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#### On this page you will find detailed information about submission requirements for IEEE TCBB.
## Submission Information How to Submit Manuscript Central: Login Instructions Uploading Materials for Peer Review Submission Types & Formatting Templates Manuscript Types & Formatting Comments Paper/Correspondence Item Keywords/Index Terms Abstracts Color Images Supplemental Material Non-Technical Material Other Information & Guidelines Author Contact Information Author Affiliation Author Responsibilities Concurrent/Duplicate Submissions Preliminary/Conference Version(s) Peer Review Details & Information IEEE Review Process Statement Requesting/Excluding Reviewers Double-Blind Review Length of Review Process | ## Information for Accepted Papers Submitting Final Publication Materials Online first publication model Forms & Charges Voluntary Page Charges and Reprints Pre-order an Issue Copyright Copyright Information Copyrights and Author Responsibilities ## General Information Frequently Asked Questions Style Guide Contact Us
### Manuscript Central: Login Instructions To submit a manuscript to TCBB please use Manuscript Central. Sign in using your User ID and password. If you already have an account but have forgotten your login or password, click "check for existing account". Enter your email address and the system will send your account information to you if it already exists. If you do not receive that email, or if you do not already have an account, click "create a new account". The bold fields are required information. We ask that you enter some keywords in the "keyword" text box. Our system links keywords to the names of potential reviewers, a feature that expedites the review process. Also, if you anticipate that you will need to be notified by more than one email address, please include it in the "2nd email (CC)" field. You may mark this email address "active" or "inactive" as appropriate. back to top ### Uploading Materials for Peer Review You can upload your materials by using Manuscript Central. After you sign in, click "author center" in the main menu. Then click "submit first draft of a new manuscript". The system will guide you through the process. Editing Uploaded Files (Prior to Submission) Files may be edited after uploading. Order: Please be sure to keep your main manuscript as number 1 in the list. Click on the pull-down menu in the "order" column and select the appropriate number. For example, if you want a file that is third in the list to appear second, then change the 3 to a 2. Category: To change the category of a file, click on pull-down menu next to the category name and select a different category from the list. Change Description: To change the description of a file click on the "i" button and type a new description into the field. Delete: To delete a file you have uploaded click the "x" button. If you are deleting a file that was converted into PDF format, please be sure to delete both the original file and the file for review. Proofing and Submitting Files It is imperative that you carefully proofread your uploaded files before completing the submission process, as we do not allow duplicate submissions. Please check all special characters, mathematical symbols, Greek letters, equations, tables and images, to ensure that they appear properly. Errors can be corrected by going to the original document located on your computer and making any necessary changes. Then, return to the file upload center ( screen 10), click "uploaded file ID", and re-upload the corrected manuscript, again making sure to proofread it carefully. You may delete any previously uploaded files by clicking on the trashcan icon. You may leave files in the file manager and return to them later; however, please be aware that your paper is not entered into the system and we cannot begin the review process until you click the "submit your manuscript" button on screen 12. Emailing Corrected Files (After Submission) If you find that you have made an error in the submission of your manuscript (e.g,. uploaded the wrong file, left one or more files out, etc.), please email the TCBB Assistant . Do not attempt to delete and/or resubmit it into Manuscript Central, as this will only produce duplicate entries of the paper. back to top ### Templates These templates are meant to aid you in preparing a draft of your manuscript for peer-review as well as to prepare final publication materials that will closely translate into the final publication format. This does not mean that the published paper will appear in this format. The published paper will appear as formatted by IEEE Computer Society publication staff. #### Double Column LaTeX (TAR) LaTeX (ZIP) Word (ZIP) #### Single Column LaTeX (TAR) LaTeX (ZIP) Word (ZIP) back to top ### Manuscript Types & Formatting TCBB manuscript types and submission length guidelines are as follows: Regular paper* – 14 double column pages Short paper – 8 double column pages Comments paper – 2 double column pages While double column is preferred, authors wishing to submit a single column manuscript must adhere to the following page limits: Regular paper* – 35 single column pages Short paper – 15 single column pages Comments paper – 4 single column pages Please note that double column will translate more readily into the final publication format. * Special Issue papers must adhere to the same page limit as regular and short papers. Please contact our Peer Review Manager for more information regarding Special Issue papers. A double column page is defined as a 7.875" x 10.75" page with 9.5-point type, 12-point vertical spacing, and 1/2 inch margins. A single column page is defined as an 8.5" x 11" page with 12-point type and 24-point vertical spacing, containing approximately 250 words. All margins should be one inch (top, bottom, right and left). These length limits are taking into account reasonably-sized figures and references. Submissions must include the following elements: title page, abstract, index terms, illustrations, and bibliography. References should appear in a separate bibliography at the end of the paper, with items referred to by numerals in square brackets. Figures and tables must be sized as they are to appear in print. Figures should be placed exactly where they are to appear within the text. We ask that you embed the figures in order to provide a smoother review process for the editors and reviewers. Figures not correctly sized will be returned to the author for reformatting. Our Vice President for Publications has asked us to strictly enforce these guidelines. So although we may have allowed papers to be submitted in different formats in the past, we are no longer doing so. For further style or formatting information, please see the submission templates, consult the IEEE Computer Society Style Guide, or direct questions to the TCBB Assistant. back to top ### Comments Paper/Correspondence Item A comments paper is a paper commenting on an error one has found in, or a disagreement one has with, a previously published paper. When submitting a comments paper, you must include the title and/or log number of the previously published paper. The assistant will retrieve as much information as possible about the paper being commented on, and will forward the appropriate materials to the editor-in-chief (EIC). If the editor who was assigned to the previously published paper is no longer available, the EIC will assign the comments paper to another editor whose expertise areas closely match the paper's topic. For more information regarding this type of submission, please contact the TCBB Assistant. back to top ### Keywords/Index Terms Keywords should be taken from the taxonomy. Using the keywords from the keyword list is essential to the review process because Manuscript Central links them to names of potential reviewers who are associated with that area of expertise, thereby expediting the review process. We encourage all users to include keywords as part of their account information. If you currently do not have keywords included as part of your account information, you may add them by clicking the "edit your information" button on the main menu. Scroll down the page until you reach the "keywords" box. You may then select the keywords that apply to you from the list provided. back to top ### Abstracts An abstract must clearly state the nature and significance of the paper and is required at the head of the manuscript. Abstracts must not include mathematical expressions or bibliographic references. Word limits for abstracts are: Regular/Special Issue paper – 100 to 200 words Short paper – 50 words back to top ### Color Images This journal allows submissions that contain color images. You may indicate the presence of color images in your paper on screen 1 of the submission process. Please note that you must explain your reasoning for including color images within your manuscript in the "comments to editor-in-chief" box on screen 9. Images will be printed in color only when color is necessary. Final approval to publish in color must be given by the editor-in-chief. back to top ### Supplemental Material IEEE Computer Society Transactions accepts supplemental materials for review with regular paper submissions. Types of supplemental material can include: proofs, code, experimental data, short movies, appendices, animations and audio files. These materials may be published on our Digital Library with the electronic version of the paper, where they can be accessed for free. A pointer to the supplemental material will be included in the printed version. If an appendix makes a manuscript exceed the page limit, you will be asked to designate the appendix as supplemental material. If the paper's appendix is not designated as supplemental material, you must reduce the paper in order to fit the page limit. As an example, Appendix F in this guide has been posted as supplemental material. All materials must follow US copyright guidelines and may not include material previously copyrighted by another author, organization or company. Please see our guidelines below for file specifications and information. Any submitted materials that do not follow these specifications will not be accepted. Movies/Animations: .MOV, .AVI, .QT files acceptable, QuickTime 3 format preferred, under 4 minutes in length, 320x240 pixels. File size must be minimized and download time must be considered. We recommend files not exceed 10 MB. Files larger than this may be returned for modification to make them smaller. Audio: .AIFF, .AIFC, .WAV file formats acceptable, MP3 files preferred. All downloadable media and files that require plug-ins, viewers, or other special software not typically included in a default browser configuration should include a link to the appropriate helper application. If portions of your manuscript or supplemental files contain material that is the legal property of another party, you must retain pre-authorized written permission for reuse. Without proper clearance, your files will not be reviewed or published. If you do have clearance, please fax the documentation to 714.821.9975, to the attention of the TCBB Assistant, and mail the original along with your signed and dated IEEE copyright transfer form to: TCBB Assistant IEEE Computer Society 10662 Los Vaqueros Circle Los Alamitos, CA 90720-2513 USA In order to avoid delays, we recommend that authors outside of the USA use a courier express service to send the form. back to top ### Non-Technical Material It is essential that discussions of the social as well as the purely technical aspects of electrical and electronics engineering work be included in IEEE Publications. The following policies shall be implemented by the Publication Services and Products Board and followed by editors and authors: The subject matter shall be relevant to the field of electrical or electronics engineering, or computer science, and the field's impact on society. Reasonable efforts shall be made to provide for adequate and timely presentations of differing viewpoints. Materials shall include a statement that the opinions expressed are those of the author, and no endorsement by the IEEE, its officials, or its members is implied. back to top ### Author Contact Information Manuscript Central requires authors to enter a name and email address while registering. Email is our primary means of communication, so it is very important to verify that all information submitted is correct. To update your account information at any time, click the "edit your information" button in the main menu. Enter the new information in the appropriate fields and click "submit information". back to top ### Author Affiliation Additional institutions that contributing authors may be affiliated with can be included in the "comments to editor-in-chief" box on screen 9 of the submission process. You can also make any necessary changes to the affiliation(s) when or if you upload a revised version. Use the "previous" button until you reach screen 2 in order to make changes. back to top ### Author Responsibilities The IEEE outlines publication principles including authorship and author responsibilities in the IEEE Policy 8.2.1 Responsibilities of Manuscript Authors. Items specific, but not limited, to these principles are highlighted here: Authorship credit and technical contribution Coauthor awareness and approval of submission (or any revised version) Ordering of authors on manuscript Role of the corresponding author Author conduct regarding plagiarism, dual submission, previous related work, and discussion of manuscript with reviewers Citing the submitted paper in other relevant work under consideration for publication Author responsibility for obtaining written permission to use material (i.e., charts, photographs, or other graphical or textual material) copywritten by other parties Authors are responsible for reading and adhering to these guidelines. You must withdraw your submission immediately if you are unable to comply with any of them. back to top ### Concurrent/Duplicate Submission Submissions to TCBB must represent original material. Papers are accepted for review with the understanding that the same work has been neither submitted to, nor published in, another journal or conference. If it is determined that a paper has already appeared in anything more than a conference proceeding, or appears in or will appear in any other publication before the editorial process at TCBB is completed, the paper will be automatically rejected. Papers previously published in conference proceedings, digests, preprints, or records are eligible for consideration provided that the papers have undergone substantial revision, and that the author informs the Transactions Assistant at the time of submission. The question regarding concurrent submission appears on screen 1 in Manuscript Central. Concurrent submission to these Transactions and other publications is viewed as a serious breach of ethics and, if detected, will result in immediate rejection of the submission. We do not accept duplicate submissions of manuscripts. If you need to notify us of significant changes to the paper, please email the TCBB Assistant. Please do not attempt to upload modified versions of papers that are already in Manuscript Central. Identical submissions will be immediately rejected. back to top ### Preliminary/Conference Version(s) If any portion of your submission has previously appeared in or will appear in a conference proceeding, you should notify us at the time of submitting, make sure that the submission references the conference publication, and supply a copy of the conference version(s) to our office. Please also provide a brief description of the differences between the submitted manuscript and the preliminary version(s). You must select the appropriate designation for the files on screen 11, step 2 of the uploading process. The proper designation of files will help the assistant, editors, and reviewers with differentiating between the files Please be aware that editors and reviewers are required to check the submitted manuscript to determine whether a sufficient amount of new material has been added to warrant publication in TCBB. The IEEE Computer Society's guidelines specify that authors should only submit original work that has neither appeared elsewhere for publication, nor which is under review for another refereed publication. If you have used your own previously published material as a basis for a new submission, then you are required to cite the previous work(s) and clearly indicate how the new submission offers substantively novel or different contributions beyond those of the previously published work(s). Any manuscript not meeting this criteria will be rejected. Copies of any previously published work affiliated with the new submission must also be included as supportive documentation upon submission. back to top ### IEEE Review Process Statement The IEEE shall not accept or publish manuscripts in an archival journal without prior peer review. There shall be a review process of manuscripts by two or more independent referees who are conversant in the pertinent subject area. Editors of all regular technical periodical IEEE publications, except IEEE SPECTRUM and Society newsletters, shall follow the review process which shall be defined in the Publications Services and Products Board (PSPB) Operations Manual. Reviewers shall treat the contents of papers under review as privileged information not to be disclosed to others before publication. It is expected that no one with access to a paper under review will make any inappropriate use of the special knowledge which that access provides. Contents of abstracts submitted to conference program committees shall be regarded as privileged as well, and handled in the same manner. Periodicals which are published in cooperation with non-IEEE organizations shall be encouraged to have a review policy that ensures the quality of papers. This policy should be generally consistent with the IEEE review policy contained in Policy 6.10 and procedures which shall be specified in the PSPB Operations Manual. The review process shall ensure that all authors have equal opportunity for publication of their papers. Acceptance and scheduling of publication of papers in these periodicals shall not be impeded by added criteria and procedures beyond those contained in the review process. To view the operations manual, or read IEEE Policy Section 6-Publication Activities in its entirety, visit the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board page. back to top ### Requesting/Excluding Reviewers You must indicate the reason for requesting or excluding reviewers in the "comments to editor-in-chief" box on screen 9 of the submission process. back to top ### Double-Blind Review The peer review process assures the anonymity of the reviewers. You can request review in which your identity is also kept from the reviewers. This is called a double-blind review. Requests for a double-blind review should be clearly indicated on screen 1 of the submission process. It is your responsibility to ensure that all electronic files and materials submitted for double-blind review do not reveal your identity or the identities of contributing authors. This includes files submitted as supplemental material and preliminary/conference versions. back to top ### Length of Review Process The length of the review process varies between papers, and many factors affect the time it takes to review a paper. The time it takes for an associate editor to be assigned, and for available, qualified reviewers to be located, depends on the complexity and the type of material submitted for review. TCBB makes a concerted effort to keep the review time to a minimum that is consistent with keeping TCBB's reputation for quality and integrity. Each submission placed into review is sent to at least three reviewers, making one submission correspond to roughly three review requests. The review process may take approximately six months to be completed. Since we make an effort not to "over use" individual reviewers, we hope that you will make it a priority to help with the review of other TCBB submissions when we call upon you. back to top ### Submitting Final Publication Materials When your paper is accepted for publication, you will be sent a detailed guide and an author checklist designed to help you meet the final submission requirements. The guide describes acceptable text editors and specifies style and formatting requirements. Please consult this guide carefully to ensure proper submission format. Please note that all IEEE Computer Society Transactions papers are edited electronically; therefore, electronic materials are required for all final submissions. You will be required to submit your final publication materials by the due date given in the acceptance letter. To avoid delays in the publication process, please refer to the author checklist below when preparing your materials. For more detailed information on submitting your final publication materials (regarding graphics, file submission, etc.) please click here. Author Checklist one non-editable copy (.pdf or .ps) of your complete manuscript one editable copy (.doc or .tex) of your complete manuscript a complete manuscript includes: abstract keywords/index terms author affiliation data main text figures and tables (including captions and titles) footnotes, if any references* photo and biography of each author** (regular or survey papers only) a readme file including: complete contact information for each author, with corresponding author indicated, including mailing address with postal code email phone fax affiliation any notes regarding production signed copyright transfer form*** * Please do not send a .bib file, we only use .bbl files. Please include only those references pertaining to the paper you are submitting. ** We prefer photos in .tif, .jpeg, or .eps format at 300dpi and sized at 1"x1.25". *** The author, in providing a signed copyright form, understands that all copyrights in and to the above work are assigned to The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ("IEEE"). All text and figures must be owned and created by the author, except possibly for material such as text passages, figures, and data that clearly identify the original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required. Copyright clearance must be provided for the use of commercial or non-public domain images. The author represents that he/she has the power of authority to make and execute this assignment. Please direct questions to the TCBB Assistant. ### Online first publication model Please be advised that as of 1 January 2007, the IEEE Computer Society will move to an online first publication model, which means that your paper will be posted online shortly after you submit all publication materials. The PDF you submit will be stamped as a "Preprint" and sent to the IEEE for posting in Xplore. After your paper has been edited and you have reviewed your proofs, it will then be restamped as a "Rapid Post," indicating that the paper is complete with the exception of pagination. If for any reason you would prefer not to have your paper posted as a Preprint, please advise the Transactions Assistant immediately; otherwise, your paper will be submitted for online posting shortly after all materials are received. back to top ### Voluntary Page Charges and Reprints After a manuscript is accepted for publication, the author's company or institution is asked to pay a charge of $110 per printed page to cover part of the cost of the publication. Page charges for the IEEE Computer Society Transactions are not obligatory—payment is not a prerequisite for publication. However, the author will receive 100 free reprints if the charge is honored. Detailed instructions on paying page charges and ordering reprints are sent to authors at the time the manuscript is prepared for publication. Administration of page charges is handled by the IEEE Computer Society Publications Office in Los Alamitos, California. Please click here for further information about purchasing reprints. For additional information, please visit the IEEE Computer Society Web site or contact the TCBB Assistant. back to top ### Copyright Information The author is responsible for obtaining copyright releases and corporate and security clearances prior to submitting material for consideration. It is the IEEE's policy to assume that all clearances are granted when a paper is submitted. The copyright form should be printed out, reviewed, and signed and dated (by hand). To avoid delays and ensure that the form is kept with the correct manuscript, the top potion of the form should be completely filled out with the manuscript title, the names of each author, and the name of the publication to which the manuscript has been submitted. The original, signed form should be mailed to: TCBB Assistant IEEE Computer Society 10662 Los Vaqueros Circle Los Alamitos, CA 90720-2513 USA In order to avoid delays, we recommend that authors outside of the USA use a courier express service to send the form. For more information regarding IEEE copyright policies, please see Copyright & Trademark Information. back to top ### Copyrights and Author Responsibilities This paper by Harold Stone outlines basic author responsibilities in the area of copyright, re-use of material from your own previous publications and as well as publications by others. It also touches on issues of duplicate, simultaneous, and plagiarized publications. "All ... authors should be familiar with the guidelines summarized in Table 1 of this paper. Also, as recommended at the end of the paper, authors should actually read the copyright agreement that they sign." –Kevin Bowyer, emeritus EIC, IEEE TPAMI, 19 June 2000 back to top ### Contact Us TCBB Assistant IEEE Computer Society 10662 Los Vaqueros Circle Los Alamitos, CA 90720-2513 USA +1 714 821 8380 tcbb@computer.org back to top |