camera-ready submissions instructions

Author Instructions for ACL 2019

(These instructions are adapted from previous ACL conferences. Thanks to Daniele Pighin, Yuval Marton, Wei Lu, Kevin Gimpel, and Shay Cohen.)

When and where do I send my final camera-ready paper?

The deadline is June 3, 2019 (at 11:59pm, UTC-12 hours, “anywhere on Earth”). You may submit the final version of your paper by navigating to the ACL 2019 START login and following the internal links.

How should the final copy differ from the original submission?

The camera-ready version of your paper should incorporate the comments of the reviewers as well as other changes you see fit to make. In addition, be sure to do all of the following:

  • Ensure that your paper conforms to the provided styles, font and page size.
  • Include the authors' names and affiliations under the title. Note that the list of authors should be identical to the list specified when submitting the paper.
  • De-anonymize references to your own work in the body of the paper.
  • Where appropriate, add acknowledgments for colleagues, reviewers, and grants. Please note that the acknowledgement section should fit within the allowed page boundaries (9 pages of content for long papers, 5 pages of content for short papers) and be in the same font as the rest of the paper.
  • Ensure that all tables, graphs, and figures are readable at standard resolutions.
  • If you have supplemental material (including written material, data, and/or code) ensure that all the components are put at the right place (more on that below).

Where does the supplemental material go?

Supplemental material can be divided into two types: appendices and non-readable supplemental material.

  • Appendices are material that can be read, and include lemmas, formulas, proofs, and tables that are not critical to the reading and understanding of the paper. In your final camera-ready paper, appendices come after the references in the main paper (see the ACL 2019 style files for an example). Appendices do not count towards the page limit.
  • Non-readable supplemental material (data, software, all other material) is uploaded separately.

How long can it be?

Long papers are permitted at most 9 pages of text while short papers may use up to 5 pages of text. Please use the extra space to help address reviewer comments. For both long and short papers, there is no page limit for references or appendices.

What is the format for the camera-ready copy?

The file must be in Portable Document Format (PDF) on A4 paper. We require the use of ACL LaTeX style files or Microsoft Word Style files tailored for this year's ACL conference. You can view the style files and detailed formatting instructions on the web.

If you are using LaTeX, please create the PDF file with pdflatex or xelatex. This ensures use of the proper Type 1 fonts and also takes advantage of other PDF features. You will have the best results using a modern LaTeX distribution, in particular, TeX live. Using the geometry package to set the A4 format is recommended.

What if my paper includes graphics?

Remember that you are providing a camera-ready copy. Thus, artwork and photos should be included directly in the paper in their final positions. Ideally, you should use vector graphic formats (PDF, EPS), which allow the graphics to scale arbitrarily. Avoid GIF or JPEG images that are low resolution or highly compressed.

Your paper must look good both when printed (A4 size) and when viewed on screen as PDF (zoomable to any size, color okay). Thus, you may want to use color high-resolution graphics, allowing readers to zoom in on a graph and study it. However, please check that the same graph or photograph is legible when printed and in a PDF viewer at different resolutions.

Don't go overboard on resolution; keep file sizes manageable. Note that vector graphics (e.g., encapsulated PostScript) look good at any scale and take up little space (unless you are plotting many thousands of data points).

What about copyright?

When you submit the paper, you will be asked to sign the ACL Copyright Transfer Agreement on behalf of all authors, either electronically (via the START Conference Manager) or physically. Authors retain many rights under this agreement and it is appropriate in the vast majority of cases. Please contact the publication chairs Douwe Kiela and Ivan Vulić with any concerns regarding copyright.

Before signing this form, please confirm with your co-authors (and, if applicable, your and their employers) that they authorize you to sign on their behalf.

What if my paper's title or other metadata has changed?

Please note that your name will appear in conference metadata as you have configured it in START, so make sure that it is correct there (e.g., capitalization, full name, etc). You can change this on the user settings page of the START conference manager, under "User" > "Account Information" > "Update Profile". You can change the title of the paper on the camera-ready submission site. In case you have questions concerning the changes in the list of authors, contact the program chairs, Anna Korhonen and David Traum, at acl2019pc@gmail.com.

My question isn't answered here…

Please email the publication chairs, Douwe Kiela and Ivan Vulić.