NEW LaTeX DOCUMENT CLASS FOR BIOMETRICS AVAILABLE AS OF APRIL 2007

Blackwell Publishing, the publisher of Biometrics, has provided a new LaTeX document class, <biom.cls (save this file with the name biom.cls)  This version is new as of 23 May 2007 and has been modified to center the text vertically on an 8" x 11.5" page when used with the referee option. All other features remain the same.>. By default, the document class will produce manuscripts formatted in the two-column style of published articles in Biometrics.  HOWEVER, THE DOCUMENT CLASS HAS AN OPTION "referee" THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCE YOUR MANUSCRIPT IN THE PREFERRED JOURNAL SUBMISSION FORMAT OF 25 LINES PER PAGE, WITH 1 INCH MARGINS AND 12 POINT TYPE, IN ONE COLUMN.  ALL SUBMISSIONS TO BIOMETRICS SHOULD USE THE referee OPTION.  MANUSCRIPTS IN TWO-COLUMN FORMAT WILL BE RETURNED TO THE AUTHOR(S) FOR REFORMATTING.

The referee option is invoked in the documentclass statement of your LaTeX source document as follows:

\documentclass[referee]{biom}

Other options may also be included within the brackets.  PLEASE REVIEW THE USER GUIDE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE USE OF THE referee OPTION.

Use of the document class for submission to Biometrics is optional, and the distribution, which is described in more detail below, is provided without guarantees.  However, if you are a LaTeX user, we encourage you to try it.  Although it has been tested, as it is new as of April 2007, we anticipate that there may still be glitches. If you encounter any problems, please send an e-mail to biometrics@tibs.org describing the problem (and include the LaTeX source as an attachment if possible), and we will forward the problem to Blackwell for diagnosis.  Ultimately, we hope that all submissions prepared using LaTeX will use the document class, which will help to speed the appearance of accepted articles in the journal.

We assume that users of the document class are familiar with LaTeX. PLEASE DO NOT WRITE TO US FOR HELP WITH LaTeX; limit your communications to specific problems with the document class.

The two-column format is provided so that you can view your manuscript with figures and tables embedded as it would appear if it were to be published in Biometrics in order to assist you in gauging its length. If your article in this format is longer than 10 journal pages, it is likely too long, and you may wish to consider shortening it and/or removing some figures or tables to a Supplementary Web Appendix.  If the text of your manuscript using the referee option exceeds 25 pages, then this is also a sign that you may wish to streamline and/or remove parts of the presentation to supplementary material.

Supplementary materials may be prepared using any format you choose but should adhere to the 25 lines/page, 12 point type convention.  Use of the document class for this purpose should be via the referee option.

The distribution consists of the following:

The document class <biom.cls (save this file with the name biom.cls) This version is new as of 23 May 2007 and has been modified to center the text vertically on an 8" x 11.5" page when used with the referee option. All other features remain the same.>

A detailed User Guide <biomguide.pdf>

A sample LaTeX source document <biomsample.tex - save this file with the name biomsample.tex> and figure <mouse.eps>

The bibliography style file has been updated to correct a bug that caused author lists of three or more authors to not appear as "First author et al." as the journal style dictates even though \cite commands in natbib were used as described in the User Guide.  The updated version works correctly as described in the Guide.

A bibliography style file <biom.txt - save this file with the name biom.bst> for authors who use BibTeX to produce reference lists and citations

An alternative version of the sample document <biomsample_bib.tex> that uses BibTeX and biometrics.bst, and the accompanying bibliography file <biomsample.bib.bib - save this file with the name biomsample.bib.bib>

A second sample LaTeX source file <biomsample2.tex> and figures <tteken185.eps> <tteken21.eps> (this source produces an article previously published in Biometrics)

A template LaTeX source document <biomtemplate.tex> that authors may find useful as the basis for creating their own manuscripts

A special style file <endrotfloat.sty - save this file with the name endrotfloat.sty> for use with the document class (needed only if you are producing tables in landscape format; see the User Guide).

Link to the natbib package http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/help/Catalogue/entries/natbib.html#Docs (See the User Guide)

Link to the rotating package http://tug.ctan.org/cgi-bin/ctanPackageInformation.py?id=rotating (See the User Guide)