Information for Contributors

Where to Submit Your Manuscript

Submit manuscripts via Peer X-Press, the journal’s online manuscript submission system, located at http://jpcrd.peerx-press.org.

Author instructions are available through a link after you successfully log into Peer X-Press. After registering and submitting information and files, you may use Peer X-Press to check on the status of your manuscript throughout the peer review process.

Because of the specialized nature of the Journal (critical data evaluations and reference-quality correlations), authors are encouraged to submit an outline or Abstract during the early stages of manuscript preparation, so the Editors can advise whether the proposed paper falls within the scope of the Journal.

Authors are encouraged to suggest appropriate referees for the manuscript, including complete contact information if possible. The Editors may, of course, select referees not on the suggested list.

A duly signed transfer of copyright agreement form (available at http://ftp.aip.org/aipdocs/forms/copyrght.pdf) is required for publication in this journal. No claim is made to original U.S. Government works. Submission implies that the work has been neither copyrighted, classified, published, nor is being considered for publication elsewhere.

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Contact the Editorial Office

The Editorial Office for Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data may be contacted (preferably by e-mail) at:

Editor, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data

National Institute of Standards and Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2300

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2300

USA

Phone: 301-975-3774

E-mail: jpcrd@nist.gov

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Statement of Ethics and Responsibilities of Authors Submitting to AIP Journals

This journal is published as part of the charter of its publisher, the American Institute of Physics (AIP), to advance and diffuse knowledge of the science of physics and its applications to human welfare. To that end, it is essential that all who participate in producing the journal conduct themselves as authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers in accord with the highest level of professional ethics and standards.

A detailed statement of what this journal expects is available here.

By submitting a manuscript to this journal, each author implicitly confirms that it meets the highest ethical standards.

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Accepted Manuscripts

Authors whose manuscripts have been accepted for publication will receive correspondence informing them of the issue for which it is tentatively scheduled. Date of publication may be before the cover date of the issue. Authors may access publication data for their manuscripts online through AIP's AMSIS service (see below).

Proofs and all subsequent correspondence pertaining to papers in the production process should be addressed to:

Editorial Supervisor

Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data

American Institute of Physics

Suite 1NO1

2 Huntington Quadrangle

Melville, NY 11747-4502

USA

 

Telephone: 516-576-2416

FAX: 631-396-0060

E-mail: jpr@aip.org

Reference must be made to the AIP identification number (e.g., 001901JPR), title, author, and scheduled issue date. A limited number of alterations in proof are unavoidable, but the cost of making extensive alterations after the article has been typeset may be charged to the author. Please do not address correspondence about proofs, reprints, artwork, color printing charges, etc., to the Editor. To do so simply delays the appropriate action and response.

Through AIP's Accepted Manuscript Status Inquiry System (AMSIS), authors may access information about significant milestones for their accepted manuscript during the production process at AIP. AMSIS can be used only by authors of accepted manuscripts.

General information regarding reprints, color charges, copyrights, and similar material may be found on the Journal Masthead of each printed issue.

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How to Prepare Your Manuscript

English-Language Editing. Journals published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) are not able to provide free English-language editing services to authors, but those services are available to authors from several commercial vendors, including American Journal Experts ( http://www.journalexperts.com ) and SPi Professional Editing Services ( http://www.prof-editing.com ). Interested authors should contact these service providers directly. Since the AIP Journals have not used either of these commercial services, we cannot attest to the quality of their work.

For general format and style, consult recent issues of the Journal. However, because of the specialized nature of the Journal, prospective authors are encouraged to contact the Editors if there are any questions. For authors who use LaTeX, REVTeX 4.1 is now available and includes style files for AIP journals and associated instructions.  REVTeX 4.1 is available here.

The manuscript may be prepared (double-spaced) in either Microsoft Word or REVTeX/LaTeX. The new Word docx format in Word 2007 should NOT be used, as it is incompatible with AIP preproduction and production routines. If REVTeX/LaTeX is used, please supply a PDF file when submitting the manuscript.

Organization of Article: The components of the article and their sequence should be as follows:

• Title
• Author(s)

  Authors's names should preferably be written in a standard form for all publications to facilitate indexing and avoid ambiguities.

  Beginning on 1 January 2009, authors with Chinese, Japanese, or Korean names may choose to have their names published in their own language alongside the English versions of their names in the author list of their publications. For Chinese, authors may use either Simplified or Traditional characters. Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters must be included within the author list of the manuscript when submitting or resubmitting. The manuscript must be prepared using Microsoft Word or using the CJK LaTeX package. Specific guidelines for each authoring tool are given here. To ensure that we have processed the manuscript files correctly, you must proof the PDF of the manuscript as produced by the Peer X-Press system on first submission. In addition, it is essential that you check carefully any production proofs you receive prior to the publication of your paper.

• Affiliation
• Abstract (about 200 words)
• Key words (maximum 12, in alphabetical order, separated by semicolons)
• Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• List of Symbols (optional, use if paper contains many symbols whose meaning is not obvious, especially if the paper is relatively long, otherwise define symbols when first used)
• Body of text (with numbered sections; include tables in text where first mentioned, each on a separate page)
• Acknowledgments (financial support should be indicated here)
• Appendices (if any)
• References

Headings and Subheadings: Headings and subheadings in the text should have a maximum of three levels and should be numbered as follows:

• 1. (Main level)
• 1.1. (Second level)
• 1.1.1. (Third level)

The first numbered level is normally "1. Introduction" and the last is "References." Refer to sections in the text as Sec. 1.1., etc., except at the beginning of a sentence where "Section 1.1." should be used.

Mathematical Expressions: Center equations on the page with numbers in parentheses at the right margin. Each equation should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals starting with "1." Refer to equations in the text as Eq. (1), etc., except at the beginning of a sentence where "Equation (1)" should be used. If using Microsoft Word, the standard Word Equation Editor is preferred, but MathType is also allowed. The solidus (/) should be used instead of built-up fractions in running text.

References: The preferred style is to indicate literature references in the text by numerical superscripts, e.g., ... as discussed by Smith³ in an earlier paper ... .

References should be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text. Reference citations at the end of the paper should have the following format:

• Journal: ¹C. B. Alcock, M. W. Chase, and V. P. Itkin, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 23, 385 (1994).
• Book: ²A. A. Bondi, Physical Properties of Molecular Crystals, Liquids, and Gases (Wiley, New York, 1968).
• Chapter in Book: ³G. Neumann, in Current Topics in Materials Science, edited by E. Kaldis (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1981), Vol. 7, Pt. 1, pp. 53–68.
• Proceedings: ⁴J. G. Neumann, J. R. Harris, B. Quinn, and P. G. O'Shea, Proceedings of the 2005 Particle Accelerator Conference, Portland, OR, 12–16 May 2005 (Wiley, New York, 2005).
• Proceedings in a journal: ⁵A. G. Agarwal, Proceedings of the Fifth Low Temperature Conference, Madison, WI, 1999 [Semiconductors 66, 1238 (2001)].
• Thesis: ⁶S. M. Smith, Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003.
• Report: ⁷W. K. Fields, ECE Report No. XXX, 2005.
• Patent: ⁸P. L. Balk, U.S. Patent No. 6,330,110 (3 February 2004).
• E-print: ⁹Y. M. Zalkins, e-print cond-mat/040426.
• Private communication: ¹⁰O. M. Singh (private communication).
• URL: ¹¹NIST Chemistry Webbook, edited by P. J. Linstrom and W. G. Mallard, http://webbook.nist.gov (accessed July 14, 2004). NIST Standard Reference Database Number 69 (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD).
• EPAPS: ¹²See EPAPS Document No. E-JPCRBU-37-007801 for (brief description). This document can be reached via a direct link in the online article's HTML reference section or via the EPAPS homepage (http://www.aip.org/pubservs/epaps.html).

Other reference styles may be allowed in cases where a different style is standard for the field; the Editors should be consulted in advance for approval of any deviation from the standard style.

Footnotes: Footnotes should be used sparingly in the body of the paper. When absolutely necessary, a footnote should be indicated by a letter superscript and typed at the bottom of the manuscript page on which it appears. Footnotes should be lettered consecutively through the entire manuscript, starting with "a."

Tables: Tables should be typed on separate pages and the pages numbered such that the tables appear at approximately the right place in the manuscript: It is usually desirable to place very long tables at the end of the textual material. When using Microsoft Word, tables MUST be created with Word's Insert Table function. Do NOT attempt to make tables by using spaces and tabs in regular text.

Each table should have a concise heading which clearly indicates the contents. Avoid complicated column headings. Tables should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals. Footnotes to entries in the tables should be indicated by superscripts, a, b, c,..., and typed at the bottom of the table. All numbered tables must be referenced in the text.

The table headings should be separated from column headings by a double horizontal line. A single horizontal line should be placed between the column headings and the body of the table and also at the end of the table. Vertical lines may be used if necessary to delineate columns clearly. Only the first letter of the first word in both table headings and column headings is capitalized.

Figures: Include figures at the end of the manuscript with a list of figure captions typed (double-spaced) starting on a separate page. Number figures with Arabic numerals, starting with "1" and continue in sequence throughout the text. When referring to numbered figures in the text use the form "... Fig. 1...," except at the beginning of a sentence where "Figure 1..." is the correct form. All figures must be referenced in the text. If a Figure contains different parts, label them as (a), (b), etc., and refer to them in the text as, for example, see Fig. 1(a).

Instructions for formatting graphics files may be found at http://www.aip.org/epub/submitgraph.html. Please note that, while figures may be embedded in the document for review purposes, graphics files submitted for final publication may only be in Portable Document Format (PDF), PostScript (PS), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), or Tagged Image File (TIF) formats.

Units, Symbols, Terminology, and Chemical Nomenclature: It is the policy of Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data to follow the recommendations of recognized international bodies such as ISO, IUPAC, and IUPAP unless there are strong grounds for making an exception. Sources of recommendations on symbols, terminology, and units are:

• Quantities and Units, ISO Standards Handbook, 3rd ed. (International Organization for Standardization, Genève, Switzerland, 1993).
• Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry (the Green Book), 3rd ed. (IUPAC, RSC Publishing, Cambridge, 2007).
• Symbols, Units, and Nomenclature in Physics, IUPAP Document IUPAP 25,1985. [Reproduced in Physica A 146, 1 (1987)].
• A. Thompson and B. N. Taylor, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), NIST Special. Pub. 811, 2008 edition (NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, 2008), available at http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP811/contents.html.

The International System of Units (SI) should always be employed unless the Editor has granted an exception. The nomenclature practices of Chemical Abstracts, or those based on IUPAC recommendations, should be followed. Authors preparing compound indices for their papers should consult the current CA Index Guide. It is desirable to include CAS Registry Numbers in papers that give data for multiple chemical compounds.

Authors should be aware of conventions for using Roman type and italics. Roman (non-italic) type is always used for chemical formulas, units, numbers, mathematical constants and operators (π, ln), and descriptive terms. Italics are used to denote variables, physical quantities, and functions. Following are some examples of correct usage:

T_min = 273 K (italicize physical quantity temperature, not descriptive "min" or unit "K")

(Don't italicize operator "exp" or subscript "B" for Boltzmann.)

Avoid the ambiguous term "log"; natural logarithms should be written "ln" (preferred) or "log_e" while base-10 logarithms should be written "lg" or "log₁₀". Use a minus sign (−) rather than a hyphen (-) to denote negative numbers or subtraction. When writing symbols in the text with superscripts or subscripts, use the superscript and subscript functions of the word processor rather than raising or lowering the individual characters.

Uncertainties: The objective of Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data is to provide critically evaluated physical and chemical property data, fully documented as to the original sources and the criteria used for evaluation. Such data are of little use without a quantitative characterization of uncertainties that includes effects of both random (precision) and systematic (bias) uncertainties, as well as a discussion of sources of errors and the rationale for assigning uncertainty estimates. For a more detailed discussion of uncertainty analysis, we refer authors to:

• U.S. Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, ANSI/NCSL Z540-2-1997, American National Standard for Expressing Uncertainty (National Conference of Standards Laboratories, Boulder, CO, 1997).
• B. N. Taylor and C. E. Kuyatt, Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results, NIST Technical Note 1297 (NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, 1994), see http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Uncertainty/index.html.

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AUTHOR GUIDELINES FOR MULTIMEDIA SUBMISSIONS

Multimedia files can be included in the online version of published papers. These multimedia files can be viewed by simply clicking on a link in the paper, provided the reader has a video player, such as Windows Media Player^TM, QuickTime Player^TM, or RealOne Player^TM installed.

Please adhere to the following guidelines when preparing multimedia files for submission:

• When incorporating multimedia, note that the paper should be written so that the print version can be understood on its own.
• Submit all multimedia files initially with the manuscript.
• Treat all multimedia files as figures, numbered in sequence as they are referred to in text. (Multimedia files will not have a numbering scheme separate from the figures.)
• All multimedia files must be cited in the text, referred to by their figure number.
• For each multimedia file, provide a figure, which is a static representation of the multimedia file. Also provide an accompanying caption. At the end of the caption, include the phrase, "(enhanced online)."
• Video and other enhanced files should be in a format that the majority of readers can view without too much difficulty. See the multimedia guidelines below for specific submission requirements.

Video Submissions

Acceptable file formats include QuickTime nonstreaming video (.qt or .mov), MPEG (.mpg), and DV (.dv). The preferred formats are .mov, and .mpg. Details about each of these file formats are outlined below. Note that AVI files are no longer a recommended file format, because the wide variety of AVI codecs cannot be reliably archived.

Authors must insert a representative “still” image, taken from the video, in the manuscript as a figure. This still image is not intended to convey meaning about the content of the video; rather it will be used as a static representation of the video file, which will be linked online after acceptance. Care should be taken to extract an image from the video which has reasonable clarity of fine lines and details. Acceptable file formats for still images are JPEG (.jpg) and GIF (.gif).

Audio Submissions

Acceptable file formats include PCM (.pcm), WAV (.wav), AIFF (.aif), and MP3 (.mp3) at 128 KB or greater.

General Guidelines for All Multimedia Submissions

Authors are strongly encouraged to adhere to the following guidelines when preparing multimedia files:

• The acceptable file formats outlined above are playable using standard media players, such as QuickTime and Windows Media Player. Media players should be used to check file properties and image/sound quality prior to submission. For video submissions, fonts, lines, and image details should be of sufficient size and weight to be visible when played at half size.
• Attention should be paid to the file size to make download time reasonable since streaming formats are not acceptable for submission at this time. A recommended target size for each multimedia file is 3–5 MB.
• Authors are encouraged to use one of the accepted compression codecs to minimize file sizes.
• Animations must be formatted into a standard video file.

Multimedia Metadata

Authors will be asked to provide some information about their multimedia files. A caption or description of the content of the media file is required (similar to a typical figure caption). Additional metadata as outlined below will also be requested. This information is optional.

Metadata Elements:

• Caption/ description: Textual caption/description of the content of media object. Required.
• Type: The nature or genre of the content of the media, such as video or audio. Optional.
• Format: This should describe the media filetype, such as QuickTime, DV, MPEG, PCM, or WAV. Optional.
• Duration: This is the duration of the media object playing time, in units of seconds. It is applicable to video or audio media. Optional.
• Frame size: For video only (not still images), the size of the video image, as height × width in pixels. Optional.
• Producer: Information about the software used to create the media object. It should include the name and version of the software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Elements v. 2.0). Optional.

Multimedia Detailed Specifications

Acceptable Video File Formats:

• QuickTime nonstreaming (.qt or .mov)
  • 24 bit (millions) color
  • Video Compressor/Codec
    • Uncompressed/None
    • Animation
    • Motion JPEG (MJPEG)
    • DV—NTSC
    • DV—PAL
  • Audio
    • 48,000 samples per second
    • 16 bit
    • Uncompressed/PCM
    • Stereo or Mono
• MPEG
  • Video Compressor/Codec
    • MPEG2 (.mpg)
    • MPEG4 (.mpg or .mp4)
  • Video data rate 6 MB or greater
  • Audio
    • 48,000 samples per second
    • 16 bit
    • Uncompressed (PCM) or MPEG Audio at 224 KB or greater
• DV (.dv)
  • DV NTSC
  • DV PAL

NTSC Video Parameters:

• Image size (H:V) 720:480 pixels
• Frame rate 29.97 frames per second

PAL Video Parameters:

• Image size (H:V) 720:576 pixels
• Frame rate 25 frames per second

Acceptable Audio File Formats:

• PCM, WAV, AIFF, MP3 (at 128 KB or greater)
  • Audio Parameters
    • 44,100 or 48,000 samples per second
    • 16 bit
    • Stereo or Mono

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Supplemental Material

Supplemental files may be of two types:

• Files to aid the reviewer and not for publication.
• Supplementary information for publication alongside the manuscript (as an EPAPS deposit).

Electronic Physics Auxiliary Publication Service (EPAPS) is a free electronic depository for material that is supplemental to a journal article. Appropriate items for deposit include multimedia (e.g., movie files, audio files, 3D rendering files), data tables, and text (e.g., appendices) that are too lengthy or of too limited interest for inclusion in the article. Links (URLs) in the online (printed) journal article allow users to navigate directly to the associated EPAPS deposit.

All deposits to EPAPS must be approved by the Journal Editor as part of a manuscript's normal review cycle, and must be listed in the reference section as follows: "See EPAPS supplementary material at [URL will be inserted by AIP] for [give brief description of material]."

For additional information about depositing or retrieving EPAPS files, see the EPAPS homepage.

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Free Color Online

If authors supply usable color graphics files in time for the production process, color will appear in the online journal free of charge. A usable color graphics file must be in one of the following formats: Portable Document Format (PDF), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), PostScript (PS), and Tagged Image File Format (TIF). No other type of color illustration is acceptable, and only one version of each graphics file will be accepted.

In order to maintain online color as a free service to authors, the journal cannot accept multiple versions of the same graphics file. Authors may not submit two versions of the same illustration (e.g., one for color and one for black & white). When preparing illustrations that will appear in color in the online journal and in black & white in the printed journal, authors must ensure that: (i) colors chosen will reproduce well when printed in black & white and (ii) descriptions of figures in text and captions will be sufficiently clear for both print and online versions. This is the author's responsibility.

If usable color graphics files are received in time for the production process, authors will see color versions of those illustrations when viewing their author proofs. (The Corresponding Author will receive e-mail notification from AIP when the proof, as a PDF file, is available for downloading.) At the proof stage, authors must insert the phrase, "(Color online)," into the captions of figures that will appear in color in the online journal and in black & white in the printed journal. This is the author's responsibility. An example of an amended figure caption appears below:

FIG. 10. (Color online) Experimental (dotted curve) and simulated (solid curve) x-ray diffraction spectra.

The procedures for obtaining color in the printed journal remain unchanged. Authors or their institutions must bear the cost of any color they wish to use in print. See information about color printing charges at http://jpcrd.aip.org/jpcrd/authors/publication_charges.

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How to Prepare Your Illustrations

Please adhere to the following guidelines when preparing your illustrations for submission:

General Guidelines for Preparing Illustrations

• Number figures in the order in which they appear in text.
• Label all figure parts with (a), (b), etc. Avoid any large disparity in size of lettering and labels used within one illustration.
• Prepare illustrations in the final published size, not oversized. The maximum published width for a one-column illustration is 3-3/8 inch (8.5 cm). Each illustration should be prepared for 100% reproduction in order to avoid problems arising from large reductions in size.
• In cases where reduction is required, avoid small open symbols that tend to fill in and avoid small lettering; ensure that, in the final published illustration, there is a minimum of 8-point type size (2.8 mm high; 1/8 inch high) for lettering and 0.5-point width for lines.
• Ensure that lettering and lines are dark enough, and thick enough, to reproduce clearly, especially if reduction is necessary. Remember that fine lines tend to disappear upon reduction.

Special Instructions for Creating a Production-Ready PDF Illustration:

For accepted manuscripts, PDF as the source file for illustrations is not preferred. However, properly prepared PDF illustration files may be used in the production process of your accepted manuscript if you adhere to the following guidelines:

• PDF should only be used as the source file for illustrations when the preferred formats (PS, EPS, or TIF) cannot be generated.
• In the PDF illustration, the resolution of any shaded or photographic images must be 600 pixels per inch (PPI).
• Within the PDF illustration, resolution of line art with no shading should be 1200 pixels per inch (PPI).
• All fonts must be embedded in the PDF.
• When creating a PDF through your application's print command, select "High Quality Print".
• Link to more detailed instructions here.

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Manuscript Preparation Checklist

Use this checklist to avoid the most common mechanical errors in submitted manuscripts.

1. The manuscript must be double-spaced throughout, including references.
2. Number all pages in single sequence.
3. Type references in the style used by this journal.
4. Number tables, figures, and references starting with 1 in the order they are referred to in the text.
5. Use SI units throughout manuscript.
6. Where possible, provide uncertainties and rationale for assigning uncertainties.
7. Make proper use of italic and roman type (italics for variables and physical quantities, roman for chemical formulas, units, numbers, mathematical constants and operators, and descriptive terms).
8. Follow Chemical Abstracts Service or IUPAC recommendations for nomenclature.
9. Use word processor features for tables and equations.
10. Supply original figures in PDF, PS, EPS, or TIF format.
11. Submit cover letter, manuscript file, illustration files, and any supplemental files via Peer X-Press, the journal’s online submission system, located at http://jpcrd.peerx-press.org.
12. Upload a signed AIP Transfer of Copyright Agreement Form when submitting your original or revised manuscript to the journal’s online submission site (http://jpcrd.peerx-press.org). A blank copyright form is available here.

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