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Systems Paper Writing: Paragraph-Level Structural Blueprint

系统类论文撰写:段落级结构蓝图

Fine-grained structural guidance for writing 10–12 page systems papers targeting top systems venues: OSDI, SOSP, ASPLOS, NSDI, and EuroSys. This skill provides page allocation per section, paragraph-level blueprints, and writing patterns distilled from authoritative guides and best-paper analysis.
针对OSDI、SOSP、ASPLOS、NSDI和EuroSys等顶级系统类会议,为撰写10-12页系统类论文提供精细化结构指导。本技能提供各部分页面分配方案、段落级蓝图,以及从权威指南和优秀论文分析中提炼的写作模式。

When to Use This Skill

何时使用本技能

ScenarioUse This SkillUse ml-paper-writing Instead
Structuring a 12-page OSDI/SOSP paper
Page budget and paragraph planning
Systems-specific evaluation structure
General ML paper writing philosophy
Citation verification workflow
LaTeX templates and formatting
NeurIPS/ICML/ICLR paper structure
Boundary: ml-paper-writing provides general writing philosophy, multi-venue templates, and citation verification. This skill focuses exclusively on paragraph-level structural blueprints for systems conferences.

场景使用本技能改用ml-paper-writing技能
构建12页OSDI/SOSP论文结构
页面预算与段落规划
系统类论文专属评估结构
通用机器学习论文写作理念
引用验证流程
LaTeX模板与格式设置
NeurIPS/ICML/ICLR论文结构
边界说明:ml-paper-writing技能提供通用写作理念、多会议模板和引用验证功能。本技能仅专注于系统类会议论文的段落级结构蓝图

Authoritative Sources

权威参考来源

This blueprint synthesizes guidance from established systems researchers:
  1. Levin & Redell — "How (and How Not) to Write a Good Systems Paper" (SOSP'83 PC Chairs, USENIX/ACM SIGOPS)
  2. Irene Zhang (MSR/UW) — "Hints on how to write an SOSP paper" (SOSP/OSDI PC)
  3. Gernot Heiser (UNSW, seL4) — Style Guide + Paper Writing Talk
  4. Timothy Roscoe (ETH Zürich) — "Writing reviews for systems conferences"
  5. Mike Dahlin (UT Austin/Google) — "Giving a Conference Talk"
  6. Yi Ding — "How to write good systems papers?"
  7. hzwer & DingXiaoH — WritingAIPaper (GitHub 1.3k+ stars)
Full citations and URLs: see references/section-blueprints.md.

本蓝图整合了资深系统领域研究者的指导内容:
  1. Levin & Redell — 《如何撰写(及避免错误撰写)优秀系统类论文》(SOSP'83程序委员会主席,USENIX/ACM SIGOPS)
  2. Irene Zhang(微软研究院/华盛顿大学) — 《撰写SOSP论文的提示》(SOSP/OSDI程序委员会成员)
  3. Gernot Heiser(新南威尔士大学,seL4项目) — 风格指南+论文写作讲座
  4. Timothy Roscoe(苏黎世联邦理工学院) — 《为系统类会议撰写审稿意见》
  5. Mike Dahlin(得克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校/谷歌) — 《做会议演讲》
  6. Yi Ding — 《如何撰写优秀的系统类论文?》
  7. hzwer & DingXiaoH — WritingAIPaper(GitHub获1.3k+星标)
完整引用及链接:详见references/section-blueprints.md

12-Page Systems Paper Blueprint

12页系统类论文蓝图

Overview: Page Allocation

概述:页面分配

SectionPagesPurpose
Abstract~0.25150–250 words, 5-sentence structure
S1 Introduction1.5–2Problem → Gap → Insight → Contributions
S2 Background & Motivation1–1.5Terms + Production observations
S3 Design3–4Architecture + Module details + Alternatives
S4 Implementation0.5–1Prototype details, LOC, key engineering
S5 Evaluation3–4Setup + End-to-end + Microbenchmarks + Scalability
S6 Related Work1Grouped by methodology, explicit comparison
S7 Conclusion0.53-sentence summary
Total~12Submission: 12 pages strict (USENIX) / 11 pages (ACM ASPLOS). Camera-ready: up to 14 pages (USENIX) / 13 pages (ACM). Ranges above span submission through camera-ready. Target 12 pages for initial submission. References unlimited.
章节页数目标
摘要~0.25150-250词,5句结构
S1 引言1.5–2问题→研究缺口→核心洞见→贡献
S2 背景与动机1–1.5术语定义+生产环境观察
S3 设计3–4架构+模块细节+备选方案
S4 实现0.5–1原型细节、代码行数、关键工程实现
S5 评估3–4实验设置+端到端测试+微基准测试+可扩展性
S6 相关工作1按方法论分组,明确对比
S7 结论0.53句总结结构
总计~12投稿阶段:USENIX会议严格12页 / ACM ASPLOS为11页。终稿阶段:USENIX会议最多14页 / ACM会议最多13页。上述页数范围覆盖投稿至终稿阶段,初始投稿目标为12页。参考文献页数不限。

Abstract (150–250 words, 5 sentences)

摘要(150-250词,5句结构)

text
Sentence 1: Problem context and importance
Sentence 2: Gap in existing approaches
Sentence 3: Key insight or thesis ("X is better for Y in environment Z")
Sentence 4: Summary of approach and key results
Sentence 5: Broader impact or availability
Source: Levin & Redell — "Can you state the new idea concisely? Use them in the abstract." Irene Zhang — "The abstract is harder to write because you cannot use terms or concepts you introduced in the paper."
text
Sentence 1: Problem context and importance
Sentence 2: Gap in existing approaches
Sentence 3: Key insight or thesis ("X is better for Y in environment Z")
Sentence 4: Summary of approach and key results
Sentence 5: Broader impact or availability
参考来源:Levin & Redell — "你能否简洁表述新观点?将其用于摘要中。" Irene Zhang — "摘要撰写难度更高,因为你不能使用论文后续才介绍的术语或概念。"

S1 Introduction (1.5–2 pages)

S1 引言(1.5–2页)

Paragraph structure:
  1. Problem statement (~0.5 page) — Establish the domain and why it matters. Use concrete numbers (cluster sizes, workload statistics, latency requirements).
  2. Gap analysis (~0.5 page) — Enumerate specific gaps G1–Gn in existing systems. Each gap is one sentence with evidence.
  3. Key insight (1 paragraph) — The thesis statement: "X is better for applications Y running in environment Z." (Irene Zhang formula)
  4. Contributions (~0.5 page) — Numbered list of 3–5 concrete contributions. Each contribution is testable and maps to a section.
Writing pattern: hzwer Move 1 (Establish territory) → Move 2 (Find niche) → Move 3 (Occupy niche).
Source: Irene Zhang — "clearly state your target environment (Z) and application (Y)" + "clearly state why previous systems do not meet the needs"; Levin & Redell — "What exactly is the problem being solved?"
段落结构:
  1. 问题陈述(~0.5页)—— 确立研究领域及其重要性,使用具体数据(集群规模、工作负载统计、延迟要求)。
  2. 缺口分析(~0.5页)—— 列举现有系统中存在的具体缺口G1–Gn,每个缺口为带证据的单句。
  3. 核心洞见(1段)—— 核心论点:“在Z环境下,X更适合Y类应用”。(Irene Zhang提出的公式)
  4. 贡献说明(~0.5页)—— 3-5项具体贡献的编号列表,每项贡献可验证且对应论文某一章节。
写作模式:hzwer提出的三步法(确立研究领域→找到研究空白→填补研究空白)。
参考来源:Irene Zhang — "明确说明你的目标环境(Z)和应用(Y)" + "明确说明为何现有系统无法满足需求"; Levin & Redell — "要解决的具体问题是什么?"

S2 Background & Motivation (1–1.5 pages)

S2 背景与动机(1–1.5页)

Paragraph structure:
  1. Technical background (~0.5 page) — Define terms and systems the reader needs. Follow Gernot Heiser's "define-before-use" principle.
  2. Production observations (~0.5–1 page) — Present Observation 1, 2, 3 from real data or measurements. Each observation leads to a design insight.
Source: Irene Zhang — "clearly motivate Y and Z. Why is application Y important?"; Gernot Heiser — "define-before-use."
段落结构:
  1. 技术背景(~0.5页)—— 定义读者需了解的术语和系统,遵循Gernot Heiser提出的“先定义后使用”原则。
  2. 生产环境观察(~0.5–1页)—— 展示来自真实数据或测量的观察结果Observation 1、2、3,每项观察引出一个设计洞见。
参考来源:Irene Zhang — "明确说明Y和Z的动机。Y类应用为何重要?"; Gernot Heiser — "先定义后使用。"

S3 Design (3–4 pages)

S3 设计(3–4页)

Paragraph structure:
  1. System architecture overview (~0.5 page) — Architecture diagram first (Yi Ding: "draw a picture first"). One-paragraph walkthrough of major components and data flow.
  2. Module-by-module design (~2–2.5 pages) — Each subsection: what the module does, the design choice made, alternatives considered, and why this choice wins.
  3. Design alternatives and trade-offs (~0.5–1 page) — For each major decision, explicitly discuss what was not chosen and why.
Source: Irene Zhang — "Every design choice made in X should be discussed with alternatives and the reasons for the choice"; Levin & Redell — "What were the alternatives considered at various points, and why were the choices made?"
段落结构:
  1. 系统架构概述(~0.5页)—— 先展示架构图(Yi Ding:"先画图"),用一段文字介绍主要组件和数据流。
  2. 模块级设计(~2–2.5页)—— 每个子章节说明:模块功能、做出的设计选择、考虑过的备选方案,以及选择该方案的原因。
  3. 设计备选方案与权衡(~0.5–1页)—— 针对每个重大决策,明确讨论未选择的方案及其原因。
参考来源:Irene Zhang — "X中的每一项设计选择都应结合备选方案及选择原因进行讨论"; Levin & Redell — "在各个阶段考虑过哪些备选方案,为何做出最终选择?"

S4 Implementation (0.5–1 page)

S4 实现(0.5–1页)

  1. Prototype description — Language, framework, LOC, integration with existing systems.
  2. Key engineering decisions — Non-obvious implementation choices worth documenting.
Source: Levin & Redell — "Does the paper describe something that has actually been implemented?"; Irene Zhang — "explain how you constructed a prototype to test your hypothesis."
  1. 原型描述—— 使用的语言、框架、代码行数、与现有系统的集成方式。
  2. 关键工程决策—— 记录非显而易见的实现选择。
参考来源:Levin & Redell — "论文是否描述了已实际实现的内容?"; Irene Zhang — "说明你如何构建原型来验证假设。"

S5 Evaluation (3–4 pages)

S5 评估(3–4页)

Paragraph structure:
  1. Experimental setup (~0.5 page) — Hardware, baselines, workloads, metrics. Enough detail to reproduce.
  2. End-to-end comparison (~1–1.5 pages) — X vs baselines for application Y on environment Z. Main performance results.
  3. Microbenchmarks / Ablation (~1–1.5 pages) — Isolate each design decision's contribution. Ablation experiments decompose the gains.
  4. Scalability (~0.5 page) — Show behavior as problem size, cluster size, or load increases.
Critical rule (Irene Zhang): State every experimental conclusion three times:
  • Section opening: hypothesis ("We expect X to outperform Y because...")
  • Section closing: conclusion ("Results show X outperforms Y by Z%")
  • Figure caption: evidence ("Figure N shows X achieves Z% better throughput than Y")
Two experiment types:
  • Type 1: X vs baselines for Y on Z (end-to-end comparison)
  • Type 2: Ablation — remove each design component to measure its individual impact
段落结构:
  1. 实验设置(~0.5页)—— 硬件、基准系统、工作负载、指标,提供足够细节以确保可复现。
  2. 端到端对比(~1–1.5页)—— 在Z环境下,针对Y类应用对比X与基准系统的性能,展示主要结果。
  3. 微基准测试/消融实验(~1–1.5页)—— 分离每项设计决策的贡献,通过消融实验分解性能提升的来源。
  4. 可扩展性(~0.5页)—— 展示问题规模、集群规模或负载增加时的系统表现。
关键规则(Irene Zhang):每个实验结论需表述三次:
  • 章节开头:假设("我们预计X优于Y,因为...")
  • 章节结尾:结论("结果显示X优于Y Z%")
  • 图表标题:证据("图N显示X的吞吐量比Y高Z%")
两种实验类型:
  • 类型1:在Z环境下针对Y类应用对比X与基准系统(端到端对比)
  • 类型2:消融实验——移除每个设计组件以测量其单独影响

S6 Related Work (1 page)

S6 相关工作(1页)

  • Group by methodology or approach, not by individual papers.
  • For each group: what they do, what limitation remains, how your work differs.
  • Use a comparison table when comparing 4+ systems on specific dimensions.
Source: Levin & Redell — "Are comparisons with previous work clear and explicit?"; Irene Zhang — use comparison tables.
  • 方法论或研究方法分组,而非按单篇论文分组。
  • 针对每组:说明他们的研究内容、存在的局限性、你的工作与之的差异。
  • 当对比4个以上系统的特定维度时,使用对比表格。
参考来源:Levin & Redell — "与已有工作的对比是否清晰明确?"; Irene Zhang — 使用对比表格。

S7 Conclusion (0.5 page)

S7 结论(0.5页)

Three sentences (Irene Zhang formula):
  1. The hypothesis / problem addressed
  2. The solution approach
  3. The key result

三句结构(Irene Zhang提出的公式):
  1. 所解决的假设/问题
  2. 解决方案思路
  3. 核心结果

Writing Patterns

写作模式

Four reusable patterns for structuring systems papers. See references/writing-patterns.md for detailed examples.
四种可复用的系统类论文结构模式。详见references/writing-patterns.md中的详细示例。

Pattern 1: Gap Analysis (Lucid, ASPLOS'23)

模式1:缺口分析(Lucid, ASPLOS'23)

Enumerate gaps G1–Gn in Introduction → map to answers A1–An in Design. Creates a clear contract with the reader.
在引言中列举缺口G1–Gn → 在设计章节中对应给出解决方案A1–An,与读者建立清晰的约定。

Pattern 2: Observation-Driven (GFS, arXiv 2025)

模式2:观察驱动(GFS, arXiv 2025)

Present production observations (O1–O3) in Motivation → derive design insights → build system around insights. Effective when you have real workload data.
在动机章节中展示生产环境观察结果(O1–O3) → 推导设计洞见 → 围绕洞见构建系统。当你拥有真实工作负载数据时,该模式非常有效。

Pattern 3: Contribution List (Blox, EuroSys'24; Sia, SOSP'23)

模式3:贡献列表(Blox, EuroSys'24; Sia, SOSP'23)

Numbered contributions in Introduction, each mapping to a section. Readers (and reviewers) can track claims through the paper.
在引言中列出编号的贡献项,每项对应论文的一个章节。读者(及审稿人)可追踪论文中的各项主张。

Pattern 4: Thesis Formula (Irene Zhang)

模式4:核心论点公式(Irene Zhang)

Structure the entire paper around: "X is better for applications Y running in environment Z." Introduction states it, Design explains how, Evaluation proves it.

围绕“在Z环境下,X更适合Y类应用”构建整篇论文。引言提出论点,设计章节解释实现方式,评估章节验证论点。

Conference Differences

会议差异

Warning: Venue rules change yearly. Always verify against the current year's CFP before submission.
VenueFormatSubmission LimitCamera-ReadyReferences
OSDIUSENIX12 pages14 pagesUnlimited
NSDIUSENIX12 pages14 pagesUnlimited
SOSPACM SIGOPS12 pages (tech content)Unlimited
ASPLOSACM SIGPLAN11 pages13 pagesUnlimited
EuroSysACM12 pagesUnlimited
Based on 2025/2026 CFPs. Verify current limits before submission.

注意:会议规则每年都会变化。投稿前务必查阅当年的征稿启事(CFP)
会议格式投稿页数限制终稿页数参考文献
OSDIUSENIX12页14页不限
NSDIUSENIX12页14页不限
SOSPACM SIGOPS12页(技术内容)不限
ASPLOSACM SIGPLAN11页13页不限
EuroSysACM12页不限
以上信息基于2025/2026年的征稿启事,投稿前请核实当前限制。

Writing Philosophy

写作理念

Manage Reader State (Gernot Heiser)

管理读者认知状态(Gernot Heiser)

Treat the reader's cognitive load like an OS managing process state. Never introduce a concept without context. Never reference something defined later without a forward pointer.
将读者的认知负担视为操作系统管理进程状态。绝不要在无上下文的情况下引入概念,绝不要引用后续才定义的内容而不添加前置指引。

Six-Dimensional Quality (Levin & Redell)

六维质量评估(Levin & Redell)

Self-check against: Original Ideas, Reality (is it built?), Lessons (what did you learn?), Choices (alternatives discussed?), Context (related work fair?), Presentation (clear writing?).
从以下维度自我检查:原创性真实性(是否已实现?)、经验教训(你学到了什么?)、决策选择(是否讨论了备选方案?)、研究背景(相关工作对比是否公平?)、表达呈现(写作是否清晰?)。

Page-One Figure (hzwer)

首页图表(hzwer)

Include a figure on the first page that captures the core idea. Reviewers form first impressions from the title, abstract, and page-one figure.

在第一页包含一张体现核心观点的图表。审稿人会从标题、摘要和首页图表形成第一印象。

Academic Integrity Requirements

学术诚信要求

Citation Discipline

引用规范

  • Never generate citations from memory. Use ml-paper-writing's citation verification workflow (Semantic Scholar / DBLP / CrossRef APIs).
  • Mark unverified references as
    [CITATION NEEDED]
    .
  • 绝不要凭记忆生成引用。使用ml-paper-writing技能的引用验证流程(Semantic Scholar / DBLP / CrossRef API)。
  • 未验证的引用标记为
    [CITATION NEEDED]

Prohibition of Fabrication

禁止编造

  • Do NOT fabricate production observations, traces, deployment experiences, or experimental results.
  • Do NOT generate fake venue rules, paper metadata, or best-paper claims.
  • Do NOT copy paragraph-level text from reference papers. This blueprint provides structural guidance, not copy-paste templates.
  • 不得编造生产环境观察结果、跟踪数据、部署经验或实验结果。
  • 不得编造会议规则、论文元数据或优秀论文相关主张。
  • 不得从参考论文中复制段落级文本。本蓝图提供结构指导,而非可直接复制粘贴的模板。

LLM Disclosure

LLM使用披露

  • Some venues require disclosure of substantial LLM use in writing or ideation. Check each venue's AI policy in the current CFP.
  • 部分会议要求披露在写作或构思过程中大量使用大语言模型(LLM)的情况。请查阅各会议当年征稿启事中的AI政策。

Attribution

署名归因

  • When structures are inspired by specific papers (e.g., Lucid's gap-analysis pattern), cite the inspiration.
  • Cross-repository references (e.g., ARIS paper-slides structure) are attributed, not copied.
  • 当结构灵感来自特定论文(如Lucid的缺口分析模式)时,需引用灵感来源。
  • 跨仓库引用(如ARIS论文-幻灯片结构)需注明归因,而非直接复制。

Temporal Validity

时效性

  • Venue rules (page limits, format, AI policies) change annually. All venue information in this skill is based on 2025/2026 CFPs. Always verify against the current year's CFP.

  • 会议规则(页数限制、格式、AI政策)每年都会变化。本技能中的所有会议信息基于2025/2026年的征稿启事。务必查阅当年的征稿启事进行核实

Workflow: Structuring a New Systems Paper

工作流程:构建新系统类论文结构

text
Step 1: Read this SKILL.md for page allocation overview
Step 2: Read references/section-blueprints.md for per-section paragraph templates
Step 3: Choose a writing pattern from references/writing-patterns.md
Step 4: Draft section by section following the blueprint
Step 5: Run the checklist from references/checklist.md before submission
Step 6: Use ml-paper-writing for citation verification and LaTeX formatting
text
Step 1: Read this SKILL.md for page allocation overview
Step 2: Read references/section-blueprints.md for per-section paragraph templates
Step 3: Choose a writing pattern from references/writing-patterns.md
Step 4: Draft section by section following the blueprint
Step 5: Run the checklist from references/checklist.md before submission
Step 6: Use ml-paper-writing for citation verification and LaTeX formatting

Quick Checklist

快速检查清单

  • Thesis statement follows "X is better for Y in Z" formula
  • Introduction has numbered contributions (3–5)
  • Each contribution maps to a paper section
  • Design discusses alternatives for every major choice
  • Every eval conclusion stated 3 times (hypothesis, result, caption)
  • Related work grouped by methodology, not individual papers
  • Page budget within venue limits
  • All citations verified programmatically (no hallucinated references)

  • 核心论点遵循“X更适合Z环境下的Y类应用”公式
  • 引言包含编号的贡献项(3-5项)
  • 每项贡献对应论文的一个章节
  • 设计章节针对每个重大决策讨论了备选方案
  • 每个评估结论表述了三次(假设、结果、图表标题)
  • 相关工作按方法论分组,而非按单篇论文分组
  • 页数符合会议限制
  • 所有引用均已通过程序验证(无虚构引用)

Common Issues and Solutions

常见问题及解决方案

IssueSolution
Paper feels like a "feature list"Restructure around thesis formula: X better for Y in Z
Evaluation lacks depthAdd ablation experiments isolating each design decision
Reviewers say "incremental"Strengthen gap analysis: make G1–Gn crisper with evidence
Design section too longMove implementation details to S4, keep S3 at design level
Motivation feels weakAdd production observations with concrete numbers
Related work reads like a bibliographyGroup by approach, add explicit differentiation

问题解决方案
论文看起来像“功能列表”围绕核心论点公式重构:X更适合Z环境下的Y类应用
评估内容缺乏深度添加消融实验,分离每项设计决策的贡献
审稿人认为“增量贡献”强化缺口分析:用证据让G1–Gn更清晰明确
设计章节过长将实现细节移至S4,S3仅保留设计层面内容
动机不足添加带具体数据的生产环境观察结果
相关工作读起来像参考文献列表按研究方法分组,添加明确的差异化说明

References

参考文献

Writing Guidance

写作指导

  • references/section-blueprints.md — Detailed per-section paragraph templates with authoritative source quotes and best-paper structural examples
  • references/writing-patterns.md — Four writing patterns with concrete paper examples
  • references/section-blueprints.md — 详细的章节级段落模板,包含权威来源引用和优秀论文结构示例
  • references/writing-patterns.md — 四种写作模式及具体论文示例

Venue-Specific

特定会议资料

  • references/checklist.md — 7-stage pre-submission checklist covering structure, writing quality, evaluation rigor, design quality, academic integrity, venue-specific requirements (OSDI/NSDI/ASPLOS/SOSP/EuroSys), and final pass
  • references/systems-conferences.md — Conference overview, deadlines, track descriptions, formatting requirements, submission rules, and format conversion guides
  • references/reviewer-guidelines.md — How systems conference reviewers evaluate papers, with venue-specific criteria and common concerns
  • references/checklist.md — 7阶段投稿前检查清单,涵盖结构、写作质量、评估严谨性、设计质量、学术诚信、特定会议要求(OSDI/NSDI/ASPLOS/SOSP/EuroSys)及最终审核
  • references/systems-conferences.md — 会议概述、截止日期、赛道描述、格式要求、投稿规则及格式转换指南
  • references/reviewer-guidelines.md — 系统类会议审稿人如何评估论文,包含特定会议标准及常见关注点

LaTeX Templates

LaTeX模板

  • templates/osdi2026/ — OSDI 2026 (USENIX format)
  • templates/nsdi2027/ — NSDI 2027 (USENIX format)
  • templates/asplos2027/ — ASPLOS 2027 (ACM SIGPLAN format)
  • templates/sosp2026/ — SOSP 2026 (ACM SIGPLAN format)
  • templates/osdi2026/ — OSDI 2026(USENIX格式)
  • templates/nsdi2027/ — NSDI 2027(USENIX格式)
  • templates/asplos2027/ — ASPLOS 2027(ACM SIGPLAN格式)
  • templates/sosp2026/ — SOSP 2026(ACM SIGPLAN格式)