Basic Information

For most journals, the guidelines issued for APS and OSA compuscripts are acceptable. The exceptions are as follows:

• For the Astronomical Journal: Do not use REVTEX. The AAS is developing a macro package for use at this journal's editorial office. AIP will announce a compuscript program for AJ articles based on the AAS macros when software development has been completed.

• If the journal requires the author-year format for reference citations in text, as in the Journal of Rheology, do not use cite in the text. Type the reference explicitly within the text, and type the references in alphabetical order within the reference section. For example, in text:

  ... is the relaxation spectrum of the Rouse chain model [Bloomfield and Zimm (1966)]...

• Macro advice: Type-1 macros (those created by the author exclusively to save keystrokes) are discouraged. Although some macros may be acceptable in ``reasonable'' numbers and when simply constructed, authors may find that their compuscript has been rejected from the author-prepared program if macros cause complications in processing.

• More macro advice: Any time author-created macros are included in the file, the compuscript will require special handling, therefore reducing the time saved in production. Use of macros by authors will necessarily affect the feasibility of reducing page charges and of accelerated production schedules for compuscripts. Also, we would recommend strongly that author proofs are carefully proofread to ensure that macros have been properly processed.

• More macro advice: If we cannot process a file due to problem macros, the manuscript will be prepared conventionally to avoid production delays.

• Even more macro advice: We will not process author macros that give instructions to the TEX program (those that change internal counters, for example) or that involve recursive math definitions. If in doubt, remove macros before providing the file.

• Aligning math: Do not attempt to break and align math. The Xyvision composition system will automatically break and align displayed equations as needed.