LaTeX Style
Since most of the papers for the ACM Journals/Transactions are submitted in LaTeX, it is now the preferred format for production at ACM. Papers prepared in LaTeX will be processed in LaTeX from start to finish. Because of this, except for editing changes, you can expect very few formatting changes, possibly only those dictated by the final layout of the journal.
The following LaTeX style file is a generic style file designed for all ACM Journals and Transactions. To typeset your document using LaTeX (note, you must use LaTeX2e), you need the following files:
The class and style files to typeset your document:
acmtrans2m.cls The LaTeX 2e class file
acmtrans.bst The BibTeX style file
Instruction on the use of the class and style files
instructions.tex TheTeX source (using LaTeX 2e)
instructions.bib The corresponding BibTeX file
instructions.pdf How to prepare an ACM article in LaTeX
A template file to begin with:
template.tex A template file
TRANSITION steps from acmtrans2f.cls to acmtrans2m.cls file (in case you first typeset your manuscript using the acmtrans2f.cls file).
MISCELLANEOUS
To ensure a smooth production process, don't forget to include the Signed Copyright Form when you transmit your final manuscript to ACM. You may also FAX this form to the ACM Publications Department at +1-212-869-0481. For completeness, please make sure that your manuscript has the following components:
Your manuscript will be processed in LaTeX from start to finish. Once the manuscript is copyedited and those copyedits are entered in the file, page proofs of the intermediate stage will be sent to the authors. Any additional corrections can be accommodated at this stage. Once all copyright materials, pagination, and any additional corrections have been entered, the final LaTeX file will then be converted to PostScript for printing as well as to PDF for posting on the ACM Digital Library. Metadata for the Digital Library in XML format will also be created from this final LaTeX file.
COMPUTING CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
An important aspect of preparing your paper for publication by ACM Press is to provide the proper indexing and retrieval information from the ACM Computing Classification System (CCS). We need to have you prepare the categories and general terms for your paper because you are the expert on the contents of your paper. The CCS involves a four-level tree that has three coded levels and an uncoded level of subject descriptors (usually appearing at the fourth level). This tree comprises the categories and subject descriptors. It is important that there'll be ONLY one Primary level! If you are not yet familiar with this scheme, we suggest that you take a look at
http://www.acm.org/class/how_to_use.html.
This is beneficial to you because accurate categorization provides the reader with quick content reference, facilitating the search for related literature, as well as searches for your work in ACM's Digital Library and on other online resources. It also ensures correct placement when a review appears in Computing Reviews.
ACM IN-TEXT CITATION STYLE
The in-text citation style is as follows: For parenthetical citations we enclose the last name of the first author and year of publication, thus: [Burando 2007]; when there are two authors, both last names and the year of publication are included [Burando and Lee 2007]; when there are more than two authors, we cite the last name of the first author followed by an "et al." [Burando et al. 2007]; when a number of authors are cited parenthetically we list the last name and year, or two last names and year, or the last name of the first author followed by "et al." and year of publication. All parenthetical citations are enclosed in square brackets and separated by semi-colons, thus: [Burando 2007; Burando and Lee 2007; Burando et al. 2007]. When a citation is part of a sentence, the name of the author is NOT enclosed in brackets, but the year is: "So we see that Burando et al. [2007]..."
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT REFERENCE FORMAT
Much time is spent by the production staff in putting the references of a manuscript in order during the copyediting process. In some papers, up to 50% of the time could be spent doing just this. In addition, all these have to be entered into the file by our supplier. So, it is important that authors strictly adhere to the reference format that we use for ACM publications, because a manuscript in which references do not follow the standard format can cost us both time and monies.
Since by simply using the BibTeX with the acmtrans.bst you will arrive at proper formatting of the references, it is important that every attempt should be made to do this.
Below is the correct reference format for all ACM publications. Since all of these references eventually will become part of the Citations Library, it is important that every effort be made to adhere to this format. First of all, all entries are presented in alphabet-ical order. Secondly, all occurrences of names of authors and/or editors should be set in Caps and Small Caps.
For journal:
ABDELBAR, A.M., AND HEDETNIEMI, S.M. 1998. Approximating MAPs for belief networks in NP-hard and other theorems. Artificial Intelligence 102, 21-38.
For book:
GINSBERG, M. 1987. Readings in Nonmonotonic Reasoning. Morgan Kaufmann, Los Altos, CA.
For article in a book of collection:
GREINER, R. 1999. Explanation-based learning. In The Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science, R. WILSON AND F. KEIL, Eds. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 301-303.
For Conference Proceedings:
MAREK, W., AND TRUSZCZYNSKI, M. 1989. Relating autoepistemic and default logics. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Toronto, Canada, May 1989, H. BRACHMAN AND R. REITER, Eds. Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo, CA, 276-288.