IBVS - INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

SCOPE OF THE JOURNAL

IBVS publishes original short papers on every field of variable star research, and special papers: minima/maxima times of variables, short notes on observational results, and reports on newly discovered variables. Special papers, however, are subject of certain restrictions. The main factor that decides acceptance and the section the manuscript will be published is the information content. See the Editorial Note dated 2004 May 4th.

Guidelines for submitting papers on minima/maxima of variables and ephemerides

Only significantly new ephemeris is published. (See the announcement dated 2004 Nov. 22nd.)
Data mining results are published in the "Observations" section. (See the announcement dated 2004 Nov. 22nd.)
Minima times should be published with only the significant decimal digits. (See the announcement dated 2007 Apr. 10th.)
A group of observers can generally submit one list of times of minima/maxima every year. In case of very long lists two of them could be accepted yearly, provided that the number of times of minima/maxima exceeds 100 in both submissions.

Guidelines for submitting observations or discoveries

Visual observations, or those without filter are not accepted. (See the editorial note dated 2004 May 4th.)
New discoveries are published for astrophysically important cases only. (See the announcement dated 2005 Nov. 14th.)
For discovery reports we require well covered light curves, and determination of main parameters like type of variability, period, etc. Exceptions are made only in scientifically important cases, where no further observations are possible.
We ask you to specify which databases/catalogs were checked to ensure that the star has not been reported before.

The main factor in the acceptance of a paper is the scientific significance of the result. We can make exceptions in case of an astrophysically important discovery.

Guidelines for series of papers

Authors who intend to publish a series of papers with similar topic and structure should indicate their intentions at the submission of the first paper, and negotiate suitable format and conditions with the Editors.

The Editors

PAPER SUBMISSION

Authors can submit their papers to IBVS via ftp, http or e-mail. The preferred method is ftp, however.

To ensure that your mail gets through the spam filter, i.) register, (if you have not registered before, or your e-mail address changed) ii.) include "I.B.V.S." to the subject of the message.

Manuscripts are accepted in LaTeX format, using the IBVS style file (ibvs3.sty). You might need either of the following two auxiliary style file too: (ibvst.sty) or (ibvse.sty). ibvse.sty is used for papers publishing times of minima of variables. Use only the absolutely unavoidable TeX/LaTeX macros of your own. Plain ASCII files are also accepted in exceptional cases.

Papers describing simple observational facts can be submitted filling in the following ASCII text template: (template.txt). There is a LaTeX template available too: templ-t.tex.

Papers publishing minima times of eclipsing variables can be submitted filling in the following ASCII text template: (templat-e.txt). There is a LaTeX template available too: templ-e.tex.

Figures are accepted in PostScript and JPEG (if possible, send the figures in both format). CAMERA READY manuscripts are not accepted! The e-mail address is:

The subject should include "I.B.V.S."

You can send your paper to IBVS via ftp in the following way:

ftp ftp.konkoly.hu
login: anonymous
password:
cd pub/ibvs/manuscript
put your_file_name <- use UNIQUE file names (no fig1.ps please)!
dir <- please, check the file sizes
.
.

If you have a directory of yours under pub/ibvs/manuscript , use that. You can always ask for a "personal" directory. The use of UNIX tar archives is appreciated!

The IBVS style file was put there, you can get it also via ftp:

.
.
cd /pub/ibvs
get ibvs3.sty
bye

IMPORTANT:

WE KINDLY ASK YOU TO SEND A NOTE TO ABOUT THE PAPER SUBMITTED VIA FTP. (The subject should include "I.B.V.S.")

Authors remain holders of the copyright without restrictions. However, scientific ethics does not allow to publish the same paper more than once, as original articles.

REGISTRATION

Authors are asked to _register_ as users of the electronic version - just like other users. The database is used for statistical purposes, and also, registered users' addresses are whitelisted. Please, register again if your data has changed.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION: LAYOUT, FORMATTING, MACROS, STYLES

THE STYLE FILE

You can get the LaTeX style file from: ibvs3.sty , ( ibvst.sty and ibvse.sty) .

There is some explanation in the comments. You could use the following template file too:
templ3.tex . We recommend the use of LaTeX source of published issues as templates.

The IBVS LaTeX style file implements "silent" macros, which do not affect the appearance of the printed issue. Those macros are used for the automatic processing, in the HTML version, and by the databases and Bibliographic Information Providers, like CDS and ADS. The authors are asked to use those macros. Try to avoid TeX markup in the macro arguments!

SIMBADobj : in case the author knows the precise SIMBAD identification for the object in question. Silent macro, and if there are more objects, each should be held by a separate macro, in a separate line.

SIMBADobjAlias : In case the author knows two identifiers recognized by SIMBAD, i.e.

          \SIMBADobjAlias{RU Cam}{HD 56167}

SIMBADobjJ2000 : In the case the author knows an identifier recognized by SIMBAD, and the J2000 coordinates, i.e.

       \SIMBADobjJ2000{RU Cam}{07 21 44.12 +69 40 14.7}

SIMBADobjAliasJ2000 : In the case the author knows two identifiers recognized by SIMBAD and FK5 2000.0/2000.0 coordinates, i.e.

  \SIMBADobjAliasJ2000{RU Cam}{HD 56167}{07 21 44.12 +69 40 14.7}

GCVSobj : With a standard GCVS variable name as an argument, it produces a link to the electronic GCVS entry available from the Sternberg Astronomical Institute.

  \GCVSobj{RR Lyr}

NEDobj : With an object name recognised by the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database, it produces a link to the appropriate page at NED.

  \NEDobj{KUG 1620+368}

WEBDAobj: With a standard cluster name it produces a link to the cluster page of the WEBDA database in Vienna.

  \WEBDAobj{King 7}

Do not mix the different object macros: first insert one kind of macro (say, SIMBADobj) for all objects, then GCVSobj etc.:

  \SIMBADobj{BU Tau}
  \SIMBADobj{M 45}
  \GCVSobj{BU Tau}
  \WEBDAobj{M 45}

BIBCODE : Used if the reference is not resolvable by the standard on-the-fly HTML translation, and the author knows the exact bibcode of a paper he/she is referring to. Should be used in the "References" section, like:

 Arnold, B.Q., 1998, {\it ApJ}, {\bf 267}, 132. \BIBCODE{1998ApJ..277..132A}

This is a silent macro too.

The following silent macros indicate the presence of electronic-only files:
IBVSedata : plain ASCII text data file, or FITS file.
IBVSefigure : PostScript figures, i.e. finding charts, etc.
IBVSetable : large LaTeX tables
Use one macro for each file.

Example:

\IBVSedata{4811-t1.txt}
\IBVSedata{4811-t2.txt}

Rules for the IBVSauth macro: names should be written like:

\IBVSauth{First, A.U.; Second, T.H.; Third, O.R.}

The IBVSabs macro should be used like:

\IBVSabs{The IBVSabs macro holds the abstract.}

References should be laid down in a more or less standard way, to be able to produce links for the HTML version. Authors should conform the IBVS reference rules:

Author, N., [Second, A.,] year, {\it Journal}, {\bf volume}, page

For examples (especially for papers from conference proceedings), check the HTML version of IBVS. References should be separated by blank lines.

Silent macros should be handled in the following way: one macro - one argument should be preferred. Try to keep standard syntax - use the HTML edition as example. IBVSobj should be used when there is no SIMBAD name for the object. This macro is still useful for the creation of the Index/TOC. SIMBADobjAlias is the preferred, if SIMBAD identifiers do exist, and known by the author. Use either or the other macro, but preferably only one of them. The object macro should contain the identification of a particular object, not an object class, like "Northern Cepheids".

The authors are kindly asked to supply meta-information on their figures and data files.

IBVSfigKey has 3 arguments: file name, object name and keyword. For keywords use one of the following: light curve, finding chart, O-C diagram, spectrum, periodogram or other.

IBVSdataKey has the same arguments. For keywords use one of the following: photometry, sequence or other.

Example:

\IBVSfig{....
\IBVSfigKey{5448-f2.eps}{DT Sco}{light curve}
\IBVSedata{....
\IBVSdataKey{5404-t2.txt}{V524 Mon}{photometry}

FIGURES, TABLES, DATA FILES

We ask authors to submit the observational data their manuscript is based on. We accept such data in plain text and/or FITS format. Clear description of the data (columns in the table) is a requirement.

Data typeset in tables and plotted in figures should be submitted in plain text data files as well - this would facilitate data re-use, search and data mining.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTS ON NEW DISCOVERIES

Discovery notes should contain the following information, in a plain ASCII text file:

- Name(s) and affiliation(s) of the observer(s) (one line per person);
- Data on the newly discovered variable: coordinates, type of variability, period, epoch (for eclipsing binaries that of the primary minimum); magnitudeand photometric band;
- Cross-identifications.

Finding chart, light curve should be attached in PS and/or JPEG format. Mark scale and directions, and identify objects on the finding chart, and include object identification to the light-curve plot too. We ask the authors to submit their data files as well, in a plain ASCII text file. Data files should contain object name, observer, information on the telescope/detector/filter, columns should have proper headings.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTS ON NEW OBSERVATIONS OF VARIABLES

New observation reports should contain the following information, in a plain ASCII text file:

- Name(s) and affiliation(s) of the observer(s) (one line per person);
- Name of the variable;
- Brief remarks (max. 5 lines).

Figures should be attached in PS and/or JPEG format. Include object identification to the light-curve plot. Data files should be submitted in a plain ASCII text file, and should contain object name, observer, information on the telescope/detector/filter, proper headings are needed for the columns.

The Technical Editor

IBVS - INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

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