Guide for Authors

Manuscript Templates

How to Use Templates

Special Material

ASABE has implemented a new procedure for publishing your papers and books to the web as well as to print. To facilitate this process, we are providing Word templates that you may use when preparing your manuscript. Using the template:

·  Is optional

· Can save you time, after a short learning curve

· Allows your paper to be available on the web with very good search capabilities

·  Will make papers from diverse authors look more uniform

· Will save processing time and costs.

Templates help you get started in a document with ready-made fonts, layout, and the usual sections (abstract, keywords, etc.) that are included in a paper. Standard material is already prepared for you. You can type directly into the template, cut and paste into it, and insert material. Simply delete template material that you do not want to use.

Templates also carry the appropriate Word styles for the various parts of your paper. For example, major headings use the Heading 1 style, second-level headings use Heading 2, etc.

How ASABE Uses Word Styles

The ASABE publishing process uses Word styles for more than the usual font and layout information. This process also generates tagging for the XML version of your paper, which will be available through the ASABE Online Technical Library. For example, material that is in the Keyword style is given an XML tag for content contained in Keywords. Because of that XML tag, people can search specifically in Keywords. Similarly, because of the XML tags associated with each style, a name in the References is distinct from an Author name, and searches can be limited to just one sort of name. Other benefits include portability to future formats and the ability to generate multiple kinds of output from a single content database.

You can choose to submit papers without using the ASABE template or styles, or you may use them a little, or you may use them fully. We will complete the processing of each paper as needed. Closely following the template will dramatically reduce processing time at headquarters. We appreciate your efforts at any level.

How to Use Templates

Obtaining an ASABE Manuscript Template

ASABE templates can be downloaded from the ASABE website or e-mailed as attachments. Specify whether your manuscript is for a:

Journal Article  (.doc, MS Word, file)

Annual Meeting Paper (.doc, MS Word, file)

Conference Proceedings Paper (.doc, MS Word, file)

Book (.doc, MS Word, file)

Open the template file from the downloaded file or e-mail attachment. Immediately save it by selecting File, Save As, Document Template (.dot), and then name it. You only need to do this the first time. After you have saved the template, it will pop up with other templates when you select File, New. You will always have a fresh, blank template available. You can modify your copy of the template (for example, enter your name and address) to suit your needs.

If you are using Netscape Navigator, you will not be able to view the .doc template files with your browser. Please right click on the file name and choose "Save link as...".

Opening a Template

Open Word. Select New from the pulldown File menu. Template options will show up. From the General tab (default), select the appropriate ASABE template. When you double-click the template, it will open a Word document based on that template.

The screen should open in normal view. If not, select View, Normal, from the pulldown Word menu. There should also be a vertical line with a list of style names (such as "Author") to the left. If this line is not showing, select the pulldown Tools menu, and then select Options, View, Style area width 1 inch.

You will enter the text of your paper to the right of the vertical line, in place of the sample text. The appropriate style name will be to the left of the vertical line, aligned with the start of each paragraph of related text ("Author" across the line from your name, for example). Note also that these style names appear in the pulldown menu for styles in the formatting toolbar, near the font name and size. (Sometimes toolbars are inactivated or shrunk so that this does not show on your screen. Find the toolbar by selecting View, Toolbars, Formatting. Expand the toolbar by clicking on the arrows at the far right of the toolbar.)

Styles and Their Order

Each template starts with a page of information about the authors. The boxes that you fill in will not be published but will be used for indexing and search purposes. After this first page, the material you enter into the template will appear in the publication. Note that the Annual Meeting Paper template includes the traditional cover sheet.

The styles showing on the left are in the order in which they should appear at the start of your paper (title, author, abstract, keywords). The styles listed after this initial section are included to demonstrate what you might use. These styles are not required and can be in any order.

In other words, the beginning of each paper should closely follow the template, from the Title down to the Introduction heading. After the Introduction heading, you may use these styles, in any order: Normal, Figure (always followed by Figure Caption), Table Contents (always with a Table Caption before it), Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and List Start (followed by List Bullet or List Number). The end of your paper may have Ref Title (followed by Ref Listing) and Appendix (followed by anything).

You may want to fill in the first part of the template and then begin the body of your paper below the Keywords by typing, pasting, and inserting material. Leave the remainder of the template in place for reference until you are done, and then delete any unused remaining instructions.

Other Formatting Details

Do not be concerned about formatting details such as margins, font selection, indenting, and spacing. The template controls these automatically to provide a uniform look for all papers. Start a new paragraph with a single press of the Enter key, without a tab. Turn off Word's AutoFormat features, as many of these are troublesome for our purposes. To do this, select AutoFormat from the pulldown Format menu.

Options for Applying Styles

There are several options for applying styles. You can click on the style on the left side of the page, and the instructional text on the right will be selected. All of the selected text will disappear when you start typing your text. Alternatively, you can select a style by clicking on it on the left side of the page or from the pulldown style menu. Start typing with the cursor positioned where you want to insert the type. Select any remaining unwanted material, and then press the delete key. Another alternative that is convenient if you have already typed, pasted, or inserted material is to select the portion of your material that requires a specific style and then click on the appropriate style from the pulldown style menu.

Using Previously Prepared Material

If some or all of your document has been created in an electronic format that can be incorporated into Word, then you can cut and paste it into the template or insert the file. The easiest way is to put all of the material you want to use into the template at the same time, below the Keywords. Then move the individual segments into the appropriate places. For example, cut and paste (or drag) the Abstract into the Abstract area. For the body of the paper select the area that requires a particular style, such as Figure Caption or Heading 2, and then choose the appropriate style from the pulldown menu. Continue to apply styles to your entire paper, and then delete unused template material remaining at the end.

Note that Word sometimes preserves some aspects of the original style when previously created text is pasted or inserted into a new document. If newly added material does not look right but has the correct style name, re-apply the style by selecting the material and again clicking on the style name in the pulldown menu.

Deleting Unneeded Text

If you wish to delete unwanted text (and the related style name), click to the left of the text and press the Delete key. You can delete more than one section at a time by dragging the cursor over the unwanted portions, selecting them, and then pressing the Delete key.

Did Your Figures Disappear?

Change from Normal view to Print Layout view to see all graphics and footnotes. To do this, select Print Layout in the pulldown View menu.

Saving and Sending Your Manuscript

To save your templated document, create a unique name and make sure it is saved as a document (.doc ending), which is the default that shows up after the file name.

Refer to the information about Journal Manuscript Submission (HTML file).

Send ASABE Annual Meeting papers to hq@asabe.org and to Sandy Rutter, ASABE, 2950 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI USA 49085-9659.

Send conference papers as specified in your conference information.

Special Material

For more information on creating and formatting figures, tables, and equations, refer to the Guide for Authors (HTML file).

Tables

Use the Table Caption style for the caption above the table, and number the tables throughout your paper. Use the Table Content style for all material within a table. Create the table using the pulldown table menu in Word, or use plain text and we will convert it into a table.

To create a table in Word, select the pulldown Table menu to insert a table with your specifications, and then fill in the boxes with your data. Add rows or columns by selecting Table, Insert. Delete rows or columns by selecting them and then selecting Table, Delete. Use Format, Borders, to add lines. To draw and erase lines, go to Table, Draw Table, and then select the pencil or eraser icon. To move table lines, put the pointer on the line until you get a line-plus-arrows symbol, then drag the line to where you want it.

Figures (Photos, Pictures, Diagrams, Graphs, etc.)

Format figures of all types to be "In Line with Text" (or uncheck the "Float over Text" box). The choices may vary a bit depending on your version of Word and the figure type, but first select the figure, and then select Format, Picture or Object, Layout or Position.

Use the Figure style for all figures. Use the Figure Caption style for the caption below each figure, and number the figures throughout your paper. Figures and their captions will be centered automatically.

Equations and Symbols

Use the Equation Editor in Word for all equations, but use Word alone whenever possible for in-line mathematical expressions. In addition to consistency of appearance, this ensures that minimal processing will be required, and thus reduces errors. Use the Normal style for all equations. Place the equation number to the right, outside the Equation Editor box, and number the equations throughout your paper.

We find that symbols and special characters sometimes change or are lost during electronic transmittal from one system to another, so we will check all symbols against the paper printout. Please limit yourself to the characters that are available in Times New Roman for the text. Use Symbol font for Greek letters and special symbols. Avoid using other fonts. If a character is not available in either Times New Roman or Symbol, then use another font, but alert us for special handling.

Lists

Start a list with the List Start style. This style applies to the paragraph that precedes the list. If your list does not have related text preceding it, then select the List Start style and press Enter, leaving the line blank. Apply the List Bullet or List Number style from the style menu to the text of the list.

Use List Number only for lists that reflect a sequence of steps.

Press Enter after each item in a list. After the last item, select the next style (usually Normal); otherwise Word will keep adding bullets or numbers. If this procedure does not create the kind of list you want, then create the list using Normal text and we will process it.

Remember.

Use the template for as much of your manuscript as you like. We can translate many kinds of electronic files to our Word-based system and enter your material into the template in-house. We appreciate your efforts, as any use of the template will reduce processing time.

If you have questions about using the templates to prepare your manuscript for submission, feel free to ask us for assistance.
Contact Peg McCann at 269-429-0300, ext. 319, or e-mail: mccann@asabe.org.

Additional information on writing and submitting manuscripts is available at: Guide for Authors.