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SPMS Tutorial
Speaker: Christine Petit-Jean-Genaz (CERN)
This presentation discusses only the more important scientific programme management activities using SPMS. It provides an overview of the "when, why, how" relating to the main activities and how to do them in SPMS. See elsewhere on the wiki, and chronologically in the following documents and Course Notes:
1. Request for the Creation of an Instance
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/PermissionToUseSPMS
Important to note:
- The Central Repository is a shared resource with over 38,000 individual profiles - All Administrators inherit it, and have the obligation to ensure the data is "clean" - refrain from creating "dummy" profiles, and in particular dummy e-mail addresses for testing purposes
- The Mailing List may be used only ONCE for the General Announcement, and TWICE to contact Industry
- The Mailing Lists should not be copied or used for any other purpose than the announcement of one event
- The above is in line with JACoW's Privacy Policy
2. Parameters
Overall Database Administration / System Parameters
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/IntroductiontoParameters#Initialsettings
https://www.jacow.org/JTM2016/GettingaSPMSInstanceConferenceSettingsExplained
Instances are delivered with the default parameters that will be modified as the scientific programme management advances.
Important to check on delivery:
- Conference: Not everything need be complete, but location, dates, title, etc. should be correct
- User: Many of these parameters will evolve in time, in particular: accepting abstracts and file uploads, file upload threshold, etc.
- Email: The "from" address and the "Administrator" addresses are important
- SPMS Config.: Almost all default values will remain throughout
- PC: The default values will change as the SPC undertakes the selection of invited orals, re-classifications, selection of contributed orals
https://oraweb.cern.ch/pls/linac2020/profile.html
https://spms.kek.jp/pls/ipac16/profile.html
3. Setting Privileges
Overall Database Administration / Privileges, Roles and Users
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/Authorize
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/PrivilegesRolesUsers
There are 4 screens which are very important:
- Functional Roles: There are a number of "functional roles" entered by default. Users may remove, or add new ones.
- Privileges: There are a number of "privileges" entered by default. Users may remove, or add new ones.
- Webpages: This screen shows all of the screens restricted to a specific privilege/role. Any screens not shown in this list (behind the "add a url") are visible to all.
- Authorise: This very important screen offers the Administrator the possibility to enter the names of the people who have functional roles, and to assign the privileges as necessary.
https://spms.kek.jp/pls/ipac16/profile.html
Clicking on any Functional Role in the centre column of the Authorise screen will return an Excel Spreadsheet with details of these persons - may be used for mail merge, etc.
Hint: In connection with "Webpages", the possibility to "search" (search.%) for contributions over the whole SPMS should be restricted until such a time as all contributions have been accepted for presentation, and in particular when the SPC is working on proposals.
Note: Apart from the persons with functional roles as shown in the Authorise screen, it is possible to define "Experts" or "Referees" with "fine grained" privileges, essentially to accept or reject proposals for invited orals, modifications to classifications, etc.:
Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Main Classifications / Experts
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/MainClassificationExperts
4. E-mail Utilities (plural ...)
There are several places from which to send e-mail, depending on the target.
4.1. Editor / Proceedings Administration / Email
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/Email
- Email History: this screen shows all mails sent via SPMS. By clicking in the left hand column it is possible to retrieve all mails sent under that subject. At the bottom of the screen are shown all the recipients. An excellent archive and far easier to retrieve mails than through personal e-mail
- Email Utility: the screen from which mails relating to the scientific programme are drafted and sent. It is also possible to send mails to persons with "Abstract Attributes", i.e. persons/contributions flagged for a purpose: invitation to make an invited oral presentation, request for a student grant, etc.
- SPMS Roles: the screen from which mails are drafted and sent to persons with functional roles as they have been entered in the "Authorise" screen. It is also possible to send to sub-groups of persons designated as "Experts" in the screen: Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Main Classifications / Experts with "super privileges"
- Session Chairs: clicking on this link brings the user to the page:
{SPMS url} plus email.schairs
This is directly derived from the page Scientific Program Administration / Sessions.
4.2. Overall Database Administration / Email Utility / Repository
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/EmailUtilityRepository
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/AbstractAttributes
This is the screen via which the General Announcement of the conference and the mail to Industry are sent, as well as mails to individuals with "Abstract Attributes" (see below).
IMPORTANT: Be sure to select ONLY the conference in question ...
JACoW Privacy Policy
Upon requesting the creation of an SPMS instance, conferences pledge to make only ONE general conference announcement.
This is highly important. One of the JACoW services to the community is to check all new profiles, affiliations, etc. to ensure that the Repository is in good shape. JACoW's promise to the community is not to abuse the use of this e-mail utility, which may even jeopardise the Repository as a whole since this use of profile data may be in contradiction with national legislation worldwide.
It is therefore underlined that conferences may NOT extract profile data for the creation of parallel mailing lists.
4.3. Registration / Email
This e-mail interface is used by the Registration Manager to contact registrants.
5. Abstract Attributes
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/AbstractAttributes
Abstract Attributes provide a means to monitor people and/or contributions not otherwise taggable in SPMS, and to contact them by selecting the profile attribute or the contribution attribute.
- An example of attributes attached to contributions is: Invited Oral Invited, or Invited Oral Pending Reply or Invited Oral Accepted or Invited Oral Rejected (to monitor the status of invitations to speakers as the process is going on); another example is to identify the posters to be presented by students in the special student poster sessions at IPAC via an attribute Student Poster Presentation.
To tag a contribution, search for the contribution via the search utility, click on "edit" and click on the attribute listed at the bottom of the page.
- An example of attributes attached to individuals is: European student requesting a grant, or European student grant offered or European student grant rejected, etc.
To tag an individual, search for the person via Find Profiles, click on Additional Attributes and enter the attribute in the list.
All attributes appear to the far right in the Search Page. To search for contributions or individuals with attributes, simply click on the attribute and search.
As described in the previous section, it is possible to send e-mails to persons with attributes, or to the owners of contributions with attributes via the
Editor/Proceedings Administration/Email/Email Utility
Click on the attribute, and prepare the mail using the substitutes.
6. Invited Oral Presentations: Proposing, Selecting, etc.
https://www.jacow.org/Editors/ProposeInvitedOrals
Introduction
It is a great time saver if the SPC has decided a synoptic table of the overall oral programme schedule prior to any decisions on oral presentations. As the invited oral presentations are decided, they are slotted into the synoptic table such that the Administrator may assign programme codes (these indicate date, session, duration, etc.) prior to sending the invitations.
6.1. Setting up for Proposing
This is a simplified abstract submission allowing only "privileged" persons to submit and view all proposals.
- Ensure the "search.%" in the Webpages is restricted to the role/privilege Propose Invited Orals (and Administrator of course), so that during the planning phase only privileged users can search across the whole SPMS:
- Overall Database Administration / Privileges, Roles and Users / Webpages
- Check the Main Classifications page to ensure abstracts have an indication of the subject:
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / User / Main Classification
- Turn off the "sub-classification" requirement (no need to complicate at the invited oral proposal stage):
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / User / Sub-Classification Required
- Set the parameter to "No"
- Enter the Presentation Type (invited oral, etc.) in the screen
- Scientific Program Administration / Presentation Type (Contributions)
- Set the parameter in the "Editor only" column to "No" such that the only type visible will be invited oral
- Enter the names of the persons with the Functional Roles to propose invited orals in the Authorise screen::
- Overall Database Administration / Privileges Roles and Users / Authorise
- Customise the Authorise page to assign the privilege "Propose Invited Orals" to the Functional Roles:
- Overall Database Administration / Authorized Users & Roles / Authorise
- In the System Parameters set the Enable PC Members to Propose Invited Orals to "Yes"
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / PC
6.2. Guidelines for Proposers
- Logging in with the Propose Invited Oral privilege brings the user to a screen with a link to Propose an Invited Oral.
- Clicking on "Propose a New Invited Oral" brings the user to the Abstract Submission screen, with only "invited oral" as a presentation type, and with no sub-classification
- The proposer enters a title, selects the proposed type (Invited Oral), and writes a few words describing the talk. He then saves the proposal, and in the next screen enters possible speakers. If he does not propose alternative speakers, the proposer appears as the proposer, and speaker.
6.3. Preparing for Prioritising Proposals
When all proposals are in, the Administrator prepares the SPMS for the SPC to prioritise their proposals in advance of the meeting.
- Disable the privilege to Propose Invited Orals in the Authorise screen for those who do not participate in the selection process
- Enter priorities
- Programme Committee / Priority Codes, for example: 1st Priority, 2nd Priority
- Customise the Authorise screen to assign the privilege "Set Invited Oral Priority" to the appropriate functional role (normally a sub-group of the proposers)
6.4. Guidelines for SPC to Prioritize
- Upon login, SPC members enable the two privileges: Propose Invited Orals, and Set Invited Oral Priority
- SPC members may search over ALL proposals, or only over those classifications in which they are interested, as the committee decides
- The search result offers the possibility to enter a priority
- Refreshing the screen will show the priority and the name of the person(s) entering the priority
6.5. Accepting/Finalizing Prioritised Proposals
- The Administrator restricts the "accept invited oral proposals" privilege to only the persons with the the overall responsibility for each Main Classification, the SPC Chair and Administrator by entering these "Experts" in the screen:
- Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Main Classifications / Experts
- Assign this privilege for each Main Classification by each time searching for an Account, entering the name of the appropriate persons, and assigning "Coordinator" privileges. Persons with this privilege (though they won't see it as a privilege when logging in) will then see a new link to "Accept" proposals
- If SPC members wish to modify titles, abstracts, the Administrator sets to Yes the:
- System Parameter / PC / Enable Abstract Edit
6.6. Removing Unwanted Proposals
Once the SPC has reached its final decision and accepted all of the final proposals for invited oral presentation, the Administrator disables all privileges to Propose/Prioritize in the System Parameters / PC and withdraws the surplus proposals:
- a) withdraw all proposals not accepted, leaving only the final selection of invited orals in SPMS via the screen:
- Programme Committee / Withdraw all proposals with no accepted priority
or
- b) manually withdraw proposals with no priority, leave proposals with 2nd priority for reference and send invitations to only 1st priority accepted proposals via a mail merge (see below)
or
- c) (author's preferred)"tweak" the presentation types: leave "accepted" proposals as "invited oral", add a new presentation type "invited oral 2nd priority" - so that if a speaker refuses an invitation, the backup proposals may be "promoted", and withdraw individually all other proposals.
6.7. Creating Sessions to Schedule Orals
- Programme codes are normally Session Codes plus sequence numbers. They are used to identify contributions during file upload by authors, and file download by editors during the processing of contributions to the proceedings.
- Programme codes must be unique to each contribution in the conference programme. It is useful if they contain the keys to understanding when and where a presentation will take place, as well as the type of presentation (invited oral, contributed oral, poster, etc.).
Very useful information is published on jacow.org:
http://www.jacow.org/Editors/BuildingProgramCodes
There are two methods to create sessions:
- a) Building Session Codes
- b) Manual Creation of Sessions
6.7.a) Building Session Codes
The following are the building blocks needed to create sessions. Start with:
- Scientific Program Administration / Presentation Type (Sessions)
For IPAC, session codes generally contain an indication of the presentation type (invited oral, etc.) and an indication of when during the day the session is scheduled:
For example:
- Code: X (invited oral presentation before the morning coffee break)
- Code: Y (invited oral presentation after morning coffee break)
- Code: Z (invited oral presentation, during the afternoon session.
- Add an "A", "B", "C" etc. if there are several such sessions (perhaps with a different Main Classification or Chairman) during a time block, i.e. XA, XB, YA, YB, etc. This is often the case for the opening and closing sessions with mixtures of Main Classifications.
- Code: O (Contributed Oral Presentation)
- Add an "A", "B", "C" etc. if there are several contributed orals during the day, i.e. OA, OB, OC, etc.
- Code: PP (Award Session Prize Presentation)
- Code: I (invited oral presentations, Session for Industry)
- Enter all locations (auditoria, meeting rooms, poster session areas) in the screen:
- Scientific Program Administration / Location Codes
- Check that the following parameters are correctly set:
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / Conference / Conference Start Date
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / Conference / Auto Gen Program Code – set to “Yes”
- Create the Sessions via the screen:
- Scientific Program Administration / Sessions
- Click on "New Session"
- Enter the presentation type from the popup list, select the date, the start and end times of the session, a title for the session (in title case), describing its contents (for example, Invited Oral Presentations in the Field of Accelerator Technology), a location, and a sort order - the sort order is the order in the overall conference programme
- There is a possibility to enter a Session Chair when the Chairs are known
6.7.b) Manual Creation of Sessions
- Set to "No" the system parameter "Auto Gen Program Code"
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / Conference
- Enter a "dummy" location (will not be visible) in the screen:
- Scientific Program Administration / Location Codes
- Enter the presentation types in the screen:
- Scientific Program Administration / Presentation Type (Sessions)
- For each session in the programme, manually enter a session name in the screen "Sessions":
- Scientific Program Administration / Sessions
- Decide and enter session names (a set of letters representing a protocol)
- Enter the date, start and end times (of the SESSION), a title (that will appear in the printed programme/abstracts brochure, the "dummy" location, and the sort order (starting with 10 for the first session on the first day, and leaving a space of 5 or 10 between sessions through to the end of the conference - this is the order in which all contributions will appear in the programme produced using the JPSP scripts)
- Search across SPMS for all presentations with presentation type "invited oral"
- For each one, click on "session", select the session, and enter a sequence number, a duration, etc.
6.8. Assigning Programme Codes
The Programme Codes are the Session Codes plus sequence numbers. For oral presentations the sequence numbers are entered manually. For poster programme codes this may be done automatically.
- Search on SPMS for all invited orals
- For each one, click on "sessions"
- Build the programme code by:
- Selecting the appropriate session in the drop down list
- Enter a sequence number for the place within the session
- Enter the presentation type (invited oral)
- Select the primary/secondary key (invited orals will always be primary keys)
- Enter the start time of the talk
- Enter the duration of the talk (including discussion)
6.9. Preparing Invitations
There are numerous methods to send invitations, though it is wise to do it using SPMS so there is an archive, and the responses may be monitored via the Attributes screen.
The simplest way is to search for the invited orals, and for each one simply draft an invitation using the e-mail utility.
A more formal method is to use a report in SPMS
General / Reports / All Orals
and a mail merge to provide pdf files of each individual invitation, perhaps with conference headed notepaper. An e-mail may then be sent via to all speakers announcing that an invitation is in the mail, or an individual e-mail can be sent, outside of SPMS, attaching the pdf file of the individual invitation.
For the more formal method, the Administrator searches for all invited orals, and for each one:
- Makes him/herself the "owner" of the contribution: click on the "authors" link to assign full ownership (owner/primary/speaker)
- Checks the title is in title case, has no typing errors, etc.
- Checks the abstract text which can form a paragraph in the invitation (at the time of the invitation it should read something like: This presentation should explore, explain, etc.). As soon as the speaker accepts, the abstract can be adjusted by the Administrator to read: This presentation explores, explains, etc. The Administrator will at this time also hand over "ownership" to the speaker.
- Downloads the report (excel file showing the programme codes, first and last names of the speaker, the affiliation and mailing address fields, the type of presentation, the title, abstract, main and sub-classifications, date, time, duration of presentation:
- General / Data Extracts / All Orals
- Add any columns necessary to this spreadsheet, for example the name(s) of the SPC Chair, or the Coordinators
- Do a mail merge using all of the necessary fields
7. Abstract Submission
If the conference is using Main plus Sub-classifications, make sure they are all entered via the screens:
- Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Main Classifications
- Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Sub Classifications
If there are a large number of poster presentations, it is wise to enter the combinations of main plus sub-classification for the automatic assignment of posters via the screen:
- Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Combine Main and Sub Classifications
- In the System Parameters / Email
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / Email
- decide whether the parameters concerning copies of mails re abstract submission etc., are set to reflect needs
- Check that authors can only enter the presentation types desired via the screen:
Scientific Program Administration / Presentation Type (Contributions)
- In the Editor Only column, the presentation types that should be visible should be set to “No”
- Set to yes, the system parameter User/Accepting Abstracts in the screen:
- Overall Dataabase Administration / System Parameters / User
8. Abstract QA
Following abstract submission deadline the Administrator quality assures each abstract. Things to look for are:
- Title in title case
- Abstract text entered properly
- Footnotes properly formatted
- Funding Agency really Funding Agency and not request for financial support
- Obvious typing errors
In the Search screen, select the options
- Presentation type "poster", and
- Set to "yes" the option Requires Initial QA” to the right of the screen
Search across SPMS, and for each contribution
- Click on Edit
- Edit as necessary
- if changes are made, click on "Save changes and record QA"
- if no changes are made, click on "Record QA only"
When QA is finished, turn off abstract submission and freeze user updates:
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / User - set Accepting Abstracts to "No"
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / PC - freeze the user updates to classification and presentation type
9. SPC Actions
The SPC has two jobs:
- 9.1 Verify that all main and sub-classifications are correct - this is important in particular for
- scheduling the posters in the correct place in the poster sessions
- ensuring the different experts in the SPC are considering all contributions in specific classifications for oral presentation
- 9.2 Select contributed oral presentations
A sub-set of the SPC accepts/rejects the re-classification proposals, and the proposals for contributed oral presentations.
9.1.a) Verifying Classifications
The whole SPC participates in the job of verifying classifications:
- Set to "yes" the system parameter:
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / PC / Enable PC Re-classification
- In the screen:
- Overall Database Administration / Authorise - assign the privilege to Propose Classification Changes to the appropriate group of persons (SPC).
SPC members will login with the Propose Classification Changes privilege enabled. They will see a link to “Program Committee Access” and a screen to select those contributions that may need re-classification. They:
- Search by Main Classification or Main plus Sub-classification, or without selecting any Classifications
- Scroll down the list of presentations
- When re-classification is necessary, they click on "Propose New Classification" which brings up a new screen where the list of Main and Sub-classifications may be selected
- They propose the new Main or Main plus Sub-classification and "Save"
- Refreshing the screen will display the new proposal
- The proposal may be withdrawn by clicking on the "withdraw my proposal" link
9.1.b) A sub-set of the SPC accepts/rejects re-classification proposals
To enable the privilege to accept/reject proposals for re-classification, the Administrator
- Disables the SPC privilege to Propose New Classifications assigned to the whole SPC in the Authorize Screen, leaving the PC parameter Enable PC Reclassification enabled, and
- Enables the privilege to propose/approve the proposals to selected individuals via the Main Classifications/Experts screen:
Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Main Classifications / Experts
- In this screen it is possible to modulate the privileges: re-classifications and presentation ("promotion" of poster to contributed oral
- Attention: The privileges "Reclassify/Propose/Approve and "Presentation/Propose/Approve" are not visible upon login but they are enabled for the "Experts" upon login.
Experts with the responsibility to accept/reject proposals can
- Select contributions in the Classification of their responsibility, or
- Not select any Classification
The search result will distinguish those proposals for which the Expert has accept/reject privileges, and those for which he/she does not
Each time the Expert accepts or rejects a proposal, and refreshes the screen, the result is visible. The re-classifications "accepted" are promptly modified. The re-classification proposals "'rejected" remain in the original classification.
Once the re-classification exercise is over, the Administrator disables the re-classification propose/accept/reject privileges in the Experts screen.
9.2 Select Contributed Oral Presentations
9.2.a) Proposing "promotion" to contributed oral presentation
The procedure to propose a change of presentation type from poster to contributed oral is similar to the above re-classification exercise.
The whole SPC participates in the job of proposing a "promotion" from the submitted presentation type "poster" to "contributed oral".
- Set to "yes" the system parameter:
- Overall Database Administration / System Parameters / PC / Enable PC Presentation
- In the screen:
- Overall Database Administration / Authorise - assign the privilege to Propose Presentation Changes to the appropriate group of persons (SPC).
SPC members will login with the Propose Presentation Changes privilege enabled. They will see a link to “Program Committee Access” and a screen to select those contributions they wish to propose for contributed oral presentation. They:
- Search by Main Classification or Main plus Sub-classification, or without selecting any Classifications
- Scroll down the list of presentations
- When they spot contributions they feel deserve oral presentation, they click on "Propose New Presentation Type"
which offers the possibility to select "Contributed Oral", i.e. "upgrade" from "Poster"
- Refreshing the screen following a proposal for a new presentation type will appear on the screen
- The proposal may be withdrawn by clicking on the "withdraw" link
9.2.b) A sub-set of the SPC accepts/rejects proposals for a change of presentation type
To enable the privilege to accept/reject proposals for a change of presentation type, the Administrator
- Disables the SPC privilege to Propose Presentation Changes assigned to the whole SPC in the Authorize Screen, leaving the PC parameter Enable PC Propose Presentation Changes enabled, and
- Enables the privilege to propose/approve the proposals to selected individuals via the Main Classifications/Experts screen:
Scientific Program Administration / Classifications / Main Classifications / Experts
- In this screen it is possible to modulate the privileges: re-classifications and presentation ("promotion" of poster to contributed oral)
- Attention: The privileges "Reclassify/Propose/Approve and "Presentation/Propose/Approve" are not visible upon login but they are enabled for the "Experts" upon login.
Experts with the responsibility to accept/reject proposals can
- Select contributions in the Classification of their responsibility, or
- Not select any Classification
The search result will distinguish those proposals for which the Expert has accept/reject privileges, and those for which he/she does not.
Each time the Expert accepts or rejects a proposal, and refreshes the screen, the result is visible. The proposal is "accepted" and the presentation type is changed. The rejected proposals remain in the original presentation type.
Once the selection of contributed oral presentations exercise is over, the Administrator disables the propose/accept/reject privileges in the Experts screen.
9.3 Invitations to primary authors
- Invitations to the authors of the contributions accepted for a change in presentation type: promotion from poster to contributed oral are normally sent via the e-mail utility:
Editor/Proceedings Administration / Email / Email Utility
- Select "Contributed Oral" in the Contribution Presentation Type screen (to the right)
- Draft the invitation mail, using the substitutes shown in the lower half of the screen
- Create attributes: Contributed Oral Invited, Contributed Oral Pending, Contributed Oral Accepted, etc. to be able to monitor the responses.
10 Production of Programme Booklet/Abstracts Brochure
- Exports of SPMS are used to produce these publications thanks to Volker's JPSP scripts.
11 Setting Parameters / Privileges for the Conference
Detailed descriptions of activities, privileges, etc. are found in the document mentioned above: Pre- and Post-Conference Activities: http://www.jacow.org/uploads/Editors/SPMS_Pre_Post_Conf.pdf
The following brief descriptions should simply provide an overview of the activities going on simultaneously around the conference. They are heavily geared to IPAC, but all conference series should be ensuring the training of the future editors in their conference series. All "roles" are assigned the relevant privileges via the SPMS "Authorise" screen.
11.1 Coordination / Workflow
The Scientific Secretary/Editor-in-Chief is/are responsible for the overall running of the Proceedings office, ensuring that all of the parameters and privileges are set, and that the above groups of people interact seamlessly. An excellent overview of the workflow in proceedings offices was presented by David Button at the JACoW Team Meeting in 2015 (TUC2A01_TALK.PPTX). He since pulled off IPAC'19 in Melbourne, with the introduction of new tools which facilitate the work of editors. He has contributed to the presentation of Laurent Serani at this 2019 TM.
11.2 Functional Roles/Fields of Activity in and around the Proceedings Office
The fields of activity during the conference are: Coordination and Mentoring, IT, Editing, Quality Assurance, Mentoring of Newcomers to JACoW, Author Reception, Presentations Management, Processing of Transparencies, Poster Session Management.
11.2.1 Coordination and Mentoring
In the field leading up to the conference the SS/Editor-in-Chief will have invited the staff that will converge on the venue as they are needed. They will have ensured the coordination of the IT setup, that the editor computers/monitors etc. will be properly configured. They will be prepared to follow the workflow in and around the proceedings office throughout the whole conference.
The aim is generally to process as many papers as possible (aim at 80%) by the time the participants arrive at the venue, such that "core" editors/experts may spend time with novices mentoring in the various processing procedures.
11.2.2 IT
The IT staff arrive at the venue normally a day in advance of the "core" editors. The IT teams at large events such as IPAC may be up to half a dozen people, and usually include JACoW "experts" who have assisted in setting up the computers etc. at previous events. It is a non-trivial task to ensure the IT specifications are respected, that the computers are networked, have the proper software installed, and are correctly configured. The success of the whole publication effort of JACoW conferences rests significantly on the quality of the IT setup.
11.2.3 "Core" Editors
With a view to processing a maximum number of papers in advance of the arrival of participants, a team of "core", or "expert" editors normally arrives at the venue on the Wednesday prior to the start of the conference, beginning the editing the following morning. The SS/Editor-in-Chief ensures the privileges in SPMS (via the "Authorise' screen) are set such that editors logging into the SPMS instance will immediately be able to access the editing screen.
11.2.4 "Novice" Editors
Novice Editors who will be mentored by the JACoW experts normally arrive on the Saturday before the start of the conference. They join the team on the Sunday, late morning, and are seated close to their "mentors" who will show them the editing ropes throughout the week of the conference.
11.2.5 Editor/QA
While "novice" editors continue to work on editing, the "core" team will begin working on quality assurance of those papers already processed, usually from around the Monday/Tuesday. They will have QA privileges set in the "Authorise" screen of SPMS.
11.2.6 Presentations Management
The Presentations Managers are normally seated close to the editorial office. They check talks have been uploaded in advance of the sessions, and via their SPMS interface can chase up stragglers. They test the talks, welcome the speakers who may need assistance, and then transfer the talks to the auditoria. They have their own interface and privileges are again set in the "Authorise" screen of SPMS.
11.2.7 Processing of Transparencies
As soon as the first session is over, the editors assigned to processing transparencies begin this task. They need to ensure the speaker agrees to the processed version of their presentations which will be published on JACoW.org.
11.2.8 Poster Session Management
Presentation Managers should normally be available prior to poster sessions to provide assistance to presenters in finding their assigned panels. They ensure posters are posted, manned, and of good quality and enter this status either in SPMS, or via an app. developed by Stefano Deiuri. These three flags need to be set to green in SPMS for the scripts to allow publication of the papers.
11.2.9 Scripting/Progress with Editing
Volker Schaa's scripts are run throughout the paper processing activities to monitor the basic essentials of the processed papers (paper size, etc.).
When all papers are processed, the scripts produce the pre-press version of the proceedings that are open access to all, until such time as the final set of proceedings is ready for publication, including the foreword, list of participants, conference photos, organization, etc.
