Manuscript Preparation Instructions

It is highly recommended that authors use the MRS Proceedings Template to format their papers.  This template includes the paper title format, author list format, and the proper headings, fonts, and spacing.  Simply begin typing in the appropriate sections, removing instructional and descriptive text.

A sample manuscript is available. Please use these guidelines with the example.

Use Microsoft Word to prepare your document. Word Perfect and RTF files can be handled, but are more prone to errors.  All manuscripts will be converted to PDF upon upload. 

  • Paper length limitations: Invited Speaker Papers — 12 pages; Contributed Oral or Poster Papers — 6 pages
  • Page size: 8-1/2" x 11" (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm). Please do not use A4 paper! 
  • Margins: top, bottom, left and right: all 1" (2.54 cm)
  • Font: Times New Roman 12 point
  • Page numbering: Do not use page numbering and do not otherwise insert page numbers.
  • Text:  Text should be typed single-spaced. However, if the paper includes numerous superscripts or subscripts, 1-1/2 spacing may be used. Double spacing should only be used before and after headings and subheadings as shown in the example.

    No spaces should be placed between paragraphs but the leading word should be indented by .3 inches 
  • Justification: Use left justification only.
  • Figures: Embed figures into the text in a manner that will be explained in detail later on in this document. If you are using color figures, please verify that they are readable and clear when printed in black and white.

The typical MRS proceedings paper will have the following elements: Paper Title, Author(s) and Affiliation(s), Abstract, Introduction, Theory or Experiment, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgments (optional), and References. The MRS Proceedings Template will help with proper formatting.

Title, Authors, and Affiliations: Please include titles, authors, and affiliations on the paper you upload.  Use upper and lower case letters for the title. Type the author names in the order you want them to appear in the final paper. Use first names, middle initial, and last names. Type the affiliations of the authors in the correct order and exactly as you want them to appear in the final manuscript. The paper you upload should contain the same title and author information as you enter into the paper submission website during the paper upload process.

Position of headings: (ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, THEORY, ETC.), See Example D in sample manuscript. Style of headings and subheadings should follow this format: Main headings in bold, all caps, and secondary headings should be bold and underlined, with initial cap on the first word only. See Example K. Use 12 point Times New Roman font and left justify. Double space after headings and subheadings. No spaces should be placed between paragraphs.

Tables, Figures, and Equations:  

To ensure proper flow of figures within the text:

  • Right click on your figure in Word and choose Format Object or Format Picture
  • Choose the Layout tab, and then choose the wrapping style "in line with text."
  • Avoid using frames, which increases the size of documents tremendously and may slow the manuscript upload process.

If you are using color figures, please verify that they are readable and clear when printed in black and white.

Tables and figures should be placed after their first reference in the text. Roman numerals should be used for tables and Arabic numerals for figures. Table captions should be centered above the tables. Figure captions should be centered below the figures or to the side, depending on the layout. Figure captions and reference to figures in the text of the paper must use the style of: Figure 1, Figure 2,etc.Bold figure references in the captions, but not in the text. See Example E. Scale markers should appear on all micrographs.

Each equation should be presented on a separate line from the text with a blank space above and below. The equation should be numbered at the outer right margin of the text; the equation number should appear in parentheses, e.g.,

CoSi2:RH = 2.7 x 10 -24                                       (1) See Example F

THEORY or EXPERIMENT

Numerical data and specific results must be presented. See Example G. Figure captions and table headings should be sufficient to explain the figure or table without needing to refer to the text. Figures and tables not cited in the text should not be included. It is expected that authors will submit carefully written and proofread material. Spelling and grammatical errors, as well as language usage problems, are not acceptable. It is recommended that non-English speaking authors have their work edited and proofread by someone fluent in English before submission of the paper to ensure that their results are clearly communicated.

URL LINKS

If URLs are used in references or as links (the latter for the electronic version of the proceedings), the author should address these issues:

  1. URLs and links (in electronic version) should be used judiciously and the author should ensure that the link adds value to the manuscript. Furthermore, such material should not serve as a substitute for crucial content that should be included in the body of the paper. A manuscript that cannot stand on its own without access to URLs or links will be rejected.
  2.  Because there is no guarantee that referenced URLs or links will be sustained, the author should include an appropriate disclaimer in, or at the conclusion of, the text indicating that the author does not guarantee the availability of such links. MRS suggests usage of the following disclaimer or appropriate derivative: "At the date this paper was written, URLs or links referenced herein were deemed to be useful supplementary material to this paper. Neither the author nor the Materials Research Society warrants or assumes liability for the content or availability of URLs referenced in this paper."

SPECIAL NOTE: Authors are responsible for obtaining all permissions to use URLs as links to their papers prior to submitting the paper for publication.
 

CONCLUSIONS or RESULTS

The Conclusions section should discuss results, summarize work presented, and offer conclusions with recommendations. It should not include data that is not previously presented in an earlier section of the paper.See Example H.
 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (OPTIONAL)

The Acknowledgments section should list funding sources for the specific work covered in the paper as required by sponsors or agencies. Personal acknowledgments may also be included. See Example I.
 

REFERENCES

The AIP reference style is recommended although other styles (such as IEEE or OSA) may be used. Style guides may be obtained directly from these organizations. The chosen style must be used consistently throughout the paper. Reference numbers in the text should be designated by square brackets, e.g., [1]. Book references should be complete and include the page number to which the author is referring. Journal references should include the complete author list (rather than "et al."), if possible. Proceedings references must contain sufficient information to enable the reader to identify and retrieve the referenced volume. References to classified or confidential/proprietary documents should be avoided wherever possible; private communication references should be used minimally. If necessary, comments can be made in the Reference section.See Example J.

Sample References 

COPYRIGHT FORMS

Copyright release forms must be signed and faxed to (724) 779-4396, emailed to eproceedings@mrs.org, or mailed directly to MRS at 506 Keystone Drive, Warrendale, PA 15086-7573, Attn: Proceedings Editorial Department. Papers cannot be published unless a signed copyright has been received by MRS. The copyright release form and instructions can be viewed and downloaded from the following web site:

http://www.mrs.org/proceedings-copyright 

SPECIAL NOTE: If co-authors are from different companies/institutions, one authorized signature is needed from each company/institution. All signatures may be on the same form or on separate forms. Please indicate the appropriate meeting, the year, and your paper number on the top of each form.

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