Attention Optics Express Authors
Optics Express has made significant changes to its production process by creating archival-quality XML along with the PDF output. XML is the industry standard for producing and archiving scientific journal articles and is used in producing all other OSA journals. Having full-text XML will allow Optics Express to be indexed more accurately and completely in MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other databases; it will also allow the journal to meet its archival obligations and to prepare for new services such as full-text semantic search and repurposing of content.
In order to prevent delays in production, we ask that authors carefully adhere to the following new guidelines:
- Word and LaTeX. OSA accepts Word and LaTeX submissions; however, we encourage authors to submit papers in MS Word. OSA will not publish the same Word file that authors submit for their final revisions, so it is imperative that authors carefully check the final version of their paper before paying the publication fee. OSA uses a Word plug-in called eXtyles to normalize, format, tag, and parse the file into full-text XML. eXtyles automatically reformats, checks, and updates the references against the CrossRef and PubMed databases. In addition to running other auto-redact editing rules, eXtyles checks all reference, figure, table and equation callouts in the text to ensure all items are cited. At this time full-text XML will be generated from LaTeX papers after publication.
- Author listing. All authors must be grouped together using superscripts to callout each affiliation. Hard returns (Enter key) must be used to separate each individual affiliation. Soft-returns (Shift + Enter key) should be use for line breaks within a single paragraph.
- Main text. Authors must identify equations and figures in the text by inserting Fig. or Eq. before the number. All references, figures, and tables must be called out in the text.
- Figures. Authors must use one image file per figure. Figures need to be inserted as objects that are fixed and move with the text, not as floating objects. Figures should never be placed in a table environment.
- Tables. Authors must use Word's Table editor to insert tables. Authors must not import tables from Excel. All content for each table should be in a single Word table (do not split content for a single table across multiple Word tables). Any content that is not a table should never be placed in a table environment (e.g., figures and equations).
- Equations. OSA does not accept equations built using the Word 2007 Equation Builder. All equations should be created in MathType (or the Microsoft Equation editor from Design Science). See Instructions for Users of Word 2007/DOCX for details. We strongly encourage authors to use MathType 6.5. Note that LaTeX users can type LaTeX code directly into MathType for rendering in Word. Equations should never be placed in a table environment.
Adherence to the above guidelines will significantly expedite the production of your paper.
