Guidelines for Processing Papers for IPAC14

Author’s files → IPAC14 File server
Author’s working files → On your computer
Meta data → SPMS at CERN
Trace of all events/comments → SPMS at CERN

Preparing electronic manuscripts for JACoW publication consists of two phases: paper processing and QA review. This document provides the following information:

  1. An Overview of how verify your computer’s software is properly configured, a description of the file organization, and where to logon to access the conference’s SPMS system;
  2. Paper Processing guidelines for processing contributions submitted to JACoW conferences (please refer to the list of common oversights that authors make when preparing their papers);
  3. Quality Assurance guidelines for ensuring that the papers are ready for publication; and
  4. Tips, tricks, and reference information that might come in handy.

Overview

You can use any computer that is available, but use the same computer throughout the conference. All of the software settings and preferences should already be set, but if you’d like to double check, read the appropriate section on software setup.

The first time that you start a paper processing session you'll find a folder on the Desktop named PO. If this folder does not exist, please create it with the same name. This is the only folder that is backed up, so please DO NOT RENAME OR MOVE IT. Use this folder for all the papers you are working on. There is also a folder named DONE inside PO (again, if missing, go and create it). When you are done processing a paper (successfully or not, it doesn't matter), create a subfolder under the DONE folder and name it according to its paper code. Move all of that paper's files into the new subfolder.

Example
When working on paper MOXAA01, all its files will stay in 

 C:\Users\a\Desktop\PO

(i.e., the PO folder on your desktop). When you're done, all the processed files of that paper will be moved to 

 C:\Users\a\Desktop\PO\DONE\MOXAA01

Login with your JACoW account at https://oraweb.cern.ch/pls/ipac2014/profile.html

Paper Processing

Once logged in, select the appropriate privileges (Editor or Editor and QA), and then you will see the editor interface.

  • Select the platform - in general papers prepared on a MAC should not be processed on a Windows PC and vice-versa. Linux, Unix, and Windows documents can be safely processed on a Windows PC.
  • Select the source type you prefer to process.
  • Click "Get Next Paper" or choose a specific paper from the drop-down list.

Basic Processing Procedure

  1. The SPMS will assign each paper for an editor to process. Once an editor has selected a paper for processing, the author cannot resubmit without some manual intervention by the editorial staff unless the paper has received a Red dot.
  2. Click on the Download link. Download this file to your PO and continue with the following steps.
  3. If there is a PDF file from the author, it will be named <paper_id>_AUTHOR.PDF. If, in addition, the autodistill function has been enabled, there will be a file named <paper_id>.PDF.AUTODISTILL.PDF or <paper_id>.PS.AUTODISTILL.PDF.
  • If the AUTODISTILL file is not useable, proceed to Step 4, as if there were no PDF file.
  • If the AUTODISTILL file is useable, make any necessary changes and then save it to PostScript by using the new JACoW utility "Save as PS" in the File menu. The saved file will automatically have the correct name <paper_id>.PS.
    Go to Step 6.
  1. If there is no PDF file, look for a PostScript file. If the author submitted a PostScript file, go to Step 6.
  2. If there is no PostScript file, download the source file(s) and make a PostScript file using the Generic PostScript Printer - DO NOT USE PDFMaker. nor Save As in Word

NOTE: If you have to open the source file to create the PDF, the paper must be assigned a yellow dot, even if no changes were made to the source. If there are subsequent problems that cannot be resolved, a Red dot should be assigned.

  1. Drag and drop the PostScript file onto the Distiller.
  2. If the distilling works, the PDF will automatically open in Acrobat. If the distilling does not work, go back to Step 5 and create a new PostScript file from the source.

Verifying the PDF file

  1. Check the fonts by opening File → Properties → Fonts. All fonts should be embedded and be "Type 1" or TrueType. If the fonts have not been embedded but are otherwise okay, then Save As → More Options → PostScript and repeat from Step 6 (this will force embedding of the fonts as long as they are installed on your system). If there is a problem, go back to the document and try to change the fonts or, if you are not a LaTeX expert and it is a LaTeX paper, pass the paper to an expert to fix the font problem. The PostScript file should be remade and processing repeated from Step 4. When a WORD document has been repaired, make the PDF from a new PostScript file.
  2. Check the number of pages: papers for both contributed oral and poster presentations may be up to 3 pages long and only invited oral presentations may be up to 5 pages.
    Please note that, regardless of the contribution type, one extra page is allowed if, and only if, it will contain only references.
  3. Check that all pages are readable and are displayed in a reasonable time (every page should display in less than about 5/N seconds, where N is the speed of the editor's computer in GHz).
  4. Change to full page view and enable the grid (View → Show Form Grid or shortcut Ctrl-U), if not already on.
  5. Resize the document by using the PitStop Action List called JACoW Media Box (open the Action List Control Panel , locate the JACoW Media Box Action List in the Local List and Run it).
  6. Check the page size at the bottom of the window: it should be 595 x 792 pt. Move the mouse pointer to the lower left corner of the screen to make the page size appear.
  7. The text should now be inside the margins on all pages (+/- ~1 mm). If part of the text or graphics is outside the box, the offending objects may be moved using the "Select Object" tool in the PitStop toolbar and then either hold down the CTRL key or click on the move tool , and then use the keyboard arrows to nudge objects into position.
  8. If the formatting is wrong, download the source file, edit the document, make a new PostScript file and go back to Step 6.
  9. Save the .PDF file using the Save As... command (CTRL-Shift-S).
  10. Check that the name of this final PDF is the <paper_id>.PDF.
  11. Check that the size of the PDF file is reasonable. For larger files, double check that it will display rapidly.
  12. If the PostScript file has to be made or remade, even if the problem is trivial (e.g., wrong paper size) assign a yellow dot, record your actions through the processing interface, check the boxes that describe the problem best, and forward the paperwork for filing. Always be clear in your comments about processing so that others can understand what the problems are. The author will be invited to download the .PDF, check it, and set the paper to green if he approves the editor's version or come to the proceedings office to proofread the paper and let the staff know whether or not the paper is acceptable.
  13. If the problem is very complicated and you cannot fix it yourself, check to see whether another editor can fix it. If this is the case, ask the alternative editor to reassign the paper to himself.
  14. If it is estimated that a paper will take more than an hour to fix, assign a red dot, clearly explain the problem through the processing interface, and ask the author to fix at his earliest convenience.

Post-Processing Procedure

  1. Print the processed paper from the final PDF, in colour and check it visually. Sometimes papers look good on screen and awful on paper. Both media should be OK.
    If the PDF is not printable, proceed with the electronic steps only and then assign a red dot in the SPMS.
  2. Write the PAPER_ID centred at the top of the first page on the paper copy.
  3. Write your name just below the PAPER_ID, then the current date and time (to discriminate among different printed versions).
  4. Stick a red, yellow, or green dot on the paper in the upper-right corner:
  • RED if there are problems too complicated or time-consuming for the editor to fix.
    • Indicates that the author must come to the proceedings office.
  • YELLOW if the source file was opened to fix a small problem.
    • Indicates that the author should proofread the paper in case things have inadvertently been changed.
  • GREEN if everything was okay.
    • Indicates no further action required--paper can proceed to QA.
  1. Upload all processed files (no need to upload unchanged source files). If you are replacing the author's source, PostScript, or PDF file, you must do so before setting the status; otherwise, the paper will be flagged as having received new files after its status was set.
  2. After upload - use the interface to set the status to red, yellow, or green in SPMS.
  3. Enter explicit comments if there were problems and check the boxes to indicate what type of problems were found. Click the Save button.
  4. If there were problems, be explicit in your comments so that the staff in author reception can explain the problem(s) to the author.
  5. Author comments can be seen by the author. Editor's notes can be seen only by the editorial staff.
  6. Place the paperwork in the appropriate place for filing.
  7. Click "Get Next Paper" to be assigned your next paper for processing.

Quality Assurance (QA)

  1. Take a paper that you did not process initially from the folder (SPMS should not allow you to QA your own paper)
  2. Download the PDF file from the server using the editor interface
  3. Select Final Paper QA, choose the paper number, and click Submit

Remember that the instructions for the acceptability of a paper at this conference are:

  • It meets the technical requirements (fonts, page size, performance etc.)
  • The general appearance of the paper is close to the template (it fits within the margins and the title is in uppercase; Fig./Figure, missing punctuation, typos, and other minor errors do not matter at this point)

Then perform the following checks:

  1. The title on the paper is the same as in the database (if not, correct it in SPMS).
  2. The number of pages is the same as in the database.
  3. All pages of the document display in <5 seconds.
  4. All pages of the document display without error.
  5. Check the margins once more.
  6. If you notice any changes in the author list, highlight them on the paper (as an indication for the people making the later checks).
  7. Look carefully at the text and check equations and figures for strange or bad fonts.

If everything is OK

  • Choose QA OK and submit.
  • Write "QA OK" and sign the paper and then return all paperwork to the folder with the page with the dot on top.

If anything is NOT OK

  • If the paper can be fixed in the PDF fix, fix the problem and make a comment in the database.
  • If you need to go back to the source, select QA failed, and then give the paper to to the original editor or reassign the paper to yourself, fix it, note what you did in the database, and upload the new PDF file.
  • If you cannot fix it, select QA Failed and assign a red dot. You then need to send an email to the author explaining what you require him to do (use the abstract search page to find the link to email facility). Describe the problem in the database, red dot the paper, and return it to the paper reception office.

last update June 14, 2014, at 12:45 PM Charlie Horak
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