In Focus Author Guidelines

Article submission:
EE Times editors solicit In Focus articles. Those interested in submitting an article to an upcoming section must discuss their article ideas with the editor overseeing that section. To ascertain the appropriate editor to contact for information about submitting an article or for details on an In Focus topic, please check the 2004 online schedule at http://img.cmpnet.com/eet/mediakit/2004_edit_calendar.pdf or contact the In Focus editor, Patrick Mannion.

Content:
In Focus contributions are engineer-to-engineer discussions of issues/ problems that designers now face as a result of recent technological developments. In general, an In Focus article should discuss developments that are related to the focus topic, how they affect the EETimes reader (designers) and how the problem(s) can be overcome. The best way to write a problem/solution article is to be as non-product specific as possible: write about the nature of the problem followed by possible solutions and their pros and cons. Only then, after a balanced discussion, can an argument can be made for a specific solution that seems to achieve the best results, followed - space permitting - by a proposed physical implementation.

Most important to note is that a contributed article is not a place to hype a specific product's features and capabilities. It is a place to talk about technical challenges and solutions, in the context of (1) a proposed or new standard or one that is evolving; (2) how to use a particular architectural building block and the "gotchas" one may encounter in the design process; (3) how to incorporate new software tool or methodology to accelerate the design process.

There are a number of ways to discuss a new architecture, subsystem, software or tool:

(1) Turn your own product, architecture or software tool into an under-the-hood "how we did it" application story: Take the reader through the design process. Provide an under-the-hood view that is interesting to the engineering and programming audience: What design choices did you consider when you were still in the formative stages? What options did you choose (not choose) and why? What modifications did you make? How did you build the product? What tools did you use?

(2) Write a balanced article about all of the solutions available. If you have a particular bias, support your conclusion with the technical data, discuss the tradeoffs, timing and appropriate alternatives.

Style:Write modularly. Keep the text of the main article tightly focused on the topic and its development, with details on standards, specifications and specific product implementations in sidebars. Breaking up an article this way makes it easier to read.

It is highly advisable to work with editors to - (1)Make choices amongst a number of different story ideas; (2) Rough out the material to be included in a specific article in a discussion of the technology, product or methodology under consideration; (3)Break up what you want to write about into two or three article ideas, each shorter and to the point.

Advance preparation with the editor will ensure the article meets requirements and avoid duplication of content, which can lead to an article being axed from a section.

Timing: Typically, editors plan for contributed articles two to three months prior to the date of publication. While there are exceptions, it is important to contact an appropriate editor early to discuss opportunities, article ideas, and any important requirements or recommendations for upcoming sections.

Dual Print/Online Approach: The In Focus section has a dual print/online approach. While every effort will be made to get your article into print, because of space restrictions that may not always be possible. Those that don't get into print will appear online simultaneously with the print edition as Online Exclusives and will be promoted in the print edition as such.

In Focus Article Requirements

The following requirements must be met for an article to be published in the EETimes In Focus section.

Abstract: An abstract is required before article submission. The abstract should provide the editor with specific information about the author's goals for the article. It can be an outline that details major points that will be expanded upon in the article.

Article length: 800 to 1300 words

Bylined information. The article must have a title (suggested headline) and an author or authors, with individual names, titles, full company name, city, state and an e-mail address. As these are engineer-to-engineer discussions, titles must reflect that ie: No marketing titles allowed. Due to byline space restrictions, there is a limit of two authors per article.

Acronyms. All acronyms need to be spelled out the first time they are used. Any additional company mentioned in the article must include the full company name and location.

Art requirements. Only one piece of art is allowed per article. The art can be a drawing, schematic, table, code or a high-resolution photo. All acronyms need to be spelled out in the art.

Captions. Each piece of art must be accompanied by a caption, which should explain the details and components shown in the related piece of art and explain how they interact. Caption length is three sentences, max. The art and captions are considered to be self-contained entities. In particular, do not refer to or discuss drawings in the text of the article.

Submission procedures:

Abstract/Article. The abstract and article should be sent to the appropriate editor in Microsoft Word at an agreed upon deadline.

Art submission. The art should be sent to the editor in a separate file. It must be sent in one of following common formats: TIFF, GIF, JPG, PDF or PowerPoint. Only high-resolution photos (300 dpi or greater) can be used.

Editorial procedures. All articles and art are edited by EETimes staff editors and meet EETimes editorial procedures before publication. Copyright is under CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Thank you for your contribution to the EETimes In Focus section.

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