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Guide to Contributors

Instructions for the Preparation of a Paper for an IDRC Workshop

1. Introduction

You have been asked to prepare a paper for an IDRC-sponsored workshop. You have been told that your paper may become part of a future IDRC publication. So, how should your paper be put together? What should it include? How should it look? In short, what are the requirements for preparing a paper for an IDRC-supported workshop? In brief, your paper should be prepared as if you were submitting it for publication to a scholarly journal. Every journal, however, has different requirements. This guide outlines the requirements for IDRC.

2. What to Submit

Printed copy: Your printed copy should be typed double-spaced on one side of the page only (either 8½ x 11" or A4 size). If you will be circulating copies of your paper at the workshop, a single-spaced version should be prepared for photocopying.

Electronic copy: Your manuscript must also be submitted on diskette. IDRC works in a Windows environment and prefers submissions to be in WordPerfect on a 3½-inch diskette. Diskettes carrying electronic copies of your illustrations must be clearly labeled with the title of your paper, the name(s) of the author(s), and the software and platform used. For graphs and charts, it is important to provide the supporting data files.

Permissions: All necessary permissions must accompany the printed copy of your manuscript (see Publication of your Manuscript).

3. How to Structure your Manuscript

Title page: Page 1 of your manuscript is the title page. It must provide the following information: title and subtitle; names of all authors, with family names underlined; full titles and affiliations of all authors; full mailing addresses of all authors; and organization(s) that sponsored the research and relevant project numbers.

Abstract: Page 2 of your manuscript should contain a 100-word summary of the work.

Body text: The bulk of your manuscript begins on page 3. Your paper should follow standard scientific presentation: purpose and introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions and recommendations. However, this structure may differ depending on the requirements of the workshop and the terms of reference for your submission. Here are some style points to remember:

Acronyms and abbreviations must be defined at first mention in the text.

Units must follow the Système international (SI). If you cannot avoid non-SI units, please give the conversion to the correct SI unit. For currencies, clearly define any abbreviations given.

Footnotes should be avoided. Include pertinent material directly in the text. If footnotes are essential, number them consecutively through the manuscript with superscript numerals. A footnote must appear on the bottom of the page on which it is first cited.

Headings should be short and their level within the text should be easily distinguishable. Do not exceed three levels of headings after the manuscript title. For clarity, headings may be numbered.

Reference citations are made in the text using the "author date" system. Do not list citations as footnotes. List citations by year and, within years, by alphabetical order. For example: (Bardach 1982; Memon 1982; Leonard 1989, 1990; Smit 1989a,b) (see Reference List for the full bibliographic details of these citations). All text citations must be included in the Reference List.

Reference List: The Reference List immediately follows the last section of the "body text." All references cited in the text must be included in the Reference List. List references alphabetically according to the first author's family name. Please follow the sample provided here when putting together your Reference List. It is important that each entry be accurate and complete.

Sample refererence list:

Bardach, J.E. 1982. Food and energy problems of Third World cities. Paper presented at the Conference on Urbanization and National development, 21-23 January 1982. East-West Center, Honolulu, HI, USA. 20 pp.

Eberlee, J. 2001. Enhancing the role of traditional leaders in African
governance. International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, ON,
Canada. IDRC Reports, http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=874, cited 3 Mar. 2001.

Leonard, H.J. 1989. Environment and the poor: development strategies for a common agenda. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. 220 pp.

------ 1990. Managing Central America's renewable resources. International Environmental Affairs, 1(1), 38-56.

Memon, P.A. 1982. Wholesaling in Kenya 1830-1940. University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. PhD thesis. 550 pp.

Smit, B. 1989a. Likely impact of climate change on Canadian agriculture. In Topping, J.C., Jr., ed., Coping with climate change. Proceedings of the Second North American Conference on Preparing for Climate Change: A Cooperative Approach. Climate Institute, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 197-202.

------ 1989b. Climate warming and Canada's comparative position in agriculture. Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. CCD 89-01. 44 pp.

Tables: Place your tables after the Reference List. Number them consecutively with Arabic numerals and place each one on a separate page. All numbered tables must be referred to in the text. Provide a brief title for each table. Keep column headings and descriptive matter brief and do not use vertical rules between columns.

Figures: Place all figures after your tables. Number them consecutively with Arabic numerals and place each one on a separate page. All numbered figures must be referred to in the text. Provide a brief descriptive caption for each figure. If figures are supplied as hard copy only, they must be properly drafted originals; rough hand drawings are not acceptable. Also, please ensure that all terms, abbreviations, and symbols used in your figures correspond with those used in the text.

4. Publication of your Manuscript

The decision: Decisions on publication by IDRC are made through its Communications Committee. The Committee will decide on publication format, need for review, need for modification, marketing and distribution plan, and copublication.

Copyright: IDRC-supported authors should refer to their grant conditions or contract for copyright details. If you are required to transfer copyright to IDRC Books, you will be notified by the Managing Editor and asked to complete and sign an IDRC Transfer of Copyright form. Otherwise, you will be asked to complete and sign and IDRC Permission to Publish form. If you have any questions on the copyright status of your manuscript, please send an email to the Managing Editor.

Permissions: It is your responsibility, as the author, to obtain all necessary permissions for the use of copyrighted material in your manuscript. These permissions must be obtained from the copyright holder. Permissions are not required for material in the public domain.

Text: In general, extracts under 400 words may be used without permission. For extracts longer that 400 words, formal permission is required from the copyright holder.

Figures and tables: All copyrighted figures (including maps, graphs, charts, and photographs) and tables that you, as the author, are reproducing exactly or adapting slightly must be accompanied by a formal permission from the copyright holder.

More information: If you would like more information on the publishing program of IDRC, send an email to Bill Carman, Managing Editor, IDRC Books.

Postal address: IDRC Books, PO Box 8500, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1G 3H9
Phone: (613) 236-6163 ext. 2089

Fax

pub@idrc.ca / 25 April 2003

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