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SO ... YOU WANT TO PUT OUT A REPORT

by

Connie Stanley
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So, you want to put out a report.  In that case, you'll probably find the
following information useful.

* WHAT DO I NEED TO DO FIRST?
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Well, you've probably already got a title for it, so what you need now 
is an abstract, a CLOSE approximation of the page count (as close as you can 
give if it isn't finished yet), any other numbers it might be listed under (such 
as AIM-, HPP-, etc.), and a list of the agencies sponsoring the report.

When you've got all this information, you can take it to the Publications
Coordinator for a STAN-CS- number, an authorization form, and to have it put on 
the next available abstract listing.

* WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES, IF ANY, FOR ABSTRACTS?
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The only limit is to the length of an abstract.  PLEASE BE REASONABLE.
In otherwords, give just the general idea of what's in the report and save the 
details for the report itself.  A good length is somewhere around half a typed 
page.

* HOW OFTEN DO ABSTRACT LISTINGS GO OUT?  WHAT ARE THE DEADLINES?
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Our current system for handling reports is set up to process a MAXIMUM
number of 17 reports per abstract listing (with NO minimum number).  Abstracts
will be mailed during their scheduled months REGARDLESS of the number of reports 
scheduled to be listed on it.  This means that even if there are only 5 reports 
to be listed (which isn't likely), it will NOT be held up until we get 12 more.

Also, when a particular abstract listing reaches the maximum number (17
reports), IT WILL BE CLOSED even if the deadline has not yet been reached.  Any 
report coming in after the listing is closed will automatically go on the next 
listing.  There will be NO exceptions to this rule.

Abstracts go out every other month on the following schedule:
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	month of listing	deadline for submitting abstract
	--------------------------------------------------------
	     February			last day of January
	     April			last day of March
	     June			last day of May
	     August			last day of July
	     October			last day of September
	     December			last day of November
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This is our "permanent" publishing schedule (more or less).  We TRY to keep as
close to it as possible, but mailings can and will vary from time to time.

* ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR RULES ABOUT WHAT GETS PRINTED AND WHO REQUIRES WHAT?
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Yes, there certainly are.  There is absolutely no way you can get around
printing up a certain number of hardcopies.  The number of hardcopies required 
varies depending on the agencies sponsoring the report.  
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	number of copies	for
	------------------------------------------------------------
		 1		the archives
		25		for EACH author listed on the report
		25		for the Computer Forum
		25		for the Library Exchange
		 5		NASA
		 3		NSF
		15		Army
		 6		IBM
		15		ARPA
		43		ONR
		 7		DOE
		40 (apx.)	in-house distribution
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The above figures are used to determine the MINIMUM number of hardcopies we can
get by with.  This "usually" runs about 200 copies.

Then, if you intend to make the report available in hardcopy to the 
"world in general" (meaning the people we send the abstract listings too, which
is about 1,500 people), you have to figure on another 150-200 copies (determined
by individual author popularity).  So, if you're pressed for funds, you'll want 
to list the report on the abstract as "Available in microfiche only."  This will 
cut your costs somewhat.

* WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR 25 FORUM AND 25 LIBRARY COPIES?
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You don't, and you're not.  The Computer Forum pays for its 25 copies, 
and the 25 Library Exchange copies are paid for by the CS Publications Fund.

* WHAT DO I NEED TO PRINT THE REPORT?  WHAT FORMAT SHOULD I FOLLOW?
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What we need to give to the printers is one good, clean, clear and sharp
copy.  If you're using the XGP to print the master copy, be sure you check the 
quality of the output for EACH page.  Are there any breaks in the letters, fade-
outs, streaks, globs of imager, missing words?  If so, you should run another 
copy of it.  You can then take the "best" pages from each one in order to get 
"all" of the pages looking right.

BEWARE:  If you run your copies on different days, there "may" be a
difference in the darkness of the print.  If there is "too" great a difference, 
it is going to show up in the quality of the printing job (through no fault of
the printers).

The format you choose to follow is strictly up to you (or your sponsor's
requirements).  However, it SHOULD contain the following:  a title page, an 
abstract, and a table of contents (if applicable).  

The pages should most definitely be numbered.  We suggest that you number
them in the MIDDLE of the page (top OR bottom of the page, makes no difference).  
This is because we print the reports two-sided with chapters starting on right-
hand side.  Now if you've forgotten to allow for ANY POSSIBLE blank pages, it 
will throw the layout off.

You will want to give consideration to copyrighting your paper.  This is
a definite MUST if it is your thesis.  It is simple enough to do.  Just put the
copyright symbol, the month and year, and "by" your name.  For example:
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C September 1979 by Connie Stanley

It should be placed so it appears on the backside of the title page near the 
bottom.

Another thing to take into consideration is that any report over 100
pages in length will be printed in reduced format.  What we do is optically 
reduce the page size so we can get 2 pages on one side of a sheet of paper.  
This cuts the amount of paper we have to use in half, and also cuts the cost in 
half.  So, if you're going to have a long report, you might want to remember this
when you're picking out a font size.  It should be large enough so that when 
reduced it doesn't shrink to something completely unreadable.

* WHAT KIND OF LEADTIME DO THE PRINTERS NEED?  IN OTHERWORDS, WHEN DO I HAVE
TO TURN IN THE MASTER COPY OF THE REPORT FOR PRINTING?
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That all depends on a number of factors.  The reports are mailed accord-
ing to a flexible schedule.
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	month listed on abstract	month report is mailed out
	----------------------------------------------------------
		February			April
		April				June
		June				August
		August				October
		October				December
		December			February
.end

How closely we follow this schedule depends on if we have everything we
need back from the print shop and Kodak.

It can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to get a report back from the
printers.  If the print shop isn't busy we can get it back in record time.  How-
ever, if they are swamped (like say at the start of the quarter) or they get a 
"rush" job in (a proposal or classnotes) it will take longer because they will 
set our reports off to the side to do the rush job first.

The lead time for getting the microfiche printed must be considered too.
To have microfiche made, we send the advance copy of the report (which we get
from the printers just before the final assembly and binding is done) to Eastman 
Kodak in San Francisco.  Kodak uses this unbound copy to shoot their fiche masters.  
In general, it takes about 1 month to get something back from Kodak.

* I HAVE THE MASTER COPY OF MY REPORT ALL READY TO GO.  WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?
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You give it to the Publications Coordinator.  Once you've handed it over
you can pretty much forget about it.  The Publications Coordinator takes care of
setting up a cover, filling out any and all forms the various sponsoring agencies 
might require, seeing it gets to the print shop, shipping the agencies their 
copies, etc.  

When the hardcopies come back from the print shop, your author copies 
will be pulled, and you will be notified to come pick them up.  You will also be 
getting your master copy back at this time.