By name: venue-alignment description: Use at every gate checkpoint and periodically during experiments to verify that project progress matches the target venue's requirements in terms of experiment scale, novelty depth, and evidence quality
Venue Alignment (Meta-Control Layer)
Overview
A project that meets Tier C standards but targets a Tier A venue will be rejected. A project that exceeds Tier A standards but targets a Tier C venue wastes effort. This skill keeps project ambition and execution aligned with the target venue at every stage.
Check venue alignment at every gate and periodically during Phase 4 execution.
Gate-Specific Checks
G1 — Direction Validated
"Is the identified gap significant enough for [venue]?"
- Compare the claimed gap against recent publications at the target venue
- A gap that is incremental for Tier A may be sufficient for Tier B
- If gap is insufficient → warn user, suggest venue adjustment
G2 — Plan Frozen
"Does the method/analysis design have enough depth for [venue]?"
- Count innovation points, analysis dimensions, planned contributions
- Compare depth against accepted papers at the target venue
- If design is shallow for the target tier → warn user before freezing
G3 — Experiments Complete
"Is the planned experiment scale sufficient for [venue]?"
- Check baseline count, dataset count, ablation coverage, statistical rigor
- Compare against the venue tier requirements table below
- If scale falls short → warn user, suggest scaling up or adjusting venue
G4 — Paper Ready
"Does the evidence package (figures, tables, statistics) meet [venue] standards?"
- Count figures, tables, statistical tests, ablation studies
- Check completeness against the venue tier requirements
- If evidence is thin → warn user before submission
Venue Tier Requirements Reference
| Requirement | Tier A | Tier B | Tier C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baselines | 5–8 strong, recent | 3–5 | 2–3 |
| Datasets | 3–5 | 2–3 | 1–2 |
| Ablation | Full component ablation | Key components | Optional |
| Statistics | CI + significance test | mean ± std | mean ± std |
| Novelty | Clear, significant advance | Solid contribution | Incremental or applied |
| Analysis depth | Multi-angle, comprehensive | Adequate coverage | Focused |
Misalignment Response
If current progress falls short of venue requirements at any gate:
- State the gap clearly: "Current experiment scale has 3 baselines; [venue] typically expects 5–8."
- Present two options:
- □ Scale up: add the missing baselines/datasets/analyses to meet the target
- □ Adjust venue: downgrade to a venue where current progress is sufficient
- Record the decision in
research-anchor.yamlundervenue_target
Never silently accept misalignment. The user must make an informed decision.
Red Flags — STOP
- Targeting Tier A with fewer than 5 baselines
- Targeting Tier A without significance tests
- Claiming "the contribution is strong enough" without evidence comparison
- Skipping venue checks at gate transitions
- Refusing to consider venue adjustment when evidence is thin
The Bottom Line
Match ambition to evidence. Match evidence to venue.
Misalignment in either direction wastes effort.