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Interdigital Sensors and Transducers

Writing for Research Teams:

Tools and Techniques

Alexander V. Mamishev and David K. Farkas 2005

Version 4.1, December 13, 2005

Disclaimer: This is an intermediate draft of the manuscript. It has not yet gone through a thorough proofreading and copyediting stage, several sections have not been fully developed, and the exact presentation style is yet to be defined. Alexander Mamishev

Preface

This is an old preface, will have to change -- AVM

Technical and scientific writers often struggle with typesetting of their documents. Some of them come to realization that it would be nice to spend time on matters more profound than manual rearrangement of manuscript elements. Dozens of methods, tricks, and practices for streamlining of the writing process evolve in different research groups. In addition, publishers, journal editors, and conference organizers develop sets of rules most suitable for their field. When academic writers from different groups embark on a joint project, the need to figure out how to develop their joint manuscripts without wasting a lot of time.

For a given research group, standardization of typesetting practices is quite important and the requirements for an effective typesetting system are far from trivial. The same text and graphical information must be adapted for research reports, conference papers, theses, proposals, presentations, and internal memos. Often, manuscripts are written by several authors and are distributed electronically.

This manual was originally written for graduate students of the Sensors, Energy, and Automation Laboratory (SEAL) of the University of Washington, Seattle. The collection of rules in this manual was dubbed SEAL SET, which stands for Sensors, Energy, and Automation Laboratory System of Effective Typesetting. To accommodate diverse personalities, backgrounds, and learning styles, computer videos were developed to complement written instructions. In addition, a minimum subset version of SEAL SET was developed to meet the needs of busy collaborators who would not find time to learn the entire system. The manual you are reading is the current embodiment of the SEAL SET.

The SEAL SET is not a comprehensive guide to technical writing. It targets scientists and engineers who already have experience with computers and only need gentle guidance to make their collaborative writing more efficient. Therefore, the focus is placed on the typesetting issues that are either not obvious or have multiple sub-optimal approaches. Basic a priori knowledge of Microsoft Word is assumed.

Chapter 1 of the manuscript offers a discussion of typesetting philosophies, description of recommended software, and list of limitations of the proposed approach. It is an important chapter for making a decision of what is the best typesetting approach for a given research group, however, this chapter does not teach any skills and can be quickly scanned or even skipped by those who need just a quick overview, which is provided in Chapter 2.

There are two options in learning the SEAL SET: one for the experienced writers and the other for the beginners. Experienced writers already know how equations should look, and why a figure caption should be on the same page as the figure itself. These experienced writers can learn the basics of SEAL SET in a quick thirty-minute overview and will be ready to co-write manuscripts with their colleagues using a uniform set of typesetting conventions. Chapter 2 presents the shortest possible introduction to SEAL SET. It provides a minimum set of instructions that ensure reasonable typesetting compatibility among multiple writers.

0 is written for the beginners, who can learn the SEAL SET while reviewing generally accepted rules of technical writing and typesetting. 0 is a tutorial that integrates the typesetting advice specific to MS Word with general typesetting advice. This chapter focuses not only on how each element of typesetting is handled but also on the reasons for selecting a particular approach. The list of the most typical mistakes made by previous generations of beginners is included. The chapter is intentionally kept short and therefore contains only a small number of examples. References to more extensive sources on the subject are provided. A collection of miscellaneous advanced tips and tricks is included at the end of each section. Unresolved issues and seemingly unavoidable compromises are listed as well.

Chapter 7 contains generic computer advice for computer users, followed by exercises that reinforce the knowledge of basic typesetting rules, and, finally, pointers to additional reading on each subject.

Acknowledgments

This section will change -- AVM

I did not want to write this manual. I would have gladly bought a book for my students, that would teach them effective typesetting with Microsoft Word and would save my time as well as theirs. However, I was unable to find such a book. Hence, with their help, I developed this manual. Thus, I would like to thank all my students. It was their lousy typesetting that motivated me to create a set of writing and typesetting rules, which later evolved into this manual. It was their creativity and diligence that helped us to overcome numerous little hurdles on the way. Their mistakes created content and their feedback helped me refine each section.

[acknowledgements section to be expanded]

Table of Contents

11Chapter 1. Introduction

111.1The Challenge of Writing in Teams

121.1.1Motivation for good typesetting

121.1.2Horror stories:

151.2The Challenge of Writing to Standards

161.3The Challenge of Controlling Your Tools

161.3.1Software Selection

171.3.2Word vs. LaTeX

181.3.3Busting the myths

201.4How This Book Helps And Who It Is For

201.4.1Who should use SEAL SET and why?

201.5Whats in This Book

201.5.1The Toolkit of a Technical Writer

201.5.2What is SEAL SET?

201.5.3Why use SEAL SET?

201.5.3.1Advantages of SEAL SET:

211.6How This Book Came About

23Chapter 2. 30 Minute Fast Track to SEAL SET

232.1The Purpose of This Chapter

242.2General Principles

242.2.1Template Files

252.2.2Template Objects

262.3Manuscript Elements

262.3.1Headings

262.3.2Equations

272.3.3Figures

282.3.4Tables

282.3.5Literature References

292.4Conclusions

30Chapter 3. Elements of a Manuscript

303.1Introduction

333.2Tools for Building a Document Template

333.2.1Understanding Styles

333.2.2Automatic Numbering

333.2.3Columns

333.3Elements of a Manuscript

333.3.1Headings

333.3.1.1How to create and cross-reference a heading template

343.3.1.2How to alter a heading template

363.3.1.3Common typesetting mistakes

363.3.1.4Common stylistic mistakes

373.3.1.5Advanced tips and tricks

373.3.2Equations

373.3.2.1How to create and cross-reference an equation template

413.3.2.2How to alter an equation template




493.3.3Figures

493.3.3.1How to create and cross-reference a figure template

503.3.3.2How to alter a figure template




553.3.4Tables

553.3.4.1How to create and cross-reference a table template

553.3.4.2How to alter a table template




573.3.5References

573.3.5.1How to create references

583.3.5.2How to alter references




623.4Elements of a Large Manuscript

623.4.1Front Matter

623.4.1.1Controlling Page Numbers

623.4.1.2Table of Contents

633.4.2Back Matter

633.4.2.1Adding Entries to the Table of Contents

633.4.2.2Appendices

643.4.2.3Index

65Chapter 4. Format and Conventions

654.1Columns

654.2Enumerated items

654.3Figures vs. Spelled Numbers

654.4Units of Measure

664.5Conclusions??

664.6Exercises

664.6.1Headings

684.6.2Equations

704.6.3Figures

734.6.4Tables

754.6.5References

77Chapter 5. Writing in Teams

775.1Introduction

785.2Strategies for Efficient Team Writing

785.3Shared Workspaces

785.3.1SharePoint, etc

785.3.2Wikis, etc.

785.4Consistency and House Style

785.5Comments, Revision Marks, and Color Coding

785.5.1Color-coding in computer

805.5.2Advisor feedback

825.5.3Version management

83Chapter 6. The Writing Process

836.1Introduction

836.2Genres and Models

836.3Purpose

836.4Write to an Audience

846.5Speaking and Writing

846.6The Outliner

846.7Notes to yourself

846.8Backups and Boneyards

846.9Getting into the Groove

846.9.1When to write and what to write when

846.10Revising

846.11Goofproofing

85Chapter 7. Concluding Remarks

857.1General Advice for Working with MS Word files

857.2Frequently Asked Questions

877.3Additional Reading

877.3.1Useful books

887.3.2Useful weblinks

89Appendix A.File Template for a Short Single-Column Report or Paper

99Appendix B.File Template for a Double-Column Paper

100Appendix C.File Template for a Thesis, Book, or Long Report

101Appendix D.IEEE Template with SEAL SET Enabled

102Appendix E.PowerPoint Slides to For Teaching SEAL SET Basics in 30 Minutes

102Appendix E.Appendix E. PowerPoint Slides to For Teaching SEAL SET Basics in 30 Minutes.

106Glossary

107Index

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1 The Challenge of Writing in Teams

Most endeavors in engineering and science require team effort. These teams are hardly ever homogeneous: the expertise and experience of team members overlap only partially and complement each other. The improvement of team compatibility, creativity, productivity, and performance is the subject of many books, seminars, conferences, and workshops. Writing in teams is a very important aspect of this field.

Effective technical and scientific writing requires mastering two areas: writing style and typesetting. Millions of writers worldwide spend countless hours of their valuable time on trivial tasks because they lack skills that make the process of writing productive and enjoyable. The problem is especially acute in multi-disciplinary and inhomogeneous groups, where skill sets of individual contributors are either incompatible or vastly dissimilar.

Everyone is affected by this phenomenon: inexperienced students, seasoned industry professionals, and esteemed university professors. Students are not familiar with high standards of professional publications, industry experts do not have time or desire to master software tools common in academia, and the university faculty members spend excessive amounts of time coaching students on trivial matters.

Although problems for each of these groups are not the same, they are rooted in the same source: lack of a common base, a collection of effective standard practices followed by all team members. This book gives writers such a base, a standard set of basic tools that will streamline collaborative writing. A modular approach makes it possible for all collaborators to come up-to-speed quickly, by reviewing only the portions relevant to them.

1.1.1 Motivation for good typesetting

There are two main reasons for investing time and energy into learning effective typesetting: saving time and ensuring the quality of writing. While this motivation is quite obvious, in reality, many writers use inefficient typesetting techniques, for various reasons that range from deadline pressure to lack of knowledge.

The costs of inefficient typesetting vary greatly: from small delays in submission of manuscripts to poor reviews of major research proposals and articles. There are also two main modes of writing: individual writing and collaborative writing. Inefficient typesetting leads to problems in both aspects, but in a very different way. The examples in the following horror story matrix illustrate this point.

1.1.2 Horror stories:

Prof. Mamishev recalls:

Having almost had completed my Ph.D. dissertation at MIT, I had to tie loose ends in my graduate education. One of them was submitting a report to the foundation that sponsored my dissertation research for about one year. The requirements from the foundation were very clear, and the officers were adamant the report should be in Microsoft Word format. It would not be such a big deal, except, I would want to adapt materials from my dissertation, which was written in LaTeX, a typesetting system widely used at MIT. More than seven hundred pages of non-stop entertainment. That is, if you consider design of fringing electric field sensors entertainment. I did Anyway, I had to bite the bullet and sit in front of the computer screen for about three days reformatting chapters, sections, figures, and equations. Three days of my life. I felt that there should be a better way to process research results.

Prof. Mamishev recalls:

Once we were submitting a big proposal to the National Science Foundation. The lead writer was at another institution. I sent my contribution to the big proposal and was waiting for the compiled version to review. When it arrived, I realized that some critical figures were taken out during the editing stage. Without these figures, the ideas were not communicated clearly. I wrote an email requesting that these figures are included, and proposing to shorten text to make space for it. Even though there was still a lot of time left, the reply from the lead writer was unequivocal: We already numbered the figures, at this point it would be too much work to change the structure of the manuscript

Losing time

Sacrificing quality

Individual writing

At some point of their career, graduate students have to make a transition from relatively short journal and conference papers to a much longer thesis. Many of them struggle for weeks before they learn to manage larger quantities of information and to organize them in a cohesive manuscript.

Editors of journals and organizers of conferences know that many papers get rejected by the reviewers not because of fundamental deficiencies of research study, but because the manuscript looks very sloppy and loses credibility even before the evaluation starts. Whether such rejections are fair is an issue for a separate discussion, but the phenomena itself is well-known.

Collaborative writing

Compiling pieces of text, figures, and data from several co-authors who all use different software is an extremely ungrateful task. Ironically, such compilation often has to be done by the most experienced member of the group, who sometimes spends more time on trivialities of typesetting than on the essence of the manuscript.

If the typesetting system is not flexible enough, the rigor and impact of the manuscript can be affected. The author observed cases when a figure would not be inserted into a group proposal because the proposal is at the compilation stage and this change would require manual renumbering of existing figures and take too much time.

The system described here is not perfect, but it is much better than a random selection of mutually incompatible styles typically used by technical writers. An optimal way to use this system is to understand the overall approach and then adapt the supplied generic manuscript templates to the needs of a specific research group. However, even blind use of the templates is likely to save many hours of typesetting struggles and provide an incremental increase in manuscript quality.

1.2 The Challenge of Writing to Standards

Technical writing is rigorous, both in form and in content. Each scientific and engineering community sets their rules for manuscripts. These rules have many common features as well as a few differences.

Occasionally, a normal practice in one field is deemed absolutely unacceptable in another. For example, most engineering journals list titles of articles in their reference list, along with the author names, journal title, publication date, and page numbers. Listing the article title makes a lot of sense: it helps the reader decide whether this referenced source is worth finding. On the other hand, there are journals, especially in sciences, that list only the author names, abbreviated journal title, publication date, and page numbers. It is often impossible to guess what that referenced article is all about but this practice saves some space. Sadly, examples of obsolete traditions taking over common sense abound and keep provide fuel for anecdotes and criticism.

Most of the time, however, the standards evolve with time, and are approved by an experienced body of specialists in the field. Adhering to standards of a particular society is important. Your work will not be read, no matter how good it is, unless it meets the requirements of a publisher or a particular society.

Students, beginners, and people who switch fields have the most trouble with adhering to writing standards. Often, they are unaware of typical requirements for a manuscript and shoot themselves in a foot by submitting a poorly formatted manuscript. Even if a more experienced colleague is available to check the quality of material presentation, the inexperienced writers place an excessive burden on the shoulders of their mentors if they do not take an effort to familiarize themselves with writing standards.

It happens so that with all manuscript parameters being equal, the users of Microsoft Word tend to make many more typesetting blunders than users of LaTeX. It happens because Word is so flexible and forgiving. LaTeX constrains the write with pre-defined templates and keeps the appearance of manuscript elements uniform. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, discussed in some detail in Section 1.3.2.

SEAL SET helps technical writers an opportunity to write to the standard, rather than struggle with idiosyncrasies of each software package and individual preferences of each writer. Appearance of equations, figures, tables, and other manuscript elements should be controlled using a specific, fairly small collection of rules.

1.3 The Challenge of Controlling Your Tools

1.3.1 Software Selection

Creation of a manuscript in most disciplines requires manipulation of graphics, equations, references, and cross-references. In order to do it effectively, in addition to Microsoft Word you need to have installed the software listed below. Discipline-specific software is not discussed here.

Software purpose

Recommended Package

Website

Trial Version

Note

Equation Editor

MathType

http://www.dessci.com/en/products/MathType/

30 days

This is an enhanced version of built-in Equation Editor in Word.

Graphics package

CorelDraw

www.corel.com

30 days

Certainly, there are other good graphics packages, but Corel has been our favorite for creating and editing graphics for academic papers.

Reference database

Reference Manager

www.refman.com

*****

The software package EndNote is just as good, and the selection should be based on what colleagues in the field use.

1.3.2 Word vs. LaTeX

Two of the most popular typesetting systems in technical and scientific world are Microsoft Word and LaTeX (or TeX). The compatibility between the two systems leaves much to be desired. In addition, LaTeX is implemented in several packages, and Word comes in several versions, which makes porting of manuscripts rather tricky.

A commonly encountered opinion in academia is that LaTeX is a solution to all typesetting problems. However, it is also usually accepted that LaTeX is not widespread in a corporate world and has a steep learning curve, preventing its use for collaborative writing across disciplines and across organizations. Converting back and forth between the two systems takes a lot of effort.

Choosing the right system for a research group is a matter of tradition, personal preference, local user knowledge, and institutional support. The method described in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 streamlines the use of Word for technical and scientific writers.

The advantages of LaTeX over Word:

LaTeX enforces proper typesetting, especially for inexperienced writers. The math symbols are italicized, equations are numbered, and figures are properly captioned because the templates take care of it. In contrast, inexperienced MS Word users have plenty of opportunities to divert from proper typesetting options.

LaTeX is stable. It does not crash much and has low machine memory requirements. Word, especially with large documents, requires both memory and speed.

LaTeX software packages are forward and backward compatible. LaTeX manuscript written in 1990 compiles in 2005 with few or no problems. In previous years, backward compatibility of Word was especially problematic. Most recently, the toll of Word upgrades was more tolerable.

Automatic figure positioning is more efficient in LaTeX than in Word.

The advantages of Word over LaTeX:.

Word is ubiquitous. In most cases, co-writing with groups outside of academia is a lot easier with Word than with LaTeX.

Such features as spell-check, grammar check, WYSIWYG, track changes, word count, line numbering, and manuscript marking system are, generally speaking, more powerful and convenient with Word.

Word is easier to use for beginners.

All things considered, authors of this book contend that Word should be used by a majority of technical writers, and provide tips and techniques for those who want to be efficient with their tools.

1.3.3 Busting the myths

Academic writers tend to have biased opinions toward one package or another. Often, these opinions are a result of not being adequately informed about software capabilities. This section examines some of the common misconceptions.

Myth: Only LaTeX should be used for scientific writing. Word just does not have proper tools to manipulate figures, form equations, etc.

Reality: This might be true for highly specialized areas of mathematics. For most engineering and science disciplines, Word is adequate, as long as it is used effectively.

Myth: LaTeX is good for writing long manuscripts, whereas Word is good for memos and short papers.

Reality: This used to be true, in the days of slower computers and frequent crashes. In the last few years, however, creating manuscripts several hundred pages long, filled with figures and equations, became feasible with Word.

Myth: In LaTeX, one can write equations without leaving the keyboard, whereas in Word one needs to use the mouse all the time.

Reality: This is not true. Word and MathType provide keyboard shortcuts that allow writing equations with keyboard only. However, since an option of using the mouse is available, many people never invest their time into learning keyboard shortcuts.

1.4 How This Book Helps And Who It Is For

1.4.1 Who should use SEAL SET and why?

Senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students will save a lot of time to themselves and their advisors if they eliminate typesetting errors early on.

Advanced graduate students, post-docs, and individual researchers will save a lot of time by focusing on manuscript content rather than form, streamlining their own writing and their collaborative activities as well.

Professors and leaders of technical groups will be able to process material received from peers and subordinates more effectively, thus producing better papers, proposals, books, and reports.

1.5 Whats in This Book1.5.1 The Toolkit of a Technical Writer

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1.5.2 What is SEAL SET?

The centerpiece of this book is SEAL SET. The abbreviation SEAL stands for Sensors, Energy, and Automation Laboratory, and the abbreviation SET stands for System of Effective Typesetting. SEAL SET is a collection of rules and methods that make collaborative writing easier.

1.5.3 Why use SEAL SET?

1.5.3.1 Advantages of SEAL SET:

The advantages of SEAL SET include:

Automatic numbering of headings, equations, figures, tables, and references.

Streamlined conversion from single-column to double-column format and back.

Streamlined conversion from single numbered equations, figures, and tables to dual-numbered equations, figures, and tables (e.g. Figure 8 becomes Figure 3.2).

Ability to typeset complex math.

Typing of mathematical symbols using primarily the keyboard (without mouse).

Ability to create complex documents.

Ability to imitate many functions typically expected of LaTeX.

Streamlined collaborative writing.

Fewer typesetting errors made by inexperienced writers.

Dramatically reduced typesetting time when working with complex documents and when reusing text.

1.6 How This Book Came About

This book was written because it was badly needed in the authors research lab. There was nothing even remotely suitable in print. If there were a similar manual available elsewhere, the author would have gladly used it.

After becoming a director of a sizeable research lab, Prof. Mamishev struggled with the flow of dozens of documents generated in his organization. A lot of effort was wasted on issues rather trivial, yet not at all obvious to graduate students. Typesetting was one of the biggest time sinks. In an effort to streamline technical writing, over a period of a few years he has developed a series of short lectures for his graduate students. Students who took these lectures were able to achieve almost all functionality of LaTeX, while keeping the benefits of Microsoft Word. With time, the lectures were converted into a self-contained cohesive system, dubbed locally as SEAL SET, which stands for Sensors, Energy, and Automation Lab System of Effective Typesetting, or equivalently, SEAL System of Effective Typesetting. SEAL SET is a collection of tools that includes initial document templates, instructions for template use, explanation of principles behind effective typesetting, instructions on how to create and modify templates, lists of the most common errors in several categories, and examples of proper and improper writing and typesetting.

Over the last few years, about fifty graduate students and engineering seniors worked in the Sensors, Energy, and Automation Lab (SEAL). All of them, without exception, were unable to typeset their documents effectively in MS Word without external instructions. Most of them learned SEAL SET and used it for their final reports, conference papers, project reports, theses, and dissertations. At this point, everyone who writes jointly with SEAL is required to follow the rules of effective typesetting.

More recently, SEAL alumni initiated adoption of SEAL SET in their new locations of employment. Similarly, whenever collaborative writing was undertaken jointly with other labs, the leadership in document assembly was invariably taken by the students who knew the system. After the critical mass of users had been reached, it became almost impossible for new lab members to avoid learning the system, because their poorly formatted manuscript contributions to joint papers would raise objections from the more skilled co-authors during the writing process. Once the book is published, a similar effect will take place on a larger scale. That is, as long as several influential groups adopt a uniform system for typesetting, it will become a standard, and new users will have to learn it.

Chapter 2. 30 Minute Fast Track to SEAL SET

2.1 The Purpose of This Chapter

This chapter provides a minimum set of instructions for those who have a lot of experience with typesetting, but are not familiar with SEAL SET. When all co-authors of a manuscript use SEAL SET, they can achieve greater productivity and higher quality of writing.

This chapter omits all discussions of why things are done a certain way, all discussions of possible exceptions, and all possible differences in writing styles between disciplines and individuals. If you have a good reason to depart from the techniques suggested in this chapter, you can do so, as long as you understand the effect of your deviations and coordinate with your co-authors. Some deviations are perfectly fine, whereas others will make life of your co-authors more difficult.

The accompanying videos provide demonstrations of the discussed methods. For most readers, most videos are not necessary, they are provided only to clarify potentially confusing points.

2.2 General Principles

2.2.1 Template Files

If you plan to write a complex document, it is highly recommended that you use a template file as the starting point, as opposed to working with a blank document. The template file already has settings and tools necessary for a time-efficient development of a manuscript. As long as all co-authors follow the simple steps suggested in this chapter, the document will evolve without the loss of auto-numbering and other features useful for complex technical writing.

Three basic template files are available here:

www.ee.washington.edu/research/seal...enter website address here

Filename

Description

BasicTemplateSingleColumn.doc

A single-column template for short reports and papers, typically up to twenty or thirty pages.

BasicTemplateDoubleColumn.doc

A double-column template for camera-ready double-column papers, typically up to 10 pages.

BasicThesisOrBookTemplate.doc

A single-column template for long manuscripts, such as theses, books, or long reports. Main difference from the other two templates:

- Chapter number is included in the numbers of figures, tables, and equations (e.g. Figure 3.5 rather than Figure 15).

- Templates for the front matter (Preface, Table of Contents, etc.) and the back matter (Appendices, Index, etc.) are included.

By altering basic templates listed above, writers can create new, derived templates that not only possess all qualities of a SEAL SET template, but also meet the requirements of a specific publisher or agency. Chapter 3 discusses this possibility in a greater detail and provides examples.

2.2.2 Template Objects

Broadly speaking, Microsoft Word is object-oriented software. Each element of a manuscript, such as figure caption or a paragraph, is treated as an object. One can assign properties to individual objects or to classes of objects. For the purpose of effective use of templates, you need to follow a few simple rules.

Use template files to create your new manuscripts

All numbered elements of a manuscript should be numbered automatically. These elements include headings, equations, figures, tables, and references.

To create a new element of a manuscript, copy one of the existing ones and paste it in a new location. Then, make changes to the contents of this element as desired.

To elaborate the last rule, when you need to create a new manuscript element, copy the existing element to a new location and type new text into the placeholder while preserving the style of each element. For example, copy an existing figure and its caption, to the new location, and then type in the text of the new caption replacing the old text, making sure not to touch the automatic figure-renumbering portion of the text. Press Ctrl-A, F9 to update the numbering.

2.3 Manuscript Elements

2.3.1 Headings

To create a new heading:

1) Select it by starting on the line before the heading. Otherwise you would be copying only the text, but not the style for this line.

2) Paste the heading at the new desired location.

3) Replace the heading text, as desired, but do not touch the heading number.

4) Press Ctrl-A to Select All text of the manuscript and then press F9 to update.

In order to cross-reference a heading:

1) Click Insert, Reference, Cross-Reference, Heading. Note: depending on the version of Word you are using, the may or may not be the second step, Reference, in this sequence.

2) Select your desired options and the desired heading for cross-referencing.

3) After the dialog box appears, select Insert reference to: Heading number, uncheck Insert as hyperlink, and uncheck Include above/below.

4) Click OK.

Note that the path within the menu differs slightly in different versions of word. This manuscript does not make attempt to list minor permutations in the Word menus. For example, in the first line of the previous paragraph, for Word 2003, the correct sequence is Insert, Reference, Cross-Reference, Heading, and the remaining steps are the same.

2.3.2 Equations

To copy the equation, copy the entire line of the equation template, and paste it to a new location. Double-click on the equation itself to edit it. Press Ctrl-A, F9 to update the numbering.

In order to cross-reference an equation, first you need to create a bookmark.

To create a bookmark:

1) Select the equation number on the right in the equation line.

2) Click Insert, Bookmark.

3) Give this bookmark a short descriptive name that starts with eq, for example, eqNewtonsFirstLaw.

Now, to cross-reference the equation:

1) Click Insert, Cross-Reference.

2) Select Reference type: Bookmark.

3) Uncheck Insert as hyperlink, unless you have a strong reason to have a hyperlink in your document.

4) Select Insert reference to: Bookmark text.

5) Pick the desired bookmark from the list and click OK.

2.3.3 Figures

In Word, a figure graphic or picture is a separate object from a figure caption. The automatic numbering applies to captions, and the graphics are just objects that happen to be next to captions. It is writers responsibility to keep graphics and their corresponding captions together.

To make a new figure:

1) Copy the template graphics and template caption, and paste them into a new desired location.

2) Delete the old graphics in the new location and paste the new graphics in its place.

3) Important Note: For maximum compatibility between versions and writers, do not use Paste. Instead, click Insert, Paste Special, Picture.

4) Unless your default settings are already set properly, right-click on the graphics. Click Edit, Format Picture, Layout, In line with text.

5) Adjust graphics size and centering as desired.

6) Click OK.

7) Now, you are ready to create a new caption. Delete the text of the prior caption and type the new text, but remember to preserve the figure number, because it is auto-text. For example, in the caption Figure 14. Experimental setup. replace the words Experimental setup. Do not type in the field Figure 14. The number will update automatically.

8) To update the numbering, press Ctrl-A, F9.

To cross-reference a figure:


2) Select Reference type: Figure.

3) Uncheck Insert as hyperlink.

4) Select Insert reference to: Only label and number.

5) Pick the desired figure from the list.

6) Click OK.

2.3.4 Tables

The process of auto-numbering and cross-referencing tables is parallel to that for figures. The table array itself is equivalent to graphics in the case of a figure in a sense that it is an independent object from the caption. The table captions are often placed above rather than below the table. This positioning detail makes no difference to autotext, because, the captions are independent objects, they just happen to be next to the graphics or table they are referring to.

2.3.5 Literature References

Methods of efficient literature referencing are beyond a short introduction. You will have to install and learn using a dedicated literature database software package, such as Reference Manager or EndNote. 0 covers the subject of literature referencing in detail.

2.4 Conclusions

If you have read this chapter and watched the accompanying videos (as needed), you have now completed the blitz-intro to an effective typesetting style. The blitz-intro does not tell you why things are done this way, or how the templates were created. The blitz-intro does not differentiate between hard rules to be followed exactly and personal preferences that can be altered by experienced writers. Instead, the blitz-intro enables you to learn quickly effective typesetting techniques and makes your writing highly compatible with others who use the same system. If you wish to step beyond the blind following of the rules given by the blitz-intro, read Chapter 2.

Chapter 3. Elements of a Manuscript

3.1 Introduction

Generally speaking, proper use of styles is one of the key ways to achieve flexibility of LaTeX using Microsoft Word. Transformation of portions of manuscript from different [write on how to modify styles, remember to comment on autoupdate].

This chapter provides a complete discussion for each manuscript element, separated into sections. Each section is broken into five subsections:

1) How to create a template

2) How to alter a template

3) Common typesetting mistakes

4) Common stylistic mistakes

5) Advanced tips and tricks

An inexperienced writer should read everything. An experienced writer can pick the areas of interest and skip the other subsections. A group leader, even the experienced one, should read all subsections in order to know which parts are the most appropriate for the less experienced group members.

Some readers will choose to read Chapter 3 because following blindly the set of rules described in Chapter 2 had left them unsatisfied. These readers want to know why in addition to how and want to depart from the prescribed set of rules to better achieve their goals. After becoming familiar with the logic behind the described typesetting system, writers will be able to morph the proposed generic approach to the style suitable for their organization.

This book contains both good and bad examples of typesetting and writing. The good examples show proper techniques are enclosed by a thin dashed line, as shown below this paragraph on the left. The bad examples, which illustrate how things should NOT be done, are enclosed by a thick dashed line and are overlaid with a shaded cross, as shown below on the right.

The good example.

This is how the examples of proper typesetting and writing style appear in text.

The bad example.

This is how the examples of incorrect typesetting and writing appear in text.

3.2 Tools for Building a Document Template3.2.1 Understanding Styles

Word is written following the principles of object-oriented software design. In Word, each paragraph, figure, equation, etc. is an object. The appearance of this object can be changed by changing attributes of the style associated with it. Through maintaining the control of styles applied to each object you can keep your manuscript in the form suitable for morphing between document styles.

In practical terms, it means that every time you make a change to your manuscript element, you need to decide whether it is a one-time change or whether you may want to implement such changes throughout the document.

Example here?

3.2.2 Automatic Numbering

3.2.3 Columns

.

3.3 Elements of a Manuscript

3.3.1 Headings

Definition: Here, headings are the titles of chapters, sections, and subsections.

3.3.1.1 How to create and cross-reference a heading template

There are two ways to make headings:

A) Copy an existing template.

B) Create a new heading.

To reuse the existing heading by copying a template, see Section 2.3.1.

To create a new heading:

1) Type the heading text where you want it in the document.

2) While keeping the cursor on this heading line, click on the text style selection window, and pick the heading level you want.

3) To update the numbering and the table of contents, press Ctrl-A, F9.

Alternatively, in the step 2 above, you can type Ctrl-Alt-Number, where the number corresponds to the heading level.

In order to cross-reference a heading:

1) Click Insert, Reference, Cross-Reference, Heading.

2) Select your desired options and the desired heading for cross-referencing. The most frequent set of options is Insert reference to: Heading number, uncheck Insert as hyperlink, and uncheck Inculde above/below.

3.3.1.2 How to alter a heading template

In MS Word 2000, to change the heading format, e.g. font, change the heading format to the desired selection of parameters, then click on the text style selection window, click on the style description of this heading (on the right side), and pick Update the style to reflect recent changes? This will change appearance of all headings of this level in the manuscript.

In MS Word 2003, an easier method is to put the cursor on the heading of interest, click Format, Styles and Formatting, then right-click the sub-window Formatting of selected text, and pick Modify. Check Automatically Update. Click Format, Paragraph, make the changes as desired, and click OK.

To change the numbering style of the heading, click on Fonts, Bullets and Numbering, pick the closest style, click Customize, and make changes in the appearing dialogue box.

A frequent need is to change the heading from the format

1. Introduction.

to the format

Chapter 1. Introduction.

To achieve that, go through the following sequence:

1. Place cursor on the heading text.

2. Click Format, Style.

3. Press button Modify, then button Format, then select Numbering.

4. Select numbering format you like and press button Customize.

5. In the dialog box Number format, type the word Chapter before the autotext number.

6. Arrange the spacing and punctuation around the autotext as desired.

7. Click OK and Apply buttons all the way to exit dialog boxes.

3.3.1.3 Common typesetting mistakes

The most common typesetting mistakes include:

Manually numbering the headings instead of creating automated templates. While this approach works for short documents, it defeats the idea of automatic generation of the Table of Contents, and the automatic heading numbering. It also eliminates the ability to cross-reference the heading in text.

Excessive switching of fonts. In most technical and scientific manuscripts, the font of the headings is the same as the font of the main text. Mixing serif XE "serif" and sans serif XE "sans serif" fonts in the same manuscript is generally not a good idea. Of course, if your publisher expects mixed fonts, follow their instructions.

3.3.1.4 Common stylistic mistakes

The following example contains several typical mistakes. The analysis of these mistakes follows after the red box.

1. Design

1.1. Mechanical Design

1.2. Electrical design

1.2.1. Wiring

1.3. Software Design

2. Fabrication Of Parts

.

Orphan headings.

The term orphan heading means here that the list of headings on a certain heading level has only one entry. For example, heading 1.2.1 in the example above is an orphan. If there is no 1.2.2, then 1.2.1 should not exist. It is acceptable to have orphan headings during the writing stage, and it is important to make sure that no orphan headings exist in the final version of the manuscript.

Inconsistent or incorrect capitalization.

In the example above, both words are capitalized in the heading 1.1, but only the first word is capitalized in the heading 1.2. Both capitalization schemes are frequently used, but one should not mix them in the same manuscript.

In the heading 2 of the example, the word Of is capitalized. The American English standard is not to capitalize prepositions (and, of, for, etc.) and articles (a, the).

3.3.1.5 Advanced tips and tricks

Maintain TOC until the last moment.

Long journal papers and research proposals usually do not require Table of Contents. However, it is a good idea to keep the Table of Contents in the manuscript until the submission time. It helps developing the structure of the manuscript during the writing process by providing a bird-eye view of the outline.

Space before and after headings.

In Word 2000, to change the automatic spacing before and after heading, place cursor on the heading line, click Format, Paragraph, adjust the settings in the dialogue box, then click on the text style menu, click on the right of the heading style (in the format box), then pick Update the style to reflect recent changes? This will change appearance of all headings of this level in the manuscript.

In Word 2003, put the cursor on the heading of interest, click Format, Styles and Formatting, then right-click the sub-window Formatting of selected text, and pick Modify. Check Automatically Update. Click Format, Paragraph, make the changes as desired, and click OK.

3.3.2 Equations

3.3.2.1 How to create and cross-reference an equation template

There are two ways to create equations:

A) Copy the template equation (recommended for most cases).

B) Create a new equation template.

To reuse the existing heading by copying the template heading, see Section 2.3.2.

There are dozens of ways to format equations in a manuscript. The method recommended here is quite efficient and is designed for the most frequent engineering and science equation typesetting style. Other methods could be designed to match individual writer or specific field style.

An equation as a manuscript element consists of the equation (formula) itself and the equation number associated with it (unless it is inline equation). Inline equations can be entered using MathType or equation editor. This sub-section covers numbered equations. In most cases, the equation itself should be to be centered in the line, and the equation number should be right-justified and enclosed in parentheses on the same line, like this:

2

Emc

=

(1)

If your math is basic, then the built-in Word Equation Editor will suffice. For most technical writers, MathType is indispensable. The Equation Editor is essentially MathType stripped of features, both made by the same software company (see section 1.3.1). The Equation Editor comes with Word, and MathType costs extra.

The following sequence teaches you to create a template centered numbered equation from scratch. It is a long process, but normally you would not be going through this process. Instead, you will reuse the template already created.

First, you need to typeset your equation. To insert an equation object, click Insert, Object, pick MathType Equation, click OK. (or use a shortcut button in the toolbar). Write your equation and exit MathType window, saving the equation. Position this equation in the beginning of the line, like this:

2

Emc

=

Then, create placeholder parentheses for equation number, by typing them after the equation, like this:

2

Emc

=

()

Now, you are ready to create the equation number. Place the cursor between the parentheses, then

1. Click Insert, Caption

2. Click button New Label

3. Create a new label eq

4. The dialog box under Caption will read eq 1

5. Click OK

6. The equation will look like this:

2

Emc

=

(eq 1)

7. Remove letters eq and space between them an the numeral 1

8. The equation will look like this:

2

Emc

=

(1)

Note: "eq" is just an identifier; you could call it eq_grp1 instead and have multiple groups of equations that run independent of each other. Adjust your font size and style to be consistent with the rest of your manuscript. The equation will now look like this:

2

Emc

=

(1)

Now, you need to format the placement of the equation and its number.

1. Create a new Style:

a. Place a cursor on the equation line.

b. Select Format, Style.

c. Click button New.

d. In the interface box Name write a name for this style, for example EquationLine.

e. Click OK.

2. Now, modify the new style to provide the alignment you need:

a. To do that, place two tabs on the top ruler bar.

b. Select the centering tab,

, by clicking the tab selector a few times.

c. Place the centering tab on the ruler, in the middle of the line width.

d. Now, select the right-justified tab, , and place it on the right side of the ruler.

e. Enter two tab characters, one before and one after the MathType equation.

3. Now, update the style:

a. Click the style dialogue box.

b. Select EquationLine, clicking on the gray square box on the right of the text EquationLine.

c. A dialogue box will appear. Select Update the style reflecting recent changes.

d. Click OK.

2

Emc

=

(1)

Again, you only need to go once through this lengthy procedure to create the equation template (or not even once if you use the provided template). After that, copy the template to the new location and reuse it. The equation numbers will update automatically upon entering Ctrl-A, F9.

Cross-referencing of equations was covered in Section 2.3.2, it is repeated here with additional details. The important thing to notice is that while the automatically numbered captions are created for equations, figures, and tables in a similar way, the cross-reference method for equations is different from that for figures and tables.

In order to cross-reference an equation, first you need to create a bookmark. To create a bookmark:

1) Select the number on the right in the equation line.

2) Click Insert, Bookmark. Give this bookmark a short descriptive name that starts with eq, for example, eqNewtonsFirstLaw.

3) Click OK.

To cross-reference, an equation:


2) Select Reference type: Bookmark.

3) Uncheck Insert as hyperlink.

4) Select Insert reference to: Bookmark text.

5) Pick the desired bookmark from the list.

6) Click OK.

Even if you switch between single numbering and dual numbering, the bookmark cross-referencing will work, as long as you update with Ctrl-A, F9. The procedure for switching is given in the following subsection.

3.3.2.2 How to alter an equation template

Switching column width.

Switching from a single column to a double column (and back) manually is not a trivial task if you have many equations, because the centering of equations and the alignment of equation numbers does not adjust automatically. In order to switch automatically, change the style settings in the equation template.

1) Place the cursor on the line of one of the equations that will become the updated template.

2) Move the centering tab

to the new desired location on the ruler.

3) Move the right-justified tab to the new desired location on the ruler.

4. Now, update the style:

a. Click the style dialogue box.

b. Select EquationLine, clicking on the gray square box on the right of the text EquationLine.

c. A dialogue box will appear. Select Update the style reflecting recent changes.

d. Click OK.

Dual numbering. **********

Long manuscripts, for example, books and dissertations, require dual numbering of equations (as well as figures and tables.) In order to switch between the dual-number thesis style and a single-number journal style throughout the manuscript:

1) Click Insert, Caption

2) Pick the Label eq,

3) Press the button Numbering

4) Select your preferences for the appearance of the caption (single or dual, dash or period between the numbers, etc.),

5) Click OK in all dialog boxes.

6) Press Ctrl-A, F9 to update the cross-references.

7) After that, remember to delete the extra caption generated in this process.


Centering and justification.

Setting the position of the equation and number with strings of tab or space characters does not work well for camera-ready manuscripts. When each element is a few millimeters off from the alignment position, the entire document looks sloppy.

Size of variables.

The font size of variables should be proportional to the size of text.

The font size of variables in equations should be the same as the font size of the variables in the text.

A blatant example of poor formatting:

2

Emc

=

(1.1)

where

m

is mass..

Using different fonts in equation and in text.

Beginners are notorious at ignoring font conventions for variables when they use Word. With beginners, it is not uncommon to see W in the equation, W in another part of text, and W in figure caption, all referring to the same variable. While the font selection does not matter in undergraduate homeworks, it is important in rigorous technical and scientific writing. The distinction between a matrix, vector variable, or scalar variable is maintained through proper font selection, and Word users must apply a conscious effort to maintain a consistent style. Notably, this problem is rare with beginning LaTeX users, because LaTeX rules force writers to be consistent, and the fonts are selected automatically.


Cross-referencing.

In the middle of the sentence, the equation numbers should be placed in parentheses and referred to without the word equation. The proper style for cross-referencing equations is

substitution of (3) into (2) yields (4)...

Examples of improper style:

substitution of equation 3 into equation 2 yields equation 4

substitution of 3 into 2 yields 4...

substitution of [3] into [2] yields [4]...

In the beginning of the sentence, the proper style is: Equation 3 shows

Forgetting to define variables.

All new variables that appear in the equation should be defined in the text, immediately following the equation.

Using subscripts and superscripts incorrectly

There is a large variation for subscript font conventions among disciplines. Be sure to check the conventions for your field.

Confusing bookmark names

A bookmark eq14 will not work well because the equation is not likely to be equation number 14 an hour later. A bookmark newt will not work well either because it is too short and will mix with other bookmarks (including non-equation bookmarks). A bookmark eq:NewtonsLaw will work well. It has eq: equation identifier, and a clear description of what it is. Spaces are not allowed in bookmarks; capitalization of individual words is a convenient alternative.

Bookmarking the parentheses next to the equation number

Most of the time, highlighting parentheses with the equation number will make things more convenient. However, some publishers expect the style Equation 5 shows and having parentheses around 5 in the original bookmark will make typesetting more difficult. Therefore, parentheses should be kept regular text both in the equation line and in the cross-referencing text.

Ambiguous display of units and use of incorrect units

Although the standards for indicating the units are set in each field quite clearly, many writers safely ignore these standards. The conference committees are forgiving, and the important publications are typeset by professionals who take care of it. On the other hand, with almost no additional effort you can follow the conventions of the field. Most technical publishers require the use of either SI (metric) units, or, when necessary, dual units, including SI as well as other systems. The units representing range should be separated by the word to, as opposed to ellipsis () or dash (-). Examples:

Incorrect version

Correct version

in the range from 200 to 400 lfm

in the range of 1 m/s to 2 m/s (200 lfm to 400 lfm)

the air velocity is 1-2 m/s

the air velocity is 1 m/s to 2 m/s

the air velocity is 12 m per second

the air velocity is 1 m/s to 2 m/s


If you have a lot of math in your manuscripts, invest time into learning MathType and Word keyboard shortcuts. Below is a short list of frequently used shortcuts: note: inner jacket is a good location for these tables

MS Word:

The following table lists the most useful keyboard shortcuts, in the authors opinion. Many other shortcuts are available and listed in the help files for Word.

Task

Shortcut

Apply Heading1

Alt+Ctrl+1

Apply Heading2

Alt+Ctrl+2

Bold

Ctrl+B or Ctrl+Shift+B

Copy

Ctrl+C

Cut

Ctrl+X

Field Codes

Alt+F9

Find

Ctrl+F

Hyperlink

Ctrl+K

Italic

Ctrl+I or Ctrl+Shift+I

Save

Ctrl+S

Subscript

Ctrl+=

Superscript

Ctrl+Shift+=

Undo

Ctrl+Z

MathType (or Equation Editor):

Inserting templates using keyboard:

Template

Shortcut

Superscript

Ctrl+H

Subscript

Ctrl+L

Joint super/subscript

Ctrl+J

Underscript

Ctrl+T, U

Matrix template

Ctrl+T, M

nth root

Ctrl+T, N

Product

Ctrl+T, P

Summation

Ctrl+T, S

Absolute value

Ctrl+Shift+T, |

Root

Ctrl+R

Integral

Ctrl+I

Fraction

Ctrl+F

Slash fraction

Ctrl+/

Parentheses

Ctrl+( or Ctrl+9

Brackets

Ctrl+[

Braces

Ctrl+{

Overbar

Ctrl+Shift+Hyphen

Vector arrow

Ctrl+Alt+Hyphen

Tilde

Ctrl+~

Single prime

Ctrl+Alt+

Double prime

Ctrl+Alt+

Single dot

Ctrl+Alt+.

Inserting space into an equation:

Space size

Shortcut

Zero space

SHIFT+SPACEBAR

1-point space

CTRL+ALT+SPACEBAR

Thin space (one-sixth em)

CTRL+SPACEBAR

Thick space (one-third em)

CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR

Inserting symbols:

Space size

Shortcut

Arrow

Ctrl+K, A

Partial derivative

Ctrl+K, D

Infinity

Ctrl+K, I

Element of

Ctrl+K, E

Times

Ctrl+K, T

Not an element of

Ctrl+K, Shift+I

Contained in

Ctrl+K, C

Not contained in

Ctrl+K, Shift+C

Less than or equal to

Ctrl+K,

pGreater than or equal to/ppCtrl+K, >

Inserting Greek characters with keyboard

Ctrl+G followed by a letter of the alphabet (shifted or not) inserts the corresponding Greek character. For example, Ctrl+G, L inserts

L

.

Accessing symbols and templates with keyboard

To access any palette, press F2, and then use left and right arrow keys to move to the appropriate palette. When you reach the desired palette, press the down arrow key to open the palette. Then, select the desired item and press Return. You may choose to record macros for the most frequent entries.

Converting equations from MathType to TeX/LaTeX

MathType offers a convenient tool for converting Word equations to LaTeX. This feature is important for those who need to maintain dual system with manuscripts written in both MathType and LaTeX. To convert an equation from MathType to TeX or LaTeX, pick your preferences by clicking in the MathType window Preferences, Translators, Translation to other Language (text). After setting your preferences, copy your equation from MathType window to TeX/LaTeX window using the standard Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V (copy/paste) commands.

3.3.3 Figures

3.3.3.1 How to create and cross-reference a figure template

There are two ways to create figures:

1) Copy the template figure (recommended for most cases).

2) Create a new figure.

To reuse the existing figure by copying the template figure and caption, see Section 2.3.3. The Section 2.3.3 also lists the entire procedure for pasting graphics. Remember to use Paste Special for line art (as opposed to Bitmaps). For line art figures, using Paste Special gives you a chance to edit figures later without saving them to a separate file. It also increases the odds of being compatible with other writers. Once, again, remember, use Paste Special when pasting your line art graphics.

A figure consists of the graphics part and the caption. They are, in fact, two independent objects that happen to sit next to each other. To create a new caption without using a template, click Insert, Caption, modify the settings as you wish, and click OK.

To cross-reference a figure

1) Click Insert, Cross-Reference

2) Select Reference type: Figure

3) Uncheck Insert as hyperlink (unless you have a good reason to keep it)

4) Select Insert reference to: Only label and number.

5) Pick the desired figure from the list and click OK.

3.3.3.2 How to alter a figure template

Changing caption style.

The most frequent need is to change the figure caption style, for example, from Figure 1 to Fig. 1. This change can be accomplished in several ways. Most people tend to create a new label by clicking Insert, Caption and modifying the label settings. This method has a disadvantage: when copying between files, the new labels will not translate into the document where you will want to switch back from Fig. 1 to Figure 1.

A more portable method is to go to the figure caption and manually change text Figure 1 to the text Fig. 1, directly in the caption, without creating a new label. After Ctrl-A, F9, all cross-references will be updated accordingly. The disadvantage of this method is that when making a new cross-reference, one will have to cope with the fact that the Reference Type Figure will point to various label forms, for example, Fig. Even though this method may lead to extra confusion, it is a recommended method here for the reasons of portability between manuscripts.

In other words, you should stick with one label type, Figure, for all your manuscripts when using the dialog box Insert, Caption.

Switching to dual numbering.

In order to switch between the dual number thesis style (such as Figure 2.1) and a single number journal style (such as Figure 3) throughout the manuscript:

1) Click Insert, Caption, Numbering

2) Select your preferences for the appearance of the caption

3) Click OK in all dialog boxes.

4) Press Ctrl-A, F9 to update the cross-references.

5) Delete the extra caption, the one you just inserted.


Forgetting to reference the figure. Each figure should be mentioned in text before its first appearance in the manuscript. LaTeX gives writer a warning. With Word, it becomes writers responsibility to check for proper figure referencing.

Using excessive resolution. Pasting a multi-megabyte photo when a much lower resolution would have sufficed is not a problem when there are only a couple of these in the manuscript. However, time will come when your paper will become a chapter in a long report or a thesis, and having too many memory-hungry images will become a problem.

Corrupted fonts. Most mainstream plotting software packages label vertical axes in such a way that they look good on the screen but get corrupted when pasted into Word. The discussion why it happens is outside of the goals of this manual. Here is a sensible procedure to fix this problem for a frequent scenario of producing a figure with Excel.

Suppose your source is Excel. You want to label the x-axis and the y-axis of a two-dimensional graph, add arrows and short comments to the picture, and paste the result into Word. In the process, you discover that your y-axis looks ugly in Word, and that arrow pointers inexplicably moved to a different location. Your best option is fix the graphic in CorelDraw.

1. Generate your plot, with axes titles and all other features.

2. Select and Copy the entire graph from Excel.

3. Paste Special, as Picture (Metafile), into CorelDraw.

4. Click Ungroup button.

5. Delete the corrupted elements.

6. Manually, make the changes to elements of the graphic until it looks right.

7. Select All (or just select the text that is refusing to cooperate).

8. Click Arrange, Convert to Curves. You will not be able to edit your text after that directly. Instead, should you need to make changes, you will have to remove the label, type new text, rotate it as needed, and convert it to curves again.

9. Select All.

10. Copy the entire graph from CorelDraw.

11. Switch to MS Word. Paste Special your graphic, following the procedure prescribed in section Error! Reference source not found..

12. Save your CorelDraw graph if you choose so. However, it is not necessary, as you will be able to copy this graph from Word, put it back in CorelDraw, and edit it again - as long as you had used Paste Special in the previous step.

Distorting the figure. If the figure is too big or too small, change the size by pulling on the corner of the figure, not on the side so that the height-to-width ratio is preserved. If you need to achieve the same exact size in several figures, right click on the graphic, click Format Picture, pick tab Size, change Scale to the same number for all figures, and make sure there is a checkmark in front of the Lock Aspect Ratio menu line.

Figures and textboxes. Figure captions and textboxes do not get along. A caption placed in a textbox is usually not seen by the Table of Figures, frequently does not follow auto-numbering settings, and create other problems. Therefore, avoid placing captions inside the textboxes. The implication of this is quite severe. If you want to embed a figure in such a way that part of the page width is occupied by text, you have to resort to multi-column approach rather than using textboxes.

Using textboxes. It is tempting to place the caption at the same textbox as the graphic and in this way control the location of the figure on the page. Unfortunately, if done this way, the caption will not be available for automatic cross-referencing in all versions of Microsoft Word; therefore such an approach is not recommended here.


Graphics elements are too small.

A rule of thumb for figure elements: all elements in the figure must be visible when the figure is shrunk to double-column paper format. If all elements are easily distinguishable in double-column, they will also be large enough for PowerPoint Presentations and bold enough for making xerox copies. Checklist for element size:

Line thickness

Size of arrowheads

Marker size (squares, dashes, triangles)

Font size in the graph. Notice that default settings in Excel and Matlab lead to font sizes that are too small for double-column display.

Font type.

Unless specified otherwise by the publisher, a safe bet is to use Arial for labels in your figures. The logic is that the font should be sans serif, commonly used, not too narrow, and easy to read. The default Times New Roman is sub-optimal for figures because it is a serif font.

Use of color.

Remember that publications are mostly black and white. Therefore, red and blue lines in the graphic may look great in Power Point, but will be indistinguishable in print. For the same reason, referring to a red line in text is meaningless if your graph is black and white in a printed copy of the manuscript.

Fuzzy images.

Lines must be crisp. Use line art, not bitmaps, whenever possible.

As shown in Figure 1

Preferred usage is Figure 1 shows

Mixing labels and caption styles

One should pay attention not to mix labels, such as Figure and Fig. in the same manuscript. This problem arises frequently, for example, when two conference papers are being combined into a journal paper.

Meaningless or repetitive captions.

The caption Figure 12. Temperature vs. Humidity is not a good caption if temperature and humidity correspond to the axes already indicated in the graph. Caption should be concise and informative whenever possible. In the example above case, a better caption would be Figure 12. Glass transition consistently takes place earlier than predicted by theory.

Dual captions.

The default settings in plotting programs, such as Excel or Matlab, often place captions above the figure. The figure in the manuscript should not have two captions (one that came with the graphic and one in the text). If this happens, touch up the figure removing the caption in the graphic.

Showing a 3D plot from a bad angle.

Three-dimensional plots must show salient features of the data. The initially generated plot should be rotated into the most advantageous viewing position. On the other hand, multiple 3D plots with the same axes should be shown from the same angle for ease of comparison.


Powerful figure positioning capabilities of LaTeX are not available in Word or take the form not suitable for long manuscripts. However, it is possible to resolve many resulting problems with clever formatting.

Orphan control. The figure and its caption should stay on the same page. If part of caption runs over to the next page, it is called orphan. The template file is already formatted to prevent that from happening. In order to force the caption attachment to the graphic above it, select both the graphic and the caption

1) Click Format, Paragraph

2) Select tab Line and Page Breaks

3) Check Widow/Orphan control, and Keep lines together.

4) Place the cursor in the position immediately after the graphic


6) Select tab Line and Page Breaks, and in addition to previous checkmarks, check Keep with next.

Figure positioning. The individual preferences (and publisher requirements) for figure positioning vary widely. The procedures described above are sufficient for figures that occupy the entire width of text and do not need to be pushed to the top or bottom of the document. In a single-column document, if the figure is narrow, and the space needs to be preserved, a viable option is to switch to a double-column format, either grouping two figures together or having text on one side.

Cross-referencing a remote figure. If the figure is located far in the manuscript, help the reader by using the style Figure 18 on page 132 shows Naturally, page number should be an autotext. You can do it by clicking Insert, Cross-reference, Figure, and selecting Page number in the Insert reference to box.

3.3.4 Tables

3.3.4.1 How to create and cross-reference a table template

The logic with creating and positioning tables is the same as with figures.

There are two ways to create tables:

1) Copy the template table (recommended for most cases),

2) Create a new table.

To reuse the existing table by copying the template table its caption, see sections 2.3.3 and 2.3.4.

A table consists of the table array part and the caption. They are in fact two independent objects that should be positioned next to each other. To create a new table caption without using a template, click Insert, Caption, modify the settings as you wish, and click OK.

The cross-referencing method for tables is the same as for figures.

3.3.4.2 How to alter a table template

All the alteration rules described for figures in section Error! Reference source not found. apply to tables as well.


Tables that run over across pages. To prevent that:

1) Select the entire table,



4) Check Widow/Orphan control, Keep lines together, and Keep with next.

5) Click OK.

6) Place the cursor in the position immediately after the table

7) Click Format, Paragraph.


The previous sentence assumes that the table caption is below the table. Naturally, if the table caption is above the table, this procedure should be applied to the cursor positioned immediately after the table caption.

Alignment within the cells. Be judicious when selecting alignment options within the cell (right-justified, left-justified, or centered). The goal should be to make the table as readable as possible.


Omitting units and variable names in the table headings.

Remember to include the variable name, variable symbol, and the units of that variable in every table.

Placing units at every cell rather than at the row or column heading.

If the units are the same for all entries in the table column, place them in the heading of that column.


Orphan control. The table and its caption should stay on the same page. If part of the table or the caption runs over to the next page, it is called orphan. The template file is already formatted to prevent that from happening. In order to force the lines to stay together:

1) Select both the table and the caption



4) Check Widow/Orphan control, and Keep lines together.

5) Click OK.

6) Place the cursor in the position immediately after the table



Table positioning. The individual preferences (and publisher requirements) for table positioning vary widely. In a double-column document, if the table is to wide, it is acceptable to switch to a single-column format just for the table.

Cross-referencing a remote figure. If the table is located far away in the manuscript, help the reader by using the style Table 18 on page 132 shows Naturally, page number should be an autotext. You can do it by clicking Insert, Cross-reference, Table, and selecting Page number in the Insert reference to box.

3.3.5 References

As already mentioned, there are several third-party packages for referencing literature. Two of the most popular packages are EndNote and ReferenceManager. There is not much difference between the two. This manual discussed the use of Reference Manager.

3.3.5.1 How to create references

There is a lot of preparation activity before you can insert your first reference. The initial effort pays off later.

1. Install Reference Manager, and go through the provided tutorial. First, you need to install the Reference Manager. Keep in mind that installation procedure often needs initialization in Microsoft Word. The procedure is provided by the software maker.

2. Develop a database file for your group. See section 3.3.1.5 for more on this subject.

3. Select or develop a proper reference format file. See section 3.3.1.5, for more on this subject.

4. If you have problems with subscripts and superscripts, place the file riched32.dll in the directory Program Files/Reference Manager 10. This problem is likely to be fixed in the future versions of the software.

3.3.5.2 How to alter references

The procedure for fixing typos in existing references is self-evident: make the changes and save the reference. The less trivial part is making sure that these corrections are not lost in the process of synchronization of the database with the rest of the research group. When the changes to existing references are done outside of the individual reference numbers block (see info about blocks below), the ID number of that reference should be recorded. The reference will have to be copied individually to the master database during synchronization.


Until the user accumulated experience and optimized the settings of the Reference Manage to fit individual needs, the reference entries tend to have improper formatting. Examples include.

Incorrect database name. When using Reference Manager, database names often get confused. Care should be taken to remember which is the right database for the moment. The suggested database sharing mechanism is described in section See section Error! Reference source not found. Error! Reference source not found..

Wrong capitalization. Capitalization of all references should be consistent.

Unnecessary duplicates. Duplicate entries in the database are a nuisance, but not a big problem. If the database accumulates too many duplicate entries, then it is time to get more disciplined about adding an entry without checking whether it exists already.

Misspellings. Due to a high density of specialized terms in the titles, misspelled words crawl into the text more readily.

Foreign names. It is a personal preference whether umlauts should be used with foreign names. A slightly trickier issue is a departure from one or two initials. For example, entering W. von Brown, Jr. into the database takes more effort than entering A. B. Smith.

Forgetting to use a correct block. See Error! Reference source not found. Error! Reference source not found. for description of a block system within a group.

Ignoring UserDef2. See Error! Reference source not found. Error! Reference source not found. for the usage of user-defined columns in the database.

Incorrect journal names. Currently used versions of Reference Manager (10 and 11) make it a little tricky to maintain proper titles of journals. See 3.3.5.5 for more on this subject.


Refereces in the mid-sentence.

Inserting references in the middle of the sentence may be appropriate. For example:

This technology is used in medicine [1-3], microbiology [4], and organic chemistry [5,6].

On the other hand, inserting the reference is the mid-sentence may unnecessarily disrupt the flow of thought. For example:

This technology has been reported [7] to produce excellent results.

This sentence reads better like this:

This technology has been reported to produce excellent results [7].


Sharing a database file. A cohesive group of researchers typically uses references the same publications many times. It is therefore logical to develop a common database of literature references that can be used by anyone in the group. The logistics of creating and maintaining such a database would have to be carefully developed and conveyed to the group. The method describes here works reasonably well for a mid-size group (five to thirty people).

The central idea is that everyone in the group will use the same master database. The most recent instant of this database is stored. The entries in the master database are numbered. Each person or a small group in the big research group is assigned a block of reference numbers, in the increments of 100 or 500, depending on the group needs. The master database is then stored at a known location that can be accessed by all group members. It is wise to put the assigned block numbers in that location too. The master database consists of two files, with extensions .rmd and .rmx. In our case, sealdmasterdb.rmd and sealmasterdb.rmx. All users copy the most recent database, and, without changing file names, use it in writing their manuscripts. Users add new references in their block, and periodically copy this block over to the master database, for everyone to use. Changes outside of the block may be needed, to fix typos, for example. In this case, the record of these individual cases should be kept until the next database synchronization cycle.

Procedure for synchronizing the database. Check out sealmasterdb.rmx and sealmasterdb.rmd from the central location (naturally, the file name would be different for each research group). Copy references from your database (files also named sealmasterdb) to the master database). Archive your old database and replace with the new one. Upload the master instance of database to the central location. The entire procedure should take only a couple of minutes.

Developing a style file.

Reference manager software comes pre-loaded with style files for many journals. The style files define how the references appear in print. In the case of the IEEE publications, the style file was very far from what it should have been. It was probably too difficult for the company to keep up with the changing standards. If the group has a good preloaded style file, more power to them. We currently use IEEE11.os style file with the Reference Manager for most of our publications. This file was developed iteratively as we were ironing out typesetting problems for different types of entries. The IEEE11.os file should be copied to the directory Program Files/Reference Manager/Styles, and can be found on the same webpage where the master database and the list of references are stored.

Sorting references. The obvious ways to sort references include by reference number and by author name. We also found it convenient to use the field User Def 2 for additional convenience of sorting. This field contains a sub-topic of the reference. A research group may have a few dozen of such sub-topic words, for example, Sensors, InverseProblems, or Spectroscopy. To have User Def 1 and User Def 2 displayed, right click on the RefID tablet in the middle of the screen and select Reference List Display. Increase number of column and pick correct entries.

Converting to BiBTeX. If conversion from LaTeX to BiBTeX is of interest, it is helpful to maintain a future BiBTeX mark in the User Def 2 field. A typical notation is to have author name followed by the publication year.

For example, for the paper

Wang, M., Ochenkowski, P., and Mamishev, A. V., Classification of Power Quality Disturbances Using Time-Frequency Ambiguity Plane and Neural Networks, IEEE Power Engineering Society Summer Meeting, 2, 2001, pp. 1246-1251.

User Def 1 is Wang01 and User Def 2 is PowerQuality.

If you expect to see more than one paper by the same author in the same year, add the first word of the title, for example, Wang01Classification.

Importing IEL (IEEE Xplore) Citation entries into Reference Manager

At IEEE Xplorer (http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/), you have the ability to download a citation file of the format Research-Info-Systems (.RIS). This format is a type that Internet Explorer and Netscape will recognize once you have installed Reference Manager.

Downloading the Citation:

-Search for the paper you wish to import into Reference Manager and click on the Abstract link in the list of search results. The use of the Advanced search allows for easy use of operators such as AND and OR.

-Click on Download Citation.

-On the resulting page, select to Download the Citation or Citation and Abstract.

-Ensure that the File Format selection says ISI ResearchSoft (for EndNote, ProCite, Reference Manager). This text may change in the future, however, the format should be still be the same if it says ISI ResearchSoft.

-Click the Download button. Once you click the button, the file will automatically download and will be run by a plug-in that will automatically import your file into Reference Manager.

-A window called Select Reference Manager Database allows you to specify which database you wish to import your reference into. Upon choosing the database you wish to import into, such as SEALmasterDB.rmd, you will be taken into Reference Manager and shown the reference you just imported. You may want to add other items to the entry and set the proper Ref ID.

Note: If this process does not include all authors properly, here is a technique to fix this problem (as of Reference Manager 10, this problem still exists).

-Go to My Computer. Click on Tools Menu/Folder Options and click over to File Types.

-Find the RIS extension (RIS Formatted File), select it and click Advanced.

-On the Edit File Type window select Open and click the Edit button.

-On the Editing action for type: RIS Formatted File window, there should be a line under Application used to perform action: that reads:

C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Risxtd\Risweb32.exe "%1"

Change this to:

C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Risxtd\Risweb32.exe /f ris "%1"

-Click OK and OK again and then Close to save these changes.

-Netscape 4 and lower may require going to Edit/Preferences within the browser and finding the proper MIME type called, Research-Info-Systems or something similar to this and altering the value to be changed in the same way to include the /f ris command.

- Finally, you will also need to get an updated file off the SEAL internal website.

Download: http://www.ee.washington.edu/research/seal/internal/files/RIS.cap

and place it in the Import folder for the Reference Manager program. This folder usually resides in the following location: C:\Program Files\Reference Manager 10\Import

3.4 Elements of a Large Manuscript

3.4.1 Front Matter

3.4.1.1 Controlling Page Numbers

Roman page numbering

3.4.1.2 Table of Contents

Sometimes you want to add entries to Table of Contents, for example Appendices.

, TOC,

3.4.2 Back Matter

3.4.2.1 Adding Entries to the Table of Contents

3.4.2.2 Appendices

. ..

Use Headings 1 through 5 for your document and Heading 6 for your Appendix.

The template file BasicThesisOrBookTemplate.doc already contains Appendices pre-formatted in this manner.

In order to create a new Appendix template in a new document:

1) Type a title of the appendix in a new line where you want it to be

2) Change the style of that line to Heading 6, by clicking the style selection window in the menu.

3) Click Format, Styles and Formatting

4) Move the cursor over the window Formatting of Selected Text, click on the arrow, click Modify Style

5) Change font size to 20 pt

6) Click Format, Numbering

7) Click button Customize

8) In the window Number Format, remove all auto-fields except for the last one, for the level 6.

9) In the window Number Style, change style to A, B, C

10) In the window Number Format, add word Appendix before the letter A

11) Click button Font, select font 20, click OK.

12) In the windows Number Position, and Space Position, adjust spacing as desired. You may have to experiment before you get the spacing your like. Click OK.

13) Click OK.

Most likely, you need to change the settings it the Table of Contents to so that the appendices show. Delete the previous Table of Contents and make a new one, with proper settings, in its place.

1) Click Insert, Reference, Cross-Reference, Index and Tables.

2) Select the tab Table of Contents

3) In the window Show Levels, select 6

4) Click button Modify

5) In the pop-up window Style, notice the settings (such as font size and style for TOC 1)

6) Click on TOC 6

7) Click Modify

8) Adjust font size and font style, a to match those for TOC 1 Style

9) The default line indent for Heading 6 is too deep. To reduce it, click button Format, Paragraph

10) In the pop-up window Paragraph, find the dialog box Indentation and change indentation as desired (probably 0 pt).

11) Click OK in all pop-up windows.

12) Check if the Table of Contents now looks as you want it to.

3.4.2.3 Index

Appendices, Glossary, Index

Chapter 4. Format and Conventions

4.1 Columns

4.2 Enumerated items

4.3 Figures vs. Spelled Numbers

4.4 Units of Meas

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