CVPR workshop farming citations - how is this ethical?? [D]
Summary
A Reddit discussion highlights an alleged ethical breach concerning the PHAROS-AIF-MIH workshop at CVPR 2026, where participants in a challenge are reportedly required to cite 13 papers by the organizers. These papers are claimed to be unrelated to the challenge itself, and participants must also upload their submissions to arXiv to be eligible. Multiple users express concern, labeling this practice as "citation farming" and "very unethical." Some comments suggest this is a recurring issue with certain organizers, citing similar requirements for datasets in past workshops, such as the 10th Affective Behavior Analysis in the Wild. The community is urging participants to report this to workshop and general chairs of CVPR.
Key takeaway
For research scientists considering participation in academic challenges, you should meticulously review all submission requirements, especially citation mandates. If you encounter demands for citing numerous unrelated papers, as reported for the CVPR 2026 PHAROS-AIF-MIH workshop, consider reporting these practices to the workshop and general conference chairs to uphold ethical standards in academic publishing and competition.
Key insights
Mandatory citation of unrelated papers in academic challenges constitutes unethical citation farming.
Principles
- Citations should reflect intellectual contribution.
- Academic competitions must maintain ethical standards.
In practice
- Report unethical practices to conference chairs.
- Verify citation requirements before participation.
Topics
- Citation Farming
- Academic Ethics
- CVPR Workshops
- Research Misconduct
- Machine Learning Conferences
Best for: AI Scientist, Research Scientist, AI Researcher, AI Ethicist, AI Student
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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Machine Learning.