time for the review, and so you have time to respond to their requests. The shepherd is listed in the submissions system. If you are unsure who your shepherd is, please contact osdi21chairs@usenix.org.
  2. Final papers deadline. A PDF of your final paper is due via the submissions system by Tuesday, May 25, 2021. This is a hard deadline. No extensions will be granted. If you have questions about the requirements shown below, contact the Production Department.
  3. Maximum page length. Final papers should be no longer than 14 pages, including figures and tables, plus as many pages as needed for references.
  4. Paper format. Papers should be typeset in two-column format using 10-point type on 12-point (single-spaced) leading, in a text block 7" wide x 9" deep, formatted for 8.5" x 11" paper.
  5. Embed all fonts in your final paper PDF.
  6. Make searchable your final paper PDF.
  7. Page numbers must be suppressed on your final paper PDF.
  8. Looking for templates? Templates and sample first pages (two-column format) for Microsoft Word and LaTeX are available on the USENIX templates page.
  9. Artifact Appendix. Authors who pass artifact evaluation are encouraged to add an Artifact Appendix of up to two pages to their paper. The goal of the appendix is to describe and document the artifact in a standard format. Download the template for the appendix.
  10. Certify your final paper's title, author, and abstract in HotCRP. The final PDF's title and author information, including author order and affiliation, and the abstract, must exactly match the information entered into the HotCRP submission system. Please update the information in HotCRP as necessary, then check the certification checkbox. Please note: if you make any changes after you check the certification checkbox, you will need to check the box again.
  11. Sign the consent to publish form. Each author must sign a consent to publish form, which allows USENIX to publish the paper as well as any slides, audio, and/or video of your presentation. USENIX makes these freely available as part of our commitment to open access. Please review and e-sign the form. If you are the lead author, please be sure all of your co-authors sign a form as well.
  12. Use of images, audio, and video in your materials. It is very important that you secure permission to use copyright-protected materials in your slide deck, paper, presentation video, or any other materials used at our event or submitted for publication. Even when using an item with a Creative Commons license, you must read and comply with the terms of the license.

    USENIX receives copyright infringement notices from time to time, resulting from authors or speakers using copyright-protected materials without proper licensing or attribution. When this happens, we have to unpublish the work in question until/unless the issue is resolved. Licensing fees may be incurred, even when the work is unpublished, and USENIX will bill the author or speaker for any costs incurred. When possible, USENIX will refer the complainant directly to the author or speaker, who will be solely responsible for resolving the complaint.
  13. Embargo requests. All papers will be available online only to registered attendees before the symposium. If your accepted paper should not be published prior to the event, please notify the Production Department. The papers will be made available online to the public beginning on the first day of the symposium.
  14. Prepare and submit your presentation videos and slides. For our virtual events, you are required to record a video of your paper presentation that integrates your slides with footage of you speaking. Your video and slide deck are due via our Box upload link by Tuesday, June 15, 2021. This video will be played live for you by the USENIX staff during the symposium at your designated time slot in the program.

Slides Specifications

  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Leave sufficient space in the top-right corner for the speaker inset showing you presenting your paper
  • Introduction slide that clearly lists the title of your paper and your name
  • Closing slide to thank your audience and/or collaborators and to display your contact information should you wish to receive follow-up questions from attendees
  • File format: PDF
  • File name: osdi21_slides_[yourlastname].pdf (e.g. osdi21_slides_smith.pdf)

Video Specifications

  • Length: 12–15 minutes
  • File format: H.264 MP4
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Max file size: 500MB
  • Clearly audible audio (headphones and headsets are permitted)
  • File name: osdi21_video_[yourlastname].mp4 (e.g. osdi21_video_smith.mp4)
  • Fullscreen slides with a speaker inset, as shown here:
    Please ensure that your speaker inset does not cover any pertinent information on your slides.
  • Need help preparing your video? See our document, "USENIX Virtual Conferencing Video Instructions for Presenters," for step-by-step instructions, additional tips, and best practices.
  • Need a background to hide your messy office? Download one of USENIX's video conference backgrounds.