[Back to OSDI '04 Call for Papers]
This document provides supplementary information for authors
writing submissions to OSDI '04 beyond that provided in the Call For Papers. Please read and follow both the instructions in the Call for
Papers and these guidelines carefully.
How Should I Prepare and Deliver My Manuscript?
Submission of all papers must be made electronically in PDF format.
Authors should make sure that their submission prints properly on
US-style 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Make sure that you leave enough
room for top and bottom margins.
Do not send files meant for word-processing packages (Word, WordPerfect,
LaTeX, Framemaker, etc.).
If you are using Microsoft Word, Troff, LaTeX, or Framemaker, please
make use of these templates and sample first pages (two-column format),
if possible:
- MS Word 6.0
- Troff
- LaTeX and style file
- Framemaker
More Information is Available
Lots of papers and books have been written about how to write a good paper. We strongly suggest that you read a paper called
An Evaluation of the Ninth SOSP Submissions; or, How (and How Not) to Write a Good Systems Paper.
This was written by Roy Levin and David D. Redell, the program committee co-chairs for SOSP-9, and first appeared in ACM SIGOPS Operating Systems Review, Vol. 17, No. 3 (July, 1983), pages 35-40.
Another helpful paper is:
The Science of Scientific Writing, George D. Gopen and Judith A. Swan, In American Scientist, Vol. 78, No. 6 (Nov-Dec, 1990), pp. 550-558.
This article describes not how to write an entire paper, but how to write sentences and paragraphs that readers can understand. Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions we cannot make this available online or send you photocopies, but almost any library should have copies of this magazine.
For matters of English usage, style, and taste we strongly recommend that you purchase and consult this little gem of a book:
The Elements of Style. William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. Macmillan Publishing Co., New York, 1979.
If you have any other questions, feel free to send mail to the
Program Chairs at osdi04chairs@usenix.org.
Good Luck!
The Program Committee
Need help? Use our Contacts page.