Reminiscences on Influential Papers

Abstract

This column was established by Richard Snodgrass in 1998 and was continued by Ken Ross from 1999 to 2005. It celebrated one of the key aspects that makes us grow as a research community: the papers that influence us. At each issue, different members of the data management community wrote anecdotes about a paper that had a unique impact in their career. The anecdotes highlighted that impact can come in many forms. A paper's value is not only in its citation count, but also in the way it influences individuals who in turn influence other individuals that make up our community. Such impact is not countable. When the SIGMOD Record's editor-in-chief Rada Chirkova approached me to revive this column last year, I was immediately excited. I would like to thank Rada Chirkova, Richard Snodgrass, and Ken Ross for this opportunity. I am delighted to present the three invited contributions for this issue. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did. While I will keep inviting members of the data management community, and neighboring communities, to contribute to this column, I also welcome unsolicited contributions. Please contact me if you are interested.