ACM Crossroads Frequently Asked Questions

A1: "ACM Crossroads: The ACM Student Magazine" is a student produced publication for student members of the Association for Computing Machinery, the First Society in Computing. Of course, ACM Crossroads articles are also of interest to a much broader audience.

Q2: What kind of magazine is ACM Crossroads?

A2: ACM Crossroads is primarily an educational magazine. We strive to bring our readers articles that will pique their interest in a wide variety of computer related areas. Columns representing the diverse opinions of our readership; reviews of books, software, and conferences; and articles designed to assist students in making educational and career decisions appear in most issues. As with most specialty magazines, ACM Crossroads features a theme for each issue. We publish several articles that deal with topics related to the issue theme. The theme is selected by the editorial staff members based on input from readers.

Q3: How frequently is ACM Crossroads published?

A3: ACM Crossroads is currently published quarterly.

Q4: How is ACM Crossroads distributed?

A4: ACM Crossroads is distributed electronically on the Internet in HTML format. ACM Crossroads can be obtained from: http://www.acm.org/crossroads/. We also distribute printed copies of ACM Crossroads to ACM student members. However, we have no plans to eliminate the electronic version.

Q6 : Where can I get more information about ACM Crossroads?

A6: If you have specific questions, send mail to one of the ACM Crossroads editors or to crossroads@acm.org. If you would like to be informed of opportunities to become involved in ACM Crossroads production, the publication of new issues, and other ACM Crossroads information, join the ACM Crossroads mailing list by filling out our online form.

Q7: How can I contribute to ACM Crossroads?

A7: Join the ACM Crossroads mailing list. Then send mail to the appropriate ACM Crossroads editor or to crossroads@acm.org. Tell us who you are, what your specialties are, and what kind of things you would like to write. If you have a specific article idea in mind, send us a summary of your idea, an estimate of how long the article will be, and an estimate of when you think you will be able to have it done.

Q8: What are the writing guidelines?

A8: Please refer to the ACM Crossroads Writer's Guide for this information.

Q9: How should submissions be formatted?

A9: For the rough draft, please send either HTML or ASCII text (HTML preferred). Final drafts must be submitted in HTML format. Please see our Writer's Guide for all the details.

Q10: How do I submit an article?

A10: See the instructions on our Submissions page

Q11: Are there any deadlines for submitting articles?

A11: Yes, there is a rough draft deadline for each issue. Check out our online schedule. Articles submitted after the rough draft deadline for a particular issue may be considered for a later issue. If you would like to submit your article for a particular issue but know you will miss the deadline for that issue, please contact the us at crossroads@acm.org well prior to the deadline.

Q12: Once submitted, how will an article be reviewed and edited?

A12: Each article will be reviewed by the entire editorial board and other volunteer reviewers. The editors will read all reviews and make recommendations about which articles to publish in the next issue, which articles to publish in a future issue, and which articles to reject. Some articles will be accepted provisionally, pending specified revisions. The Editor In Chief will make the final decision. All authors will be informed about the status of their articles. Most authors will receive reviews that offer suggestions for the authors to consider. Authors of accepted and provisionally accepted articles will generally have about two weeks to revise and format their articles. Authors should contact the editors if they do not wish to make the requested revisions. Articles accepted for publication will be edited for substance and style by the ACM Crossroads editors. All articles will also be copyedited to conform to The Chicago Manual of Style and the publication's own house style and format. Some articles may be shortened to fit in the available space.

Q13: Is there a Constitution or set of By-Laws that govern ACM Crossroads.

A13: The closest thing we have to a constitution is our official Staff Policy. This policy lists some of our operating procedures as well as the responsibilities of the various staff members.

Q17: Does ACM Crossroads have an advisor? Why or why not?

A17: Yes. We have an entire Advisory Board. Student-organized activities can die easily as key people leave for graduation, etc. An advisory board gives some continuity and stability between generations. To see who is currently on the Advisory Board, please see our Staff listing page and scroll to the bottom.

Q18: If I submit an article, who owns the copyright?

A18: Previous to Issues 7.1 authors retained the copyrights to their articles. Beginning with Issues 7.1 (drafts due in March, 2000), all authors of accepted articles will be required to transfer the copyright to the ACM. If the author is unable or unwilling to transfer the copyright to the ACM, then ACM Crossroads will not be able to publish that article in print or online. For details, please see our Copyright Policy.

Q19: Will ACM review ACM Crossroads issues before publication?

A19: Yes. ACM must be protective of those products that bear its name. Thus, someone will officially review every issue.