WSDM

Overview

WSDM (Web Search and Data Mining) is a premier academic conference series established in 2008 that brings together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to discuss advances in web search, data mining, and related fields. The conference is known for its exceptionally high quality standards, maintaining one of the lowest acceptance rates in computer science conferences at approximately 15-18%, reflecting its commitment to publishing only rigorous, theoretically-grounded research. WSDM serves as a key venue for disseminating cutting-edge work in large-scale data analysis, machine learning applications, and information retrieval systems.

History

WSDM was created in 2008 following consultation with ACM leadership, who recognized the need for a specialized venue focused on web search and data mining research. The conference was founded by researchers including Yoelle Maarek and others who sought to establish a high-quality, selective conference rooted in principled, mathematically rigorous methods. Since its inception, WSDM has grown from a two-day event to a three-day conference with multiple parallel tracks, while maintaining its reputation for exceptional selectivity and academic rigor. The conference has expanded its scope and attendance over the years while preserving its commitment to theoretical foundations and large-scale methodologies.

Product Lines

Manufacturing

WSDM is an academic conference series organized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and does not manufacture physical products. The conference is hosted annually at various international locations and operates as a peer-reviewed publication and networking platform for the research community.

Notable Products

• WSDM Conference Proceedings - Peer-reviewed papers accepted through rigorous selection process, published in ACM Digital Library
• Annual Conference Event - Multi-day gathering featuring keynote presentations, paper presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities for researchers and industry practitioners
• Research Community Platform - Venue for disseminating advances in web search, data mining, machine learning, and information retrieval with emphasis on principled, theoretically-grounded methods

Reputation

WSDM is widely recognized as one of the most selective and prestigious conferences in computer science, particularly in data mining and information retrieval. The conference is respected for maintaining exceptionally high quality standards with acceptance rates around 15-18%, comparable to top-tier venues. Researchers view WSDM as a significant publication venue that prioritizes theoretical rigor and large-scale, principled methodologies. The conference has earned an A* ranking according to CORE 2018 conference rankings and is considered essential for establishing credibility in web search and data mining research.