Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Conference
When will the conference schedule be posted so I know which day(s) to attend/register?
We plan on posting this information by 5 September 2006. Due to people participating in multiple sessions/tutorials/panels/etc. scheduling is very complex.
Paper Format
How do I submit enlarged versions of the tables and figures that appear in my document per the IEEE instructions for IEEE Transactions and Journals papers section II C since WAMS only allows me to upload 1 file?
The tables and figures that you insert in your paper should be readable within the paper by the reviewers. Enlarged versions of tables and figures can optionally be included at the end of your paper on separate pages in your PDF file. These must not differ from the tables and figures in your paper (other than in size) and will not be evaluated nor will they be included in the page count.
Is it OK to use color pictures/graphs/diagrams in my paper?
It is recommended that all pictures, graphs, diagrams, etc. be in black & white. In general, the papers are published in black & white. When color is converted to black & white, some information may be lost or ambiguities introduced due to the color mapping.
There are 2 examples of the paper format in author's kit. One has paper title in the middle and one has the title on the center of right column. Which one should we follow?
Use the format that is closest to the IEEE journal format (the one with the title centered across the page).
Final Paper Upload
Do I need to submit another Form B before I can submit my Final Paper?
Yes. If the final paper is the same as the draft paper, it would be sufficient to annotate the draft paper Form B with “I certify that no changes were made to the paper.”, sign the statement, scan the form and email it to Kathy.Hudson@ngc.com.
How do I upload my Final Paper?
Assuming that you have already submitted your Final Paper Form B, the following steps are known to work:
Login to WAMS.
Click on the “Upload Final” tab.
Click on the “Browse…” button to open the “Choose file” window.
In the “Choose file” window, navigate to the folder that contains your Final Paper.
Click on your Final Paper so that the name is entered in the “File name:” slot.
Click on the “Open” button to close the “Choose file” window and it will enter the file and path name of your paper in the “Filename:” slot.
Click on the “Submit Final Paper Now!” button.
If your paper uploads correctly, you should see the following message: “Your paper has been successfully submitted!”
Author Notification
Why haven’t I received notification about my paper?
We received many papers that didn’t fit into the predefined sessions and rather than outright rejecting them we decided to have them reviewed to determine if they can be part of the Poster Session. The problem resulted from your paper falling into one of the following categories:
- Your paper had no reviews
- Your paper had a single review
- Your paper had a single accept and a single reject
- Your paper was acceptable but not selected by a session chairman
We had problems finding qualified reviewers for these papers and apologize for not informing you earlier about your paper status.
Registration
When will the registration page be ready?
We are working to have the registration page up as soon as possible. Please check back daily.
When is my paper scheduled for presentation?
TBD. We are currently working on scheduling the sessions for the 3 days of the conference. Once we are done, this will be posted on the MILCOM website.
If I register for the SIMA Workshop does this allow me to attend MILCOM?
No. Registration for the SIMA Workshop entitles you to attend only the SIMA Workshop. If you want to attend MILCOM, you must also register for MILCOM.
If I register for MILCOM does this allow me to attend the SIMA Workshop?
No. Registration for SIMA requires a separate fee.
Author's next steps
What is the preferred method f submitting the forms?
Do not send the Forms in a ZIP file. Our email system blocks ZIP files.
When will authors be notified if their papers have been accepted? The Website says July 21 but the email that I receive from WAMS after I uploaded by draft paper says July 7.
August 4. The email from WAMS is incorrect.
What is the status of my paper?
Papers are being reviewed and recommendations for “accept” and “reject” are being made.
What should I be doing while the papers are being reviewed?
Start preparing Forms A, B, C, D, and E as applicable. Many authors required long lead times to get their organizations to approve Form B for their draft papers and a Form B is also required for the Final Paper. Since the Final Paper should not be substantially different from the draft (hopefully mostly formatting and editorial changes) it is hoped that the Form B for the Final Paper is approved quickly.
What is the preferred method of submitting the forms?
The preferred method is for you to fill out the forms, print them, sign them, scan them and email them to Kathy.Hudson@ngc.com.
Who do I send the forms to?
Please send your forms to:
Kathy Hudson
Northrop Grumman Corporation
12011 Sunset Hills Road
Reston, VA 20190
Kathy.Hudson@ngc.com
Do NOT send your forms to anyone else including the MILCOM Technical Program Chairmen, IEEE, WAMS, etc. since they do not process the forms.
Why do I have to submit Form A (IEEE Copyright)?
It is an IEEE policy to own the copyrights of all copyrightable material to be published in its technical publications. More information can be found on Form A in the Unclassified Author's Kit. Do NOT send your Form A to IEEE.
Why do I have to submit another Form B (Approval Endorsements)?
The Final Paper is considered a different “work” and as such requires a Form B to allow it to be releasable to the public (e.g. published in paper or made available on the web).
Can I upload the Final Paper before I submit a Form B?
No. Form B must be received and processed before the Final Paper can be uploaded into WAMS.
If my paper is accepted, does this mean my paper will be published?
Maybe. An “accepted” paper means that it is acceptable for publication/presentation. An author must also submit Form A, Form B, the Final Paper, and register for the conference. Additionally, the paper must be selected for presentation in a session.
Why do I have to register for the conference?
The purpose of the conference is to allow attendees to interact with the authors to ask questions and receive answers. Registering for the conference indicates your intention to present your paper, answer questions and provide information beyond what was written in your paper.
Is there a registration web site?
Yes. Click on the following link to go to the registration web-site: http://www.milcom.org/registration.html
Do NOT ask the Technical Program Chairmen, IEEE, WAMS or Kathy Hudson about registration.
What does “selected for presentation in a session” mean?
Every session has a theme that ties the papers within the session together so that attendees can determine which sessions to attend based upon their interests. Due to conference space/time restrictions it may not be possible to present all “accepted” papers. Similarly, there may be some “accepted” papers that are so esoteric that there may not be enough of them to form a session with a common theme. Since sessions are still being formed, every effort will be made to place the “accepted” papers into sessions.
Form D – Over-length Papers
“When is the deadline for the Form D and check?”
Do not send the Forms in a ZIP file. Our email system blocks ZIP files.
What do I do if my paper is over the 7 page limit?
Fill-out Form D in the Author’s Kit.
What forms of payment are accepted for the over-length fee?
Checks drawn in U.S. dollars from a U.S. bank.
Who should the check be made out to?
MILCOM 2006
Should I write my abstract number on the check?
Yes. This allows us to quickly find your record in WAMS.
Who do I send Form D and the check to?
Kathy Hudson, 12011 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, VA 20190?
When is the deadline for the Form D and check?
1 September 2006. The dates listed in the Author’s Kit and on Form D are incorrect.
Form E – Student Travel Support Application
When are all the Forms due?
Do not send the Forms in a ZIP file. Our email system blocks ZIP files.
What is the deadline for submitting Form E?
Do not send the Forms in a ZIP file. Our email system blocks ZIP files.
What is the deadline for submiting Form E?
1 September 2006. Note that this supercedes the 28 July 2006 date in the author's kit.
When are all the Forms due?
All Forms (A, B, C, D, E) are due 25 August 2006 regardless of the dates listed in the Unclassified Author’s Kit.
Should I wait for my paper to be accepted before I submit Form E?
No. Each qualifying full-time student should fill out Form E, print it, sign it, have it signed by the student’s advisor, scan it, and email it to Kathy Hudson.
Should multiple Form E’s be submitted if a student submits multiple papers?
No. One form is sufficient if all the paper titles and Paper Tracking Numbers are listed in the email or as an attachment to Form E.
Should multiple students who are co-authors on a paper submit separate Form E’s?
Yes. Each qualifying full-time student who wants to apply for student travel support must submit Form E. It is recommended that all student co-authors submit their Form E’s at the same time.
Classified Program
Can I submit a paper containing ITAR-controlled information to the conference?
Papers containing ITAR controlled information will only be accepted into the classified program. The classified program is US only and there no ITAR can be accepted into the unclassified program.
Can I submit a paper that contains information higher then a secret classification?
No. Information presented at the classified program can be no higher then the Secret level.
Will there be published proceeding for the classified program?
No. Rather than published proceedings of the classified program, attendees of the classified program will be provide with a list of authors with appropriate point of contact information.
Form B
Where can I find Form B?
Form B can be found in the Author’s Kit for the Unclassified Program. The Author’s Kit is in the left pane of this window.
What is the best way to fill out the Form B?
Form B is an electronic fill-in form. Type in the information, print it out, sign it, scan it, and email it to the person indicated on the form. Signed forms can also be faxed or mailed to the person indicated on the form.
Where should I send the Form B?
Send the Form B to Kathy Hudson. Do not send it to any of the other MILCOM Chairs since they don’t process this form. Kathy’s contact information can be found on the bottom of the Form B.
Who do I contact if I have questions about filling out Section 3 (U.S. Government Public Affairs Office (PAO) Endorsement) of Form B?
Mike Thiem is the DISA PAO contact. His phone number is 703-607-6900. His email address is disapao@disa.mil
Note that Form B incorrectly lists Henry Kearny as the contact. Also note that a broadcast email to all authors that did not submit a Form B (at the time the email was sent) received an email with an incorrect email address for Mike Thiem.
Should I wait until I complete my draft paper before submitting Form B?
No. You need to submit your Form B as soon as possible because it takes some time to process.
How do I know that you have received Form B?
You will receive an email from WAMS indicating that you can upload your draft paper.
Do I need to submit another form B for the Final Paper?
Yes. Any change to the draft constitutes a new “work” and must have a release.
Draft Papers
When are the draft papers due?
16 June 2006. The date in the Author’s Kit is not correct.
When can I upload my draft paper?
When you receive an email from WAMS informing you that you can upload you draft paper.
How can I upload my draft paper if I haven’t received an email from WAMS informing me that I can upload a draft paper?
You must submit Form B first. Once your Form B is processed, WAMS will send you an email informing you that you can upload your draft paper.
Should I send in my draft paper the same time I send in Form B?
No. You need to submit your Form B first because it takes some time to process.
Can I email/fax/mail my draft paper to MILCOM?
No. All draft papers must be submitted via WAMS. WAMS is used to electronically track and distribute the draft papers to the reviewers. The MILCOM staff has no method to manually distribute draft papers to reviewers.
Which format should I use for the papers? The formatting instructions in the Author’s Kit are different from the IEEE style files in the MILCOM FAQ.
Both formats are acceptable. Starting this year, MILCOM is transitioning to use the standard IEEE style files for journals and authors are encouraged to use that format keeping in mind the MILCOM restrictions on page limits, etc. Note that the IEEE LaTex zip file contains two style files, use the journal style file.
Can I leave information out of the draft paper due to incomplete research or awaiting release permission from my organization?
Note that selection of papers to present at MILCOM are based on content of the draft paper. Evaluation criteria includes technical substance, state of the art advancement, readability, applicability to the conference theme, etc. so this should represent your best effort.
Is it OK to submit a draft that is a little longer than the 7 page limit?
Yes. The purpose of the page limit is to encourage authors to write concisely so that the reviewers don’t have to wade through reams of pages to determine if the paper is suitable for presentation. If the paper is accepted for presentation/publication it is expected that the author(s) will refine their paper to fit the page limit and/or File Form D (Over-length Paper Form) which can be found in the Unclassified Program Author’s Kit.
Abstracts
What is the purpose of submitting an abstract?
Abstracts are categorized and counted to determine how many potential papers will be received. This information helps us determine the types and numbers of sessions to have based on the topics/subtopics represented by the abstracts.
Do I have to submit an abstract?
Yes. When an abstract is submitted a paper tracking number is assigned to you that is needed for submitting your draft and Final Papers.
What if I submit an abstract after the deadline?
If the abstract is for an under-represented topic/subtopic (based on received abstracts), there may be little/no chance of a session being created to discuss that topic/subtopic.
Will I be notified if an abstract is accepted or rejected?
No. This information is used mainly to define sessions not to judge papers.
What is the character limit for abstracts?
2000 characters.
Can I use WAMS to submit abstracts for tutorials or panels?
No. Send this information to the appropriate MILCOM Tutorial or Panel Chairman.
Can I use WAMS to submit classified program abstracts?
No. Send this information to the MILCOM Classified Program Chairman.
Can FOUO abstracts/papers be submitted to the Unclassified program?
No. An unclassified abstract can be submitted to the Classified program and the FOUO paper can be submitted to the Classified program.
I'm not sure if I can get company/project release clearance for my abstract before the abstract deadline. Can I still submit a paper without submitting an abstract?
Use WAMS to input your author information and to specify the session or technology topic your paper is for. If you can't put in a generic abstract, put in "Abstract will be updated when company/project release has been obtained." Include any information about the session it should be routed to if you know what it is. Once you receive an Abstract ID# from WAMS, you can upload an updated abstract. Papers cannot be submitted without an Abstract ID#.
How do I submit a paper to a session that is listed in the "Unclassified Technical Sessions" list but is not listed in the WAMS "Topic/subtopic/session" selection list?
Select the most relevant topic/subtopic/session from the Topic/subtopic/session list (WAMS requires you to make a selection). Add a note to the beginning of your abstract indicating the name of the session you want to submit your paper to.
Why doesn't the link in the Acceptable Formats section in the Author's Kit work?
The link has changed since publication of the Author's Kit. See the answer for the next question.
Are there style files for LaTeX and Microsoft Word users?
Yes they are located at: http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/pubs/transactions/stylesheets.html
Word users: use the Word Template for all Transactions except TMAG.
Users of most versions of LaTeX processors find that they are able to use the IEEE style files to meet the format requirements of Milcom draft and Final Papers. The IEEE Transactions style file and bibliography style file and information about their use can be obtained from the following Web site:
Please note that it is your responsibility as the author to ensure that the resulting PDF file you submit meets all specified format requirements for MILCOM papers, including double-column format, margins, and other format details.
How can I change the topic that I submitted by abstract to?
Review the list of proposed Unclassified Technical Sessions (a link can be found on: http://www.milcom.org/tech-prog.html. Send an email with your abstract number and the name of the session you would like to submit your paper to the Unclassified Technical Program Chairman.
WAMS
What is the character limit for biographies?
2000 characters. This includes spaces, tabs, punctuation, and carriage returns. It is recommended that you compose your biography in Microsoft Word or some other editor/word processor that automatically counts characters.
How do I delete the abstract I just submitted to WAMS?
Send a request along with your name and abstract number to the MILCOM Technical Program Chairman.
What do I put in the "Affiliation" field for the Author Information page?
For papers with a single author this is generally the same as your company, university, or government agency name. For papers with multiple authors, this allows authors from different companies, universities, or agencies to each list the company, university or agency that they work for.
When can I upload my draft paper?
Once we receive your Form B (included in the Author's Kit) and verify that it is filled out completely, WAMS will send you an email informing you that you can upload your draft paper.
Call for Papers
Can draft papers exceed 7 pages?
Yes, but it shouldn't exceed 8-9 pages. Keep in mind that the reviewers have many papers to review and papers are judged on quality, not quantity.
Miscellaneous
What if there are discrepancies between the dates in the Authors’ kits and the webpage?
The webpage always takes precedence.
Is there a different set of forms for the classified and unclassified program?
Yes, there are different forms as contained in the authors’ kits. (linked on left hand side of this page)
Why don't you answer my emails?
In many cases our email server automatically deletes messages it suspects as containing a virus. This includes enclosures such as *.exe, *.scr, *.pif, *.zip, etc. We apologize if this has happened to you.
Can foreign nationals attend/participated in MILCOM 2006?
Foreign nationals can attend and/or submit papers to the Unclassified Technical Program. Foreign nationals cannot attend nor submit papers to the Classified Technical Program.
Are the paper reviews for MILCOM 2006 blind or double-blind?
More precisely, do we need to sanitize our submissions by removing author names, acknowledgements, self-references, etc?
MILCOM 2006 uses a blind review where the identities of the reviewers are not disclosed to the authors. Each paper will be reviewed by at least 2 reviewers. Therefore, authors do not need to sanitize submissions.
