DMLR Special Conference Track

The DMLR Special Conference Track is an innovative new track that provides a high-quality publication venue for exceptional data-centric papers that were highly ranked but ultimately not accepted at major, highly competitive machine learning conferences.

We understand that the review process at large conferences is not always perfect, and there are still relatively few high-quality conference venues focused on the data aspects of machine learning research. This track is established to avoid unnecessary duplication of the peer-review process for mature, high-impact work that has already undergone rigorous evaluation and was deemed to be of excellent quality.

Scope and Eligibility

This track is open to submissions that meet the following stringent criteria:

  1. The paper was recently submitted to, reviewed by, and ultimately rejected by a major, top-tier machine learning conference. At the moment, we are only accepting paper previously reviewed in the NeurIPS Datasets and Benchmarks track, but we may extend this list in the future. Submission should be no later than 6 months after the author notification date.
  2. The paper received highly positive reviews demonstrating its strong scientific merit and high quality. We are aiming for papers with very positive reviews and especially positive meta-reviews. The paper should not require any major revisions.
  3. The authors must commit to providing access to the complete, original set of reviews and meta-reviews from the conference submission process. The authors are strongly encouraged to make their reviews publicly available on platforms like OpenReview, if possible. If this is not possible, a good motivation must be provided, and the reviews must be provided in full.

Submission Requirements

All manuscripts must be submitted via the DMLR submission system at OpenReview (note that this is different from the normal submission link), under the track "DMLR Special Track".

Authors must prepare their submissions according to the following rules:

  1. Format Compliance: The manuscript must be fully refactored and formatted according to the DMLR journal stylesheets prior to submission. Submissions in the original conference format will be rejected without review.
  2. Cover Letter: A detailed cover letter is mandatory. This letter must explicitly state:
    • The name of the conference and track to which the paper was originally submitted.
    • A brief summary of the paper's original reviews and meta-review.
    • An itemized list with clear explanation of the revisions made to the manuscript to address all the reviewers' major and minor concerns. Authors are encouraged to incorporate supplemental material into the main body of the paper where it improves clarity and completeness. Changes not requested by the reviewers should also be clearly documented.
  3. Original Review: The original reviews must be included in the submission, preferably by providing a link to the public reviews (e.g., on OpenReview) in the cover letter. If this is not possible, include an accurate, complete, and verifiable copy of the original reviews.

Review Process

Submissions to this track will undergo an expedited review process:

  • Initial Triage: The DMLR editorial board will first perform a rapid check of the submitted manuscript, original reviews, and the cover letter to confirm eligibility and exceptional quality.
  • Expedited Review: If the paper's quality and the authors' revisions are deemed satisfactory based on the original reviews, the paper will proceed to an expedited decision.
  • Further Review: The DMLR editorial board reserves the right to initiate a full, standard DMLR review by new reviewers if the initial assessment indicates that substantial concerns remain unaddressed or if the paper's scope has significantly changed. Papers that do not meet the quality threshold, despite strong initial reviews, will be rejected but may be invited to resubmit as a standard DMLR submission after the work has been improved further.


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