Free Public Access to SIG-Sponsored Proceedings around the time of the Event (OpenSurround, OpenTOC)

Updated July 2019

The ACM Digital Library will provide free global access to ACM and SIG-sponsored proceedings for up to two weeks prior and subsequent to the event, provided that:

• All sponsoring entities approve, and

• Notice of the intended publication date is given in the Call for Papers

The official publication date will be the date the proceedings are made publicly accessible. 

Permanent Access

ACM SIGs may authorize the posting of Open Tables of Contents (OpenTOC) of their scheduled upcoming sponsored conference proceedings or ACM SIG Newsletters with Author-Ized links enabling free full-text downloads from the ACM Digital Library.

OpenTOCs may be kept permanently on the conference website or the SIG website. The SIG must decide which website(s) to use.

Effective July 2019, the ACM Publications Board approved a pilot that enables OpenTOCs to be created for ACM SIG Newsletters and made available via ACM SIG Sites. As a pilot there is no guarantee that such OpenTOCs for ACM SIG Newsletters will be persistent over the long term. Based on a variety of factors, at the discretion of the ACM SIG or ACM Publications Board, this pilot could ultimately be discontinued.

The sponsoring SIGs may choose OpenTOC for the upcoming volume (rolling off after 12 months), or a permanent OpenTOC that remains in perpetuity (effective as of 2014) on the chosen site(s) to build up a local series archive, or no OpenTOC at all.

For co-sponsored conferences, all co-sponsors must agree to the OpenTOC posting and each co-sponsor may choose its own website(s). For ACM conferences, there is no charge to the conference or related SIGs for this service.

*NOTES:

• ACM HQ must be informed of the website(s) where OpenTOC will be stored at minimum of three (3) weeks' prior to event by the designated contact person for each conference.

• ACM HQ will prepare and deliver the OpenTOC to the designated contact person for each conference.

• If the SIG authorizes posting the OpenTOC, the designated conference leader should carry out that decision for each given volume of proceedings.

• If a SIG authorizes a permanent OpenTOC for a given volume, rather than a rolling annual OpenTOC, it is advisable to place it on the site where it is most likely to be maintained.

• Full-text downloads from the ACM Digital Library via OpenTOCs, Author-Izer, OpenSurround, OA, SIG membership, and Free articles are all being tracked and will be regularly reported to the SGB separately from downloads via subscription.