11/8/12

Author Instructions
Journals
Where to Submit Your Manuscript for Consideration:
Submit manuscripts via ScholarOne Manuscripts, the online manuscript submission
system for all ASTM International journals. You will be requested to provide the
following information and items:

For each author:

o The list of authors in order of appearance in the manuscript
o

First name, middle initial, and last name; also preferred title (e.g., Mr.,
Ms., Mrs., Dr., Prof.) (see the section on Authors Names in this
document for consistency)

Email address

Postal address, including department, mail stop and institution

Preferred telephone number and/or cell number

Areas of expertise (at least 3 words)

Paper title

Abstract

Subject-matter key words (3 or more required)

Suggested and/or excluded reviewers (include names, e-mail addresses, and

institutions of at least three)-This is optional but very helpful to the Editors in
the timely processing of your manuscripts.

Electronic files (prepared properly):

o

Cover letter (will be accessible to Editors and reviewers); describe what

makes your paper unique and worthy of publication in a technical
journal and any other information that will assist our Editors.

Manuscript (acceptable source files are Microsoft Word or LaTeX/REVTeX;

note that PDF files are not suitable as source files. Uploaded source files
are automatically converted by system software into a PDF file.)

Acceptable figure formats are Encapsulated PostScript (.eps as vector

graphics, using either Arial or Times Roman fonts) is preferred Tagged
Image File Format (.tif, lzw compressed), Portable Document Format
(.pdf), PostScript (.ps).

Application files: Corel Draw are not acceptable, Microsoft Word and
Powerpoint are acceptable.

Line shots (black and white figures) can also be submitted in Word (.doc)
format.

After registering and submitting information and files, you may use ScholarOne
Manuscripts to check on the status of your manuscript throughout the peer review
process.
Copyright Agreement
You will be required to electronically accept ASTMs Copyright Transfer Agreement
prior to submission. A government employee option is also available as a choice.
Types of Submissions
These include Technical Manuscripts, Technical Notes, Review Papers, Discussions,
Closures, Letters to the Editor, and Book Reviews. (See Appendix A for details)
How to Prepare Your Manuscript
For general format and style, consult the ASTM Style Manual. Papers will be
reviewed in accordance with ASTM Internationals peer review process and authors
may wish to review the specific questions used by reviewers (See Appendix B),
Manuscript. Includes the abstract, references, and captions, and should be neatly
typed in English, double spaced with at least 1" margins. It should be carefully
proofread by the author. The manuscript must be in good scientific American
English; this is the author's responsibility. Number all pages in sequence beginning
with the title and abstract page. The PDF creates a title page for the review proof
that includes the keywords and the abstract. Pages of the manuscript should be
arranged in the following order: text without the abstract or keywords,
acknowledgments, appendixes, references, tables with captions, list of figure
captions, and figures.
Length Requirements. The suggested number of word-equivalents is 10,000 for
Technical Manuscripts, 3,500 for Technical Notes, 10,000 to 20,000 for Review
Papers, and 2,000 for Discussions, Closures, Letters to the Editor, and Book Reviews.
Tables and figures of normal size should generally be counted as 250 word
equivalents each.
Commercialism Policy. It is ASTM's policy to avoid commercialism in all
publications. Therefore, use generic terms whenever possible. Capitalize trademarks
and trade names when used. Use the symbols and when appropriate. Include
the company name, city, and state in a footnote the first time used and capitalize
the trademark name throughout the rest of the paper.
"Previously Published" Policy. In order to maintain the integrity of the
publication process, the policy of ASTM and its Committee on Publications (COP)
forbids the publication of previously published material. For the purpose of this
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policy, "previously published" means published in a peer-reviewed, archival

document or electronic format such that the material can be easily referenced and
obtained. With limited exceptions, this definition would encompass any work that is
currently subject to copyright protection.
In order to be subject to this policy, the material in question need not be identical to
the previous publication, only substantially the same. The editor of the publication is
responsible for determining whether or not the material is "substantially the same"
in each case.
Exceptions to this policy can be granted only with approval of the Editor. Review
Papers that contain some previously published materials require permission from
the copyright holders.
When an exception is granted, or for Review Papers, all necessary waivers of
copyright permissions must be obtained by the author, submitted to ASTM in
writing, and cited in the publication with the copyright holder's permission. Multiple
publication or publication of work of others without written permission is
never acceptable. All cost for copyright permission is the responsibility of
the author.
Title. Should be as concise as possible but informative enough to facilitate
information retrieval. "Part I," or simply "I," will not be included as part of the title of
an article unless Part II has already been submitted for publication in the Journal.
Parts III, IV, etc., are likewise unacceptable unless the prior parts have already been
accepted or have appeared in this journal and are properly identified in the
references. Using Parts is discouraged as each paper must be able to stand on its
own merit.
Authors' names. In general, authors should strive for a consistent format of their
names in publications. This practice will facilitate indexing, avoid duplication, and
lessen ambiguities when other researchers are looking for work by a particular
author (e.g., Robert Smith, Robert K. Smith, R.K. Smith, Bob Smith). It would be best
to select one format for your name and use it consistently throughout your career.
Abstract. Should be self-contained (no footnotes). It should adequately describe all
subjects, major and minor, about which new information is given, and summarize
the conclusions and all results of general interest in the article. The abstract should
be written as one paragraph and should not contain mathematical equations or
tabular material. The abstract will be available in the ASTMs Standards and
Engineering Digital Library (SEDL) to assist researchers when considering their
interest in obtaining your manuscript.
Conflict of Interest. Authors are responsible for recognizing and disclosing any
conflict of interest that could be perceived to bias their work, acknowledging all
financial support and any other personal connections with any of the journal's
editorial board members.

Keywords: Provide at least 3 words that researchers would likely use to locate your
paper in ASTMs SEDL or any online search. This will also assist the editors in
assigning appropriate reviewers in a timely manner.
Equations. Should be neatly typed, punctuated, and aligned to bring out their
structure, and numbered on the right. Mathematical operation signs (equal to; lesser
than; greater than) should be placed at the left of the second and succeeding lines
in multi-line equations. Use a multiplication sign () rather than a centered dot,
except for scalar products of vectors. The solidus (/) should be used instead of builtup fractions in running text, and in display wherever clarity would not be
jeopardized. Use "exp" for complicated exponents.
Notation. Must be legible, clear, compact, and consistent with standard usage. All
unusual symbols whose identity may not be obvious must be identified the first time
they appear and at all subsequent times when confusion might arise. Superscripts
are normally set directly over subscripts.
Footnotes. For footnotes that appear in the text of the paper, use superior
numbers. The number scheme should start up from where the author affiliation
footnotes left off. For example, if on the first page there are two author affiliation
footnotes (1 and 2), then any footnotes on the following pages should pick up with
number 3. For footnotes in tables, use superior lower case Roman letters, beginning
with the letter "a," for each table. The footnotes should appear below the table.
References. All references must contain complete information to allow a reader to
find the cited materials and indexing services to populate their databases. See the
ASTM Style Manual for examples.
Website references must contain the title of the site, the URL, and the date you
viewed the site. If possible, also include the author, the date the information on the
site was written or posted, and any other pertinent information that will help the
reader find the reference. These should be kept to a minimum as URLs often are
removed or replaced.
Citing Standards. A standard from ASTM or other SDO mentioned in the text
should have initial caps and be typed without quotes or italics and include a
complete reference to the Standard. Example: "...this was the case according to
ASTM A252-98el." In the manuscript's reference section, the Standard should be
given as follows: ASTM A252-98el: Specification for Welded and Seamless Steel Pipe
Piles, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
1998 (See the ASTM Style Manual) .
NOTE: In the e-publication, any mention of an ASTM standard in the correct format
(ASTM A252-XXXX) will be linked to the latest version of the standard in the ASTM
Standards and Engineering Digital Library (SEDL) so the reader can view the
Significance and Use and Scope sections and purchase the standard if they wish.
Subscribers to the SEDL will be linked to the complete standard.

Tables. Separate tables (numbered with Arabic numerals in the order of their
appearance in the text) should be used for all but the simplest tabular material;
they should have captions that make the tables intelligible without reference to the
text. The structure should be clear, with simple column headings giving all units.
Unaltered computer output and notation are generally unacceptable. Authors should
make every effort to prepare tables in Portrait rather than Landscape layout to
assist online readers.
How to Prepare Your Figure Files (Acceptable Figure Formats are on page
1 of these instructions)
Please adhere to the following guidelines when preparing your figure files for
submission:

Reviewers and the editor will be asked to recommend improvement or

elimination of poor quality, illegible or irrelevant figures.
Number figures in the order in which they appear in text with corresponding
number in the main text.

Label all figure parts with (a), (b), etc. using the same font.

Each figure should be prepared for 100% reproduction.

Avoid small open symbols that will fill in and avoid small lettering.

Use a minimum of 8-point type size (2.8 mm high; 1/8 in. high) for lettering
and 0.5-point width for lines.

Ensure that lettering and lines are dark enough, and thick enough, to
reproduce clearly.

All photographs must have an indication of scale to be acceptable for

publication.

Figures should remain embedded in the Word article file. However, they must
also be uploaded separately.

When preparing figures that will appear in color online and in black and white
in any printed format, authors must ensure that (i) the figures will reproduce
well when printed in black and white and (ii) descriptions of figures in text,
captions, and legends will be sufficiently clear for both print (black and white)
and online (color) versions. Use shapes or patterns if necessary to convey the
meaning clearly in color and black and white.

It is best if there is only ONE figure per file but a single file with all figures is
acceptable. Each figure file should contain all parts of the figure. For example,
if Figure 1 contains three parts (a,b,c), then all parts should be combined in a
single file for Figure 1.

Set the correct orientation for each graphic file.

Settings: Set the graphic at least 600 dpi resolution for line art, 300 dpi for
halftones, and 600 dpi for combinations (line art + halftone)
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Save line art as black/white bitmap, not grayscale.

Save halftones and combinations as grayscale, not black/white bitmap.

If selecting a file mode, use RGB (red, green, blue) for color online or CMYK
(cyan, magenta, yellow, black) for color in print

Excel charts and graphs are considered figures. Upload them as figure. The
use of color in graphs should also be clear to the reader if printed in black and
white.
(NOTE: Tables should be incorporated into the article text unless they contain
a graphic or Excel chart or graph.)

Provide written permissions for all figures for which you are not the copyright
holder (unless the material is in the public domain.) A sample letter to
copyright holders in available as Appendix C for your use. Any cost for
copyright is the responsibility of the author. The citation of the copyright
holder is required either as a reference to the figure or in the figure caption.

Editorial Process Overview

The manuscript submission and peer review process is broken down into the
following 7 basic steps:
1.
2.

The author submits a manuscript for publication in a journal.

The editor assigns reviewers.

3.

The assigned reviewers review the manuscript, and submit their comments to
the editor.

4.

If revisions to the manuscript are required, the author is sent the reviewers'
comments and may resubmit a revised manuscript. See details regarding the
revision submission process below.

5.

The editor may request a second review but makes the final decision
regarding publication of the manuscript.

6.

The author is contacted with the decision.

7.

After final acceptance, the manuscript will be edited for grammar, style, and
format. The corresponding author will get the edited version and formatted
proof to check prior to publication.

Revised Manuscript Submission Process

Before submitting a REVISED manuscript package, please gather the following
information and items:

Revised title if changed,

Revised abstract (will be auto-filled from your initial manuscript),

Author response letter file or text box, for your response to the comments
from each reviewer,
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The most current manuscript or article-text file, if it has revisions compared to

the previous submission.

Only send revised figure files. Figures that have not been revised will
automatically move forward with your revised file.

The manuscript resubmission process proceeds through the same series of screens
as before (see the sequence of screens described above in the Submission Process).
There are some important differences:

Begin by clicking click here to submit your revised manuscript

NOW, the screen is a submission form presenting previously submitted data
for author(s), title, abstract, etc. This data can be edited.

In addition, the file set for the previous version will be "copied forward" for the
revised version. These files will be presented to you for replacement, deletion,
or addition of a file on one of the screens after the submission-form screen.
Add the new author response at that time.

At the bottom of the submission form, simply leave the quantity values (# of
files) as they are (unless a figure has been added or deleted) and proceed
directly to the "Save and Continue" button.

Please double check that each file included in the merged PDF represents the
current version.
Citing Your Work
When citing your ASTM paper in other works, follow these guidelines:
Authors Last Names followed by First Name, Title of Paper, Title of Journal, Vol. #,
Issue # (if any), Year, page range.
Checking a Manuscript's Status; Viewing Manuscript Files
After you have approved the file upload and conversion for your manuscript
submission, you may obtain the status of your manuscript files at any time by:

Logging into the system with your user name and password at
http://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/astm-gtj For the Geotechnical Testing Journal
http://me04.manuscriptcentral.com/astm-jte - For the Journal of Testing and
Evaluation

http://me04.manuscriptcentral.com/astm-mpc -- For
Characterization, or

Materials Performance and

http://me04.manuscriptcentral.com/astm-acem For Advances in Civil Engineering

Materials

(If needed, enter your email address into the " Password Help. Box" at the Login screen
to receive your login name and a new temporary password. This email will be sent
to the email address that you have previously provided. If you no longer have
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access to that email account, please click here.) At the Welcome screen, click on the
Corresponding Author Center

View your dashboard. Your submitted manuscript will appear in one of the
queues under the header, My Manuscripts

1 Unsubmitted Manuscripts
0 Resubmitted Manuscripts in Draft
0 Revised Manuscripts in Draft
1 Submitted Manuscripts
0 Manuscripts with Decisions
0 Manuscripts I Have Co-Authored
0 Withdrawn Manuscripts
0 Invited Manuscripts

Clicking on the appropriate queue with a number next to it, if it is 0, there is

nothing in that queue, if it is 1 or more, clicking on the link trigger a display
of the manuscript(s) in that status, their Manuscript ID, Manuscript Title, Date
Created, Date Submitted status, i.e. the action currently being performed. You
also have the ability to View a PDF of the submission by clicking the View
Submission link.

Navigation and Getting Help

The upper left corner of every page displays a bread crumb trail of your
navigation within the system, please use those links rather than your browsers
arrow keys to navigate the system.
The upper right corner of every page has four links to service your account and Get
Help:

Edit Account: allows you to edit your user account

Instructions and Forms: access to Author Instructions, Copyright Agreement,
etc.

Log Out: log out of the ScholarOne Manuscripts session

And Get Help Now, access to ScholarOnes FAQ database, live 24 hour
Monday-Friday support help desk by email and phone, and online training
videos.
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Contact Editorial Office

Heather Blasco
ASTM Journals
J&J Editorial Services
320 North Salem Street, Suite 205
Apex, NC 27502
USA
919-267-6831
email: heather@jjeditorial.com
Reference must be made to the Manuscript ID #, title, author, and journal in all
correspondence.

Appendix A
Types of Submissions

Technical Manuscripts

Technical manuscripts are full-length papers that significantly contribute to the

technical literature and should be of interest to testing professionals and/or
researchers. They must include a review of past work in the relevant area, and
should present information of current interest or probe new fields. Review papers
are also sought that provide historical context and technical development in a field
of interest to ASTM International. The suggested number of word-equivalents is
10,000 for papers.
Review Papers
Review Papers are written by one or more authors to survey the primary sources
that contribute to the current state of research on a particular topic. A review paper
typically synthesizes and references key relevant papers on a selected topic and
presents a coherent view of the state of the art as it now stands. The author of a
review should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the literature and as a
result formulates a useful analysis of it. While authors of review papers do not
present new research, they are expected to provide a new perspective. Review
papers usually incorporate some of the following elements: recent major research
advances and discoveries, significant gaps in the current research, current debates,
and ideas of where research might go next.
Review papers can be submitted for consideration but it is highly recommended that
an abstract be discussed with the journal editor prior to full submission.
Technical Notes
Technical notes are shorter than technical papers, approximately 3,500 words, and
must also include a review of past work in the relevant area. Technical notes may be
used to present preliminary or partial results of research, limited research results,
innovative equipment or methods, and/or proposed modifications of testing
standards.
Discussions
Discussions present significant comments or questions about the technical content
of a previously published technical paper or technical note published in a journal.
They must be submitted during a 6-month period following the date of publication of
the paper or note. Discussions should not simply repeat or emphasize material
published elsewhere, advocate special or commercial interests, controvert
established fact, or be purely speculative. Discussions follow the requirements for
other manuscripts except that they do not have abstracts, introductions, or
conclusions. The Editor(s) will determine whether a discussion is appropriate for
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publication, and if so, will forward the discussion to the author(s) of the original
paper for a Closure to be written. Be sure to include the authors names, paper title,
journal, and paper ID number. The suggested number of word-equivalents is 2,000
words.
Closures
Closures are written by the author(s) of an original paper or note in response to a
Discussion. The author(s) addresses and clarifies issues raised in the Discussion and
provides conclusions to the issues. Closures and discussions are published together
and linked to the original paper online. The suggested number of word-equivalents
is 2,000 words.
Book Reviews
Book reviews assess new books whose content is judged important by the journal
Editor. They summarize the work, illuminate its strengths and weaknesses, and
place it in context with existing literature. Reviews are limited to 2,000 words and
are usually written upon request by the Journals editor(s).
Errata
Errata are corrections of errors that appear in published manuscripts, notes,
discussions, etc. and linked to the original paper online.
Length Requirements. The suggested number of word-equivalents is 10,000 for
Technical Manuscripts, 3,500 for Technical Notes, 10,000 to 20,000 for Review
Papers, and 2,000 for Discussions, Closures, Letters to the Editor, and Book Reviews.
Tables and figures of normal size should generally be counted as 250 word
equivalents each.
The editor may waive these restrictions to encourage papers on topics that cannot
be treated within these limitations. Review papers concerned with a large topic area
may be longer in order to adequately cover the topic. Justification for longer
manuscripts should be provided and permission received from the Journals Editor.

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Appendix B
Specific Questions for the Peer Reviewers
In accordance with criteria set by the ASTM Committee on Publications, the
acceptance
of papers must be determined by the following:
A = Acceptable as is
O = Optional Revision
M = Mandatory Revision
R = Rejection
Specific Questions:
1.) Is the title descriptive and concise?
2.) Does the paper contribute to the permanent literature or to the immediate
interests of
the technical community?
3.) Are all descriptions of commercial products, or their use, objective and not
presented
in an advertising manner?
4.) Is the paper acceptable in literary form and structure, continuity of thought, and
logical development?
5.) The substance of the paper shall not have been published unless the paper is
clearly
defined as a review paper. Does the paper meet this requirement?
6.) Is the paper concise, yet thorough? If condensation is required, please specify
exactly
which material is extraneous.
7.) Are the results properly correlated with pertinent work in the field, and has that
work
been referenced thoroughly?
8.) Are the figures of legible quality, with clear, crisp labels? Now is the time to
suggest
new/better figures based on what you see in the manuscript. Are the illustrations
relevant
and adequately explained? (An indication of scale is required in all photographs and
all
figures should be legible in color and black and white.)
9.) Are the trend curves properly drawn to conform with the data?
10.) Are the materials tested, the testing conditions, and the test results sufficiently
described to permit other investigators to check the procedures and the
conclusions?
11.) Are the conclusions reasonable, succinct, and consistent with the data?
12.) Do all references provide sufficient information to enable the reader to obtain
copies?
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Appendix C
REQUEST FOR PERMISSION
Date:
TO: (copyright holder)
FROM: (author)
I am preparing material for a publication titled:___________________to be published by
ASTM International.
I hereby request copyright permission for non-exclusive
worldwide rights, in all languages, to include the following material in this
publication(s) and all future editions and revisions thereof, in all formats including
CD-ROM, internet, and other electronic media:
(List material to be republished and source of the material. Also include a
copy
of
the
material
if
possible.)
_______________________________________________.
A credit line to acknowledge the use of your material will be noted. If you have a
preferred credit line, please indicate below.
If permission is granted, please complete, sign and return this form to my attention.
A copy is enclosed for your files. By signing this release, you hereby grant ASTM
authority and discretion to grant permission for others to copy or reproduce the
figures.
Please return this form to the address below at your earliest convenience.
Authors name
Address
Email address
I (copyright holder) grant permission for the use requested above.
Authorized Signature: ___________________________

Date: _____________________

Printed Name and Title: _____________________________________________________

Company: __________________________________
Address:

__________________________________
__________________________________

Preferred Credit Line:____________________________________________________________

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