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Disk Preparation Instructions


These instructions are for authors whose papers have already been submitted and accepted for publication.

Form of Manuscripts

Text files should be in an IBM-compatible, editable format, using a word processing program (Tex, LaTex, and PDF are not editable formats--if you submit your paper in these formats your disks will be returned as unusable). The software and formats used for the text and graphics files should be identified on the diskettes or in the email message accompanying the files.

  • All tables and charts or other art should be submitted in separate files from the main text of the manuscript and the diskettes must indicate the program used to create them. DO NOT embed them in the main text of the manuscript. DO NOT copy them into Word or otherwise embed them in a text document.
  • DO NOT use the automatic footnoting feature in your word processor. Notes should be indicated by a superscript number in the text, and the note text should be placed as regular running text at the end of the manuscript or in a separate file.
Main Text

Other than indications of the level of headings, you should use as little for-matting as possible; the more you put it, the more we have to strip out. First-level headings should be indicated with boldface type; second-level with boldface and italic; and third-level with italic. Please use only one space after punctuation. If you wish to indicate a numbered or bulleted list, please enter the number or symbol, followed by a tab, rather than using the generated list feature in your word processor. If you refer to email addresses or web sites, please disable the linking feature.

Figures and Tables

Figures should be submitted as original drawings, complete, and ready for photoreproduction. If you submit your art as hard copy only, please do not submit them on glossy paper, as we cannot scan from glossy paper. Tables submitted as cleanly printed copy may also be reproduced photographically. All lettering and figure elements should be large enough to be readable when the figure has been reduced to fit the journal page. All figures and tables must be specifically referred to in the text. All figures and tables should have brief, descriptive captions.

Tables must be submitted in an editable form, not as a graphic. If you are using tabs to separate columns, then use one tab only for each column. DO NOT USE SPACES TO SEPARATE COLUMNS. If you are using a table editor, such as the one available in Word, then use only one numerical or text expression per cell. Do not use hard returns within a cell to separate lines of text. Do not use the columns feature to denote table columns. Tables may also be submitted in a spreadsheet, such as in Excel.

FIGURES MUST BE IN BLACK AND WHITE, NOT COLOR. Figures should be submitted in their original format, not pasted into a text document. That is: if the figure is a graph, created in Excel, then submit the graph along with its associated spreadsheet as an Excel file (*.xls). If the figure is a photograph, screenshot, or a scan, then submit the *.tif, *.eps, *.jpg, or *.gif (preferred for-mats, in declining order of preference) file itself.

If the figure is created in Illustrator or Freehand, save it either as *.ai or *.fh file or as *.tif or *.eps; if drawn in another program, then the file should be saved and sent to us in that program—CorelDraw, Pagemaker, etc. Art created in Word or WordPerfect is less desirable, since it does not produce good results when transferred to our composition software. Windows metafiles (WMF) are acceptable. We can also accept graphs etc. created in Powerpoint, as long as you submit the original *.ppt file.

In all cases the file extension must indicate the format or program used to create the file.

Equations

If you are using mathematical expressions or greek characters, please key-board them using normal text whenever possible. If you require characters or complex expressions that cannot be rendered using the normal type set, then you may input them using an equation generator, such as Equation Editor or Mathtype. Do not render mathematical equations as graphics. If you do, they will not typeset properly and we will not be able to edit them if there are any errors that need correcting.
If you have any questions regarding preparation of your files, please contact Debra Soled, the Production Manager for Journals and Electronic Publishing, at dsoled@mesharpe.com.