Participation

DFRWS invites contributions in the categories listed below. The submission details are listed below under SUBMISSION INFORMATION.

Full Research Papers

FULL RESEARCH PAPERS undergo double-blinded peer review, and the proceedings are published by Elsevier as a special issue of the Journal of Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation. We ask to submit articles according to the submission instructions.

Systematization of Knowledge (SoK)

As this marks the 25th occurrence of the conference, a substantial body of knowledge has been published through this platform over the years. Therefore, starting this year, we solicit Systematization of Knowledge (SoK) papers that systemize, contextualize and evaluate existing knowledge of digital forensics. These papers should provide unique insights, such as new taxonomies, comparative analyses, or evidence that challenges established beliefs, going beyond traditional survey papers. A survey paper without such insights is not appropriate and may be rejected without full review. For more information about SoK papers, please check this website.

An SoK paper submission follows the same formatting requirements and page limits as those for a full research paper. In addition, an SoK paper submission needs to have the prefix “SoK: ” in the title, and select the checkbox in the submission form. Accepted SoK papers will be presented at the conference and included in the proceedings.

Presentations and Demos

PRESENTATIONS & DEMOS require a brief proposal (about 500 words, not a full research paper). These proposals undergo a light review process to select presentations of maximal interest to DFRWS attendees and to filter out sales pitches. Accepted proposals will be given a presentation slot (approx. 15 minutes) during the conference. Note that the presentation/demo will not be part of the published proceedings.

Posters

POSTERS allow for the presentation of current research efforts and the discussion of preliminary results with the Digital Forensics Community. Consequently, posters can include early results, a brief demonstration of a prototype, or can outline research ideas. Posters will be available on the website, and authors have the opportunity to present during breaks to receive feedback from the community. Note that posters will not be part of the published proceedings.

Workshops and Tutorials

WORKSHOPS & TUTORIALS can be 2 to 4 hours (please indicate) and ideally include hands-on participation by attendees, allowing for an in-depth, detailed exploration of tools and techniques of interest to DFRWS attendees. Workshops can cover state-of-the-art research projects, useful tips and techniques for standard tools, or almost anything that DFRWS attendees would consider beneficial. While commercial tools can be used, these workshops should NOT be thinly veiled commercial advertisements.

Note: DFRWS will provide one free conference registration for each workshop accepted.

Panel Proposals

PANEL PROPOSALS should be one to three pages long and clearly describe the topic, its relevance, and a list of potential panelists, including their biographies (short). Panels will be
evaluated based on the topic relevance and diversity of the panelists.

Submission Information

We ask you to submit all contributions via EasyChair and select the appropriate track during submission. Please make sure to follow the submission guidelines on the website. Organizers may reject work that does not follow the listed criteria.

Easychair submission: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=dfrwsusa2025

Please Note:
• Accepted papers, presentations, demos and poster submissions will require at least one author to register to attend and present in-person.
• Full Research Papers require a Full Registration.

Venue

The DFRWS USA organizing committee is currently planning the conference as a hybrid event, where attendees can attend virtually (via Zoom) or physically in DePaul University, Chicago. Note that this may change according to government regulations. Regardless of how you participate, the program will include Keynotes, Papers and Presentations, Hands-on Workshops, Poster and Demo Sessions, the Forensics Rodeo, Interactive Birds of a Feather Sessions, Lightning Talks, and, of course, Social Events.

Student Scholarship and Award Program

DFRWS continues its outreach to students studying digital forensics. DFRWS and its sponsors will award scholarships each year to students (first authors) who present their accepted research papers. One scholarship will be awarded to the Best Student Research Paper awardee. More scholarships may be awarded, depending on sponsorship funding each year. Exact award amounts will vary but usually cover at least registration expenses for a future conference. DFRWS will notify the recipient of the Best Student Research Paper award on or before the conference registration deadline. Other awards (e.g., industry-sponsored awards for research in specific topic areas) may be awarded after the registration deadline and are entirely contingent on scholarship sponsorship by industry each year. Refer to the website for further details regarding eligibility, funding, and selection (Student Scholarship & Award Program).

Contact Information

For questions related to participation (e.g., research papers, presentations, etc.), please send an email to: usa-papers (at) dfrws (dot) org

For general questions about DFRWS USA, please send an email to: usa (at) dfrws (dot) org

Deadlines

We kindly ask first to register and submit the title, abstract, and author information. The full paper is then due one week later. Note that there will be two rounds of reviews; the first round is early rejections after receiving initial reviews. The papers qualifying for the second round will receive additional reviews for the final decision.

Please take a look at the DEADLINES section below for specific dates.