Abstract Submission Policies:  There are TWO separate deadlines for submission of abstracts. The first deadline (January 6) is for authors submitting hard-copy abstracts or electronic abstracts in a format other than PDF. The second deadline (January 13) is for those authors submitting in PDF format. Remember that first authors are limited in the number of abstracts they can submit to the conference. No more than TWO abstracts are allowed for oral OR poster presentation, and no more than ONE abstract is allowed for print-only presentation. In addition, authors submitting abstracts for print only may not submit an abstract for any other type of presentation.

File Size Restriction:  The number and complexity of abstract files submitted to this meeting have exhausted the resources available on a single CD-ROM, so we must restrict the sizes of files that can be submitted. Abstract files (regardless of file type) cannot be larger than 1 MB. If you attempt to submit a larger file, you will receive an error message, and your attempted submission will be rejected by the system.

General Instructions
Abstracts are limited to two pages, and must be submitted in one of the following formats: PDF (preferred); PostScript; Microsoft Word 97 or Word 2000 for PC; Microsoft Word 98 or Word 2001 for Mac; WordPerfect 7 or 8; or RTF.

Note:  Abstract files MUST include the title, authors, and affiliations, as shown in the templates. This information will NOT be extracted from the electronic submission form.

Download the appropriate template from the list provided. Using the format provided in the template, prepare your abstract for submission. YOU are responsible for the formatting and appearance of your abstract. Figures and tables must be placed in the file and therefore must be in digital format. We recommend that you use image file formats that provide acceptable resolution without being HUGE (for example, don't use a 1-MB TIFF file when a 250-K GIF file will do). Hard-copy line drawings AND photographs can be easily converted to high-quality digital format by using ordinary flatbed scanners and accompanying software. Please contact your systems administrator for assistance if necessary. Please read the note above regarding file size restrictions.

Paper Size
If you are submitting a PDF or PostScript file, and normally use A4 paper, you should set up your source file so that the resulting submitted abstract is formatted for U.S. letter size (8.5 by 11 inches).

Fonts
You are urged to use fonts common to Macintosh and PC platforms, i.e., Times, Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Arial for text; Symbol for mathematical symbols and Greek letters.

As an added bonus, the deadline for PDF submissions is not until January 13. To create a PDF file that can be read universally, and that stays within the file size restrictions mentioned above, you may need to modify some of the preferences in your Acrobat Distiller.

From within the Distiller, go to "Settings", then "Job Options". From the tab labeled "General":  Set your preferences to create files that are compatible with version 4.0. From the tab labeled "Compression":  Turn on all compression options (including compressing text and line art). Set "Quality" as desired (we use "Medium"). From the tab labeled "Fonts":  Turn on options to embed all fonts, and subset all fonts below 100%.

Following these guidelines will prevent our having to contact you to ask you to recreate your PDF file to eliminate a problem we had when we tried to process the file.

PostScript Files
LaTeX users can download the template and style file provided. The style file is written to use Times New Roman fonts. Instructions for downloading these fonts and installing them on your system are included in the template. If you do not have these fonts, the template will not work. If you do not use the Times Roman fonts, your abstract will be difficult to read on the screen. (To see an example of an abstract prepared without the correct fonts, click here.)

Asian Authors
We have experienced difficulty in translating files from Word for Asian format. After much testing and trial and error, we have determined that RTF files are the best solution to the problem. Go ahead and download the appropriate template for your machine, but when you're through with your abstract you should save it as an RTF (rich text format) file and submit that version.

Macintosh Systems
The occasional font problems we experience are almost always associated with Word files on a Mac. To avoid this problem, after downloading the template, make sure the text of the template is in Times New Roman, and NOT New York.

Submitting Your Abstract
After you have prepared the file containing your abstract, you are ready to submit it. Your file MUST be on the same machine as your Web browser, and you cannot leave the file open or the data will not transfer successfully. Go to the electronic abstract submission form and follow the instructions. Once you have completed the form and have clicked on the "Submit to LPI" button, the system will respond with a screen that informs you that your abstract has been successfully submitted and assigns you an abstract number. WRITE DOWN this abstract number and refer to it in any correspondence with us regarding your abstract. If you don't see the confirmation screen within a reasonable amount of time (no more than 10 minutes), or if you have any questions or need further assistance, please phone the LPI at 281-486-2142 or -2188, or send an e-mail message to publish@lpi.usra.edu.

NO REVISIONS ACCEPTED! Proof your abstract file VERY carefully before submitting it. We will NOT accept revisions or make corrections to abstracts submitted to this conference. If you submit duplicate versions of the same abstract, all versions except the first one will be discarded. If there are any technical problems with the content of your abstract (for example, your file was corrupted), our staff will be desperately trying to contact you immediately, so it is CRITICAL that you provide us with up-to-date contact information on the submission form. If you know that you will not be available to answer possible questions regarding your submission, please give us (in the comments box on the abstract submission form) the name of someone who can (and how we can reach them).

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