Can I submit a paper computer science conference using an alias if using my real name can cause legal trouble in my original countryedi_ofLव्widommsvlngasvgs
I have done a research on a topic that is very sensitive in my original country, I want to submit a paper to top Computer Science conferences but I do not want to use my real name or university at all, Not when submitting nor publishing. Have you ever heard of such thing? How doable is it?
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2As a practical matter, even if the publishers of the conference proceeding were willing to keep your identity secret it would probably be relatively easy for officials from your country to determine your identity. It's likely that the publisher will want to avoid having any responsibility for keeping your identity private. – Brian Borchers 13 hours ago
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See also this case study from Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) publicationethics.org/case/… – Brian Borchers 13 hours ago
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1Can I submit a paper computer science conference using an alias? Yes, you definitely can as conferences do not ask for your ID. – seteropere 12 hours ago
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1@seteropere: Yes, but this does not mean this should be recommended. – user111955 8 hours ago
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1@BrianBorchers: It's not just the publishers; you have to make sure every participant to the conference is not just willing to but will keep your identity secret. – user21820 4 hours ago
2 Answers
This is a highly sensitive topic (see Brian Borchers' comment). My advice: Talk to people from your university what to do. Ask trusted collegues (which work on the same topic), university lawers etc.
This question is too complicated to be handeled by you on your own.
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1It is better addressed to the conference organizer rather than colleagues. – Anonymous Physicist 4 hours ago
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@AnonymousPhysicist: Can you explain why? In my opinion, the opinion of other people living in this oppresive country is more important. – user111955 1 hour ago
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Three reasons: The question implies that the asker does not live in that country currently, so people from their university will not know about their home country. Telling another person from that country might be dangerous. Colleagues will not know as much about the conference's practices as the conference organizer. – Anonymous Physicist 1 hour ago
You can write any name, and no one will check your ID. The reality is that you can submit a paper to any scientific journal under a fake name, and no one will ever check whether your name is real. Also, I do not remember having to show my ID to any conference organizers.
If you want to be able to later claim the authorship (e.g., after you migrate to a different country), you have to collect evidence and retain the email box you will use for submission of the paper. You can take a video of the process of submitting the paper by using a program like Free Screen Video Recorder.
Consider choosing a name that closely resembles your real name, but is different enough to ensure that the authorities of your country won't be able to track you down. You know, non-English names can be transliterated to English in different ways, and you can also shorten your first name. For example, if your real name is Aлександр Сидоров, which is normally transliterated as Alexander Sidorov, you can consider writing it as Al Seadorough. Later, when you feel safe to claim the authorship, you will be able to simply include the paper in your CV, and no one will raise any questions about the difference in spelling. Also, if you use just an altered version of your name instead of a totally fake name, you can hardly be accused of misconduct, especially given the circumstances.
If you want to ensure that the publisher won't be able to track down your university and city, you can use a proxy server to submit your paper. Otherwise the publisher may learn your real IP address.
You are not required to write an institutional address. You can just write any street address, thereby claiming to be unemployed by any university. I saw papers with such addresses. Just ensure that the address chosen by you won't cause any suspicions. For example, you can provide a valid street address of a certain apartment complex, but choose an apartment number that does not exist in that complex.
Submit your paper to a conference where you can and will pay the publication charge in cash, or to a journal that does not charge the authors. Otherwise you may be unable to find a way to pay without exposing your real name.
If your research is so sensitive that the authorities in your country will do their best and utmost to find the author, then take additional security measures. First, use a program like TrueCrypt to encrypt all data related to your research. Never store these data in an unencrypted form. Leave no evidence on your computers, because they may be searched if police come to you. Second, do not submit your paper using your home Internet connection. You can submit your paper from a public computer in an Internet cafe, additionally using a foreign proxy. Of course, this applies not only to submission of the paper, but also to registering and using the email box, returning proof corrections, and everything related to all this. You have to leave no trace leading to you.
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In the "so sensitive" case, why not use an anonymizing browser as well? Anyway, from a security viewpoint I think the weakest point is ultimately the conference itself. Once you present the paper at the conference, everyone there will know and can track the author. So perhaps there is no good solution. A journal not requiring presentation might be a better option. – user21820 4 hours ago
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"pay the publication charge in cash" Is that really possible? – Anonymous Physicist 1 hour ago