Author Instructions

Quick Index

1. Author Instructions – Summary Paper
2. Call for Papers
3. Manuscript template in MS Word and PDF format.
4. Technical Paper Electronic Submission
5. Updated! Preparing Your Presentation
   1. Paper (oral) presentations
   2. Interactive Forum/Poster Presentations
6. Updated! (01/13/04) Explicit instructions for producing IEEE Xplore compatible PDFs in MS Word and PDF format.

RFIC-2004 Author Instructions – Summary Paper

The 2004 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits 2004 Symposium (RFIC-2004) will be held in Fort Worth, Texas on June 6-8, 2004. For the latest information, visit: www.rfic2004.org

Electronic Paper Submission/Communication: Technical papers must be submitted in an electronic form via the RFIC 2004 Technical Paper Summary Submission Site - Hard Copies are not accepted.

These instructions are intended to guide you through the Initial Paper Submission process, as well as the Final Paper submission process, for RFIC2004.

This year, for the first time, these instructions apply only to RFIC2004 authors. The 2004 International Microwave Symposium and the 2004 RFIC Symposium will be using totally different paper submission procedures and will have different submission deadlines for 2004. Additionally, the Technical Program Committees for the two symposia will not be meeting concurrently in January 2004 to perform paper evaluations and selections. Therefore, unlike past years, the symposia program committees will be unable to trade author submissions back and forth in order to ensure that all good papers are provided every opportunity to locate their proper venue.

Authors of IMS-related papers can consult the IMS web site located at www.ims2004.org for further information. If you are unsure as to whether your paper is best suited to the 2004 International Microwave Symposium or the 2004 RFIC Symposium, please review both web sites.

Prospective authors must electronically submit their initial summary paper in PDF (or postscript format) by January 5, 2004. Authors must use the IEEE double-column format indicated in the MS Word Template or pdf Template. Authors are required to convert their own papers from MS Word to PDF (or postscript). For the initial submission, the PDFs do not need to comply with certain specialized IEEE Xplore guidelines for electronic searchability. Also, there is no need to submit a copyright form to LRW Associates. Copyrights are not needed for the initial submission. Make sure that the paper summary, including figures, does not exceed 4 pages, and the filesize is less than 1 MB. Use Distiller and select “embed all fonts”.

Sometimes authors may encounter difficulties with photographic images and the 1 Meg size limit. This usually occurs when pictures are taken using a high-resolution digital camera, and the image is stuffed directly into the manuscript. Use compression on photos and figures to reduce the size, and work this out well in advance of the deadline, not the day of the submission deadline! Some helpful information is listed in the MS Word Template.

Authors of accepted papers will be required to submit a detailed paper, which includes clear photos of the IC’s described, for publication in the Symposium Digest.

Paper Selection Criteria: All submissions must be in English. Papers will be selected based on the following factors:

• Originality: The paper must be unique and significant.
• Quantitative content: The summary should give an explicit description of the work with complete supporting data and adequate references to the existing literature.
• Quality: Clarity of the writing and figures. What is the context of the contribution to previous work?
• Interest to RFIC membership: Why should this work be reported at this conference?

Clearances: Authors are cautioned to obtain all required company and government clearances prior to submitting a paper. A statement that such clearances have been obtained, signed by the submitting author, must accompany the final manuscript of each accepted paper.

Presentation Format:

• Full-Length Papers report significant contributions, advancements, or applications of microwave technology in a formal presentation format with limited audience interaction.
• Interactive Forum Papers provide an opportunity for authors to present theoretical or experimental results in greater detail, and in poster format, and/or to display hardware, perform demonstrations, and/or conduct discussions in an informal manner with interested colleagues.

Student Paper Contest: A student paper contest will be held as part of the Symposium. Student papers will be reviewed in the same manner as all other conference papers. To be considered for an award, the student must have been a full time student (9 hours/term graduate, 12 hours/term undergraduate) during the time the work was performed. The student must be the lead author of the paper and must present the paper at the Symposium. The student is required to provide the e-mail address of the advisor as a part of the paper submission process. A memorandum will be automatically sent to the advisor to certify that the work was done by the student. Papers accepted for the competition will be judged on content. First, second, and third prizes will be awarded.

Notification: Authors will be notified of the evaluation result by 18 February, 2004. Authors of accepted papers will receive copyright release forms and instructions for publication and presentation. Final Manuscripts must be received by 15 March, 2004 for publication in the RFIC Symposium Digest.

Technical Paper Electronic Submission

Author Registration and Paper Summary Steps:

Author registration form: title, author(s), and affiliation(s), and statement of exclusivity. This form also includes a 30-50 word abstract (describe the subject, its importance, and how the work contributes to the field). This required information must be submitted at the website: Technical Paper Summary Submission Site

Updated! Preparing Your Presentation

Paper Presentations at the Symposium

Authors who are selected for the short 10-minute, full 20-minute, and Focus Session talks at the symposium should do two things. First, read the witty and entertaining article by J. F. White on how to give a good presentation, even if you are an "old pro" at giving talks. This is located on the Author Information web page on the IMS web site. Second, use the presentation template to prepare your slides. Presenters are advised to bring a copy of their presentation on CD-ROM and another copy on 3.5" floppy disk. Presenters should also make a set of transparencies as a "backup". (For authors who would rather use an overhead projector, they will be available, although their use is discouraged.) Do not bring 35mm slides. Plan ahead, practice your presentation, and adhere strictly to the time constraints given in the presentation template !

Note that all RFIC presentations are 20-minute talks. They typically run 17 minutes with 3 minutes for questions. As part of the instructions for preparing good slides, save the power point template to your computer, and then open it. Choose View --> Notes Page to see additional information concerning each slide.

Guidelines for Interactive Forum Presentations

Some authors prefer to participate in an Interactive Forum rather than oral presentations at the Symposium. The Interactive Forum provides an opportunity for the presenter to engage in direct discussions with small groups of interested viewers. Be prepared to use your time in the Interactive Forum to explain your work and to answer specific questions. Software and/or hardware demonstrations are welcomed and encouraged. The Interactive Forum papers are organized by topics so that papers on similar topics will be grouped together. If you are assigned to participate in an Interactive Forum, here are some guidelines to guide you in your preparation:

Poster Space:

Plan on using an area that consists of two "push-pin bulletin boards" (poster boards), each 1.2 x 2.4 meters (4 x 8 ft). The poster boards and push-pins will be provided to attach your material onto the poster boards. Provide an Introduction or Outline and a Summary or Conclusion. Use bullet charts, figures, tables, equations, and photographs as applicable to highlight the important technical content of your paper. Simply posting the pages of the written version of your paper is a very poor practice for the Interactive Forum. The title of your poster should appear in block letters which are at least 10 cm (4 in) high. Try to make the majority of the lettering at least 5 cm high, and please be considerate to those viewers who are standing at a distance, by making the majority of the material easily legible from a distance of 2 meters. Graphs and charts should be at least 25 x 30 cm (8.5 x 11 in) or larger. The use of color graphics and headline-style phrases in bullet charts, will allow the audience to quickly see the theme of your topic and grasp your intended message. It is a good idea to sequentially number your posted material. This will indicate to the viewer a logical progression through your presentation.

If applicable, the use of demonstration hardware and/or software, and audio-visual presentations will make your presentation more interesting to a wider viewing audience. Arrive early for the Interactive Forum so that you have ample time to meet the Interactive Forum Chairpersons, find your assigned location, and arrange your materials on the poster boards provided. Your presentation material must be available for viewing and you must be available for discussion during the entire session. If you wish to step away from your poster board, please return as soon as possible. Your presentation area will be clustered with other presentations having a similar topic, so an interested viewer is likely to appear at any time. The material should be removed promptly at the conclusion of the session. It is very helpful to have paper copies of your written submission to the Symposium Digest available for visitors to take with them. Presenters often provide their business cards and !
solicit the cards of their visitors so they may correspond in the future.

Updated! (01/13/04) Explicit instructions for producing IEEE Xplore compatible PDFs

Instructions in MS Word Format

Instructions in PDF Format