Count the Reviewer's verdict when the project never selected a venue

argus/core/venue_review.py

@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ def selected_venue(state_root: Path | str) -> str:
     return str(state.get("target_venue") or state.get("venue") or "").strip()
 
 
+# Shown where a venue name would be when none was selected. A project can reach
+# its final review with nothing having set ``target_venue``; the Reviewer then
+# judges against the stated standard and the operator's bar, and its verdict
+# counts. The recorded ``venue`` stays empty rather than holding this label.
+UNSELECTED_VENUE = "the stated standard (no venue selected)"
+
+
+def _venue_phrase(venue: str) -> str:
+    return "the selected venue" if venue else "the stated standard"
+
+
 def selected_acceptance_minimum(state_root: Path | str) -> str:
     """Read the operator's bar, independently of the Reviewer's own rating."""
     from .pipeline_state import read_pipeline_state
@@ -62,14 +73,14 @@ def _venue_key(value: str) -> str:
 def normalize_venue_review(value: Any) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
     if not isinstance(value, Mapping):
         return None
-    venue = value.get("venue")
+    venue = value.get("venue", "")
     rationale = value.get("rationale")
     recommendation = re.sub(r"[\s-]+", "_", str(value.get("recommendation") or "").strip().lower())
     if recommendation == "best_paper_level":
         recommendation = "best_paper"
     issues = value.get("blocking_issues")
     if (
-        not isinstance(venue, str) or not venue.strip()
+        not isinstance(venue, str)
         or not isinstance(rationale, str) or not rationale.strip()
         or recommendation not in RECOMMENDATIONS
         or not isinstance(value.get("acceptance_clear"), bool)
@@ -92,18 +103,18 @@ def normalize_venue_review(value: Any) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
 
 def venue_review_issue(value: Any, *, venue: str, minimum: str = "weak_accept") -> str:
     assessment = normalize_venue_review(value)
-    if not venue:
-        return "no selected venue for the final paper review"
     if assessment is None:
         return "missing or invalid explicit venue recommendation"
-    if _venue_key(assessment["venue"]) != _venue_key(venue):
+    # With no selected venue there is nothing to bind the verdict to; with one,
+    # the verdict must be for that venue.
+    if venue and _venue_key(assessment["venue"]) != _venue_key(venue):
         return f"reviewed venue {assessment['venue']!r} differs from selected venue {venue!r}"
     if minimum not in ACCEPTED_RECOMMENDATIONS:
         return f"invalid operator venue acceptance minimum: {minimum!r}"
     if RECOMMENDATIONS.index(assessment["recommendation"]) < RECOMMENDATIONS.index(minimum):
         return f"venue recommendation is {assessment['recommendation']}; {minimum} or better is required"
     if assessment["acceptance_clear"] is not True:
-        return "Reviewer did not clearly support acceptance at the selected venue"
+        return f"Reviewer did not clearly support acceptance at {_venue_phrase(venue)}"
     if assessment["blocking_issues"]:
         return "reject-level issues remain: " + "; ".join(assessment["blocking_issues"])
     if assessment.get("revision_required") is True:
@@ -191,8 +202,11 @@ def enforce_venue_acceptance(
         decision.status = "blocked"
         decision.backend_unavailable = True
         decision.backend_stop_kind = "backend_unavailable"
-        decision.reason = "Final Reviewer omitted a valid assessment for the selected venue."
-        decision.next_action = "Retry the independent Reviewer on the same paper and submit a review action with its actual recommendation for the selected venue."
+        decision.reason = f"Final Reviewer omitted a valid assessment for {_venue_phrase(venue)}."
+        decision.next_action = (
+            "Retry the independent Reviewer on the same paper and submit a review action "
+            f"with its actual recommendation for {_venue_phrase(venue)}."
+        )
         return
     current = paper_review_snapshot(artifact_root)
     issue = venue_review_issue(assessment, venue=venue, minimum=minimum)
@@ -223,7 +237,8 @@ def enforce_venue_acceptance(
         decision.reason = assessment["rationale"]
     if not decision.next_action.strip():
         repairs = "; ".join(assessment["blocking_issues"]) or assessment["rationale"]
-        decision.next_action = "Revise the current paper against the selected venue's standard: " + repairs
+        standard = "the selected venue's standard" if venue else "the stated standard"
+        decision.next_action = f"Revise the current paper against {standard}: " + repairs
     if (
         minimum in ACCEPTED_RECOMMENDATIONS
         and assessment["recommendation"] in ACCEPTED_RECOMMENDATIONS
@@ -255,8 +270,14 @@ def venue_review_instruction(venue: str, *, minimum: str = "weak_accept") -> str
     minimum_label = minimum.replace("_", " ")
     return (
         "## Final paper acceptance — mandatory operator standard\n"
-        f"Act as an independent reviewer for the currently selected venue: {venue or '(not selected)'}. "
-        "Read its researched criteria and the actual current manuscript, rendered pages, "
+        + (
+            f"Act as an independent reviewer for the currently selected venue: {venue}. "
+            "Read its researched criteria and the actual current manuscript, rendered pages, "
+            if venue else
+            "No venue has been selected for this paper. Act as an independent reviewer for a "
+            "strong venue in its field, say which standard you applied, and read the actual "
+            "current manuscript, rendered pages, "
+        ) +
         "and claim-critical evidence. Judge novelty, significance, soundness, evidence, "
         "reproducibility, presentation, and fit at that venue. Finishing edits, compiling, "
         "an old certificate, or the Engineer's confidence is not an acceptance decision.\n"

argus/reviewer/_core.py

@@ -581,12 +581,14 @@ def _persist_research_review(
         or ""
     ).strip()
     if decision.venue_review is not None:
+        from ..core.venue_review import UNSELECTED_VENUE
+
         challenge = "\n".join(f"- {issue}" for issue in decision.venue_review["blocking_issues"])
     text = (
         "# Authoritative review\n\n"
         + (
             "## Selected-venue assessment\n"
-            f"Venue: {decision.venue_review['venue']}\n\n"
+            f"Venue: {decision.venue_review['venue'] or UNSELECTED_VENUE}\n\n"
             f"Recommendation: {decision.venue_review['recommendation']}\n\n"
             if decision.venue_review is not None else f"**Judgment:** {decision.status}\n\n"
         )

tests/test_venue_acceptance.py

@@ -319,3 +319,46 @@ def test_stage_certificate_keeps_venue_rating_and_expires_on_figure_changes(pape
     record = latest_stage_review(paper, "review")
     assert record["certified"] is False
     assert "changed" in record["stale_reason"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("recommendation", ["weak_accept", "weak_reject"])
+def test_reviewer_verdict_counts_when_no_venue_was_selected(paper, recommendation):
+    from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+    from argus.core.stage_certificate import latest_stage_review, record_stage_review
+
+    state_root = paper
+    state = read_pipeline_state(state_root)
+    state.pop("target_venue", None)
+    state.pop("venue", None)
+    write_pipeline_state(state_root, state)
+    runner = _Runner(assessment(recommendation))
+    review = Reviewer(runner).evaluate(
+        objective="Judge the current paper", round_index=1, session_id=None,
+        main_summary="Ready for review", main_error=None, scope="final_submission",
+        config=ReviewerConfig(model="gpt-5.6-sol", active_vertical="research", working_dir=str(paper), artifact_root=str(paper), vertical_state_root=str(state_root)),
+    )
+    assert "No venue has been selected for this paper" in runner.prompt
+    assert "(not selected)" not in runner.prompt
+    # A verdict against the stated standard is a verdict: never a Reviewer backend failure.
+    assert not review.backend_unavailable
+    assert "omitted a valid assessment" not in (review.reason or "")
+    # No venue name is invented for the record.
+    assert review.venue_review["venue"] == ""
+    assert review.venue_review["recommendation"] == recommendation
+    report = (paper / "paper/REVIEW.md").read_text()
+    assert f"Recommendation: {recommendation}" in report
+    accepted = recommendation == "weak_accept"
+    assert review.final_submission_certified is accepted
+    # The finalizers apply the same check: an accepting verdict lets the project finish.
+    issue = current_venue_acceptance_issue(review, state_root=state_root, artifact_root=paper)
+    assert (issue == "") is accepted
+    record_stage_review(
+        state_root=state_root, project_root=paper, stage="review", item=SimpleNamespace(id="final-review"),
+        manager_action="complete", venue_review=review.venue_review,
+        venue_review_snapshot=review.venue_review_snapshot,
+    )
+    assert latest_stage_review(state_root, "review")["certified"] is accepted
+    if not accepted:
+        assert "selected venue" not in issue
+        assert "selected venue" not in review.next_action