The Churns and Turns of HCI: Which CHI Papers Make the Most Impact in an Ever-growing Sea of HCI Publications

The ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) is the premier venue for research in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). 11,290 full papers have been published and collectively cited almost one million times. Highly cited papers undoubtedly represent influential work, affecting the creation of review standards and conference submission and acceptance practices within and beyond CHI. However, the factors contributing to high citation counts and what constitutes a highly cited CHI paper remain largely unclear. In this panel discussion, we will engage the CHI community in exploring the relationship between paper characteristics, citation numbers, and effective impact on HCI as a discipline, and on HCI as an influential endeavour in technology design and development. To ground this discussion, we present findings from a literature review of the 100 most cited CHI full papers, looking at past and present fields and subfields of influence. We will also share insights from HCI experts. Our goals are to shed light on the meaning of impactful work at CHI and in HCI more broadly, to reflect on key trends in HCI over the years, and to discuss themes that have driven pivotal shifts in HCI research. We will lead the conversation toward a deeper understanding of citation practices, the role of citations in focusing and driving HCI research, and the implications of citation when it comes to shaping what is considered impactful HCI.