Defense AT & L writer's guidelines in brief.

Purpose

The purpose of Defense AT & L magazine is to instruct members of the DoD acquisition, technology & logistics (AT & L) workforce and defense industry on policies, trends, legislation, senior leadership changes, events, and current thinking affecting program management and defense systems acquisition, and to disseminate other information pertinent to the professional development and education of the DoD Acquisition Workforce.

Subject Matter

We do print feature stories that include real people and events. Stories that appeal to our readers--who are senior military personnel, civilians, and defense industry professionals in the program management/acquisition business--are those taken from real-world experiences vs. pages of researched information. We don't print academic papers, fact sheets, technical papers, or white papers. We don't use endnotes or references in our articles. Manuscripts meeting these criteria are more suited for DAU's journal, Defense Acquisition Review.

Defense AT & L reserves the right to edit manuscripts for clarity, style, and length. Edited copy is cleared with the author before publication.

Length

Articles should be 2,000-3,000 words or about 10 double-spaced pages, each page having a 1-inch border on all sides. For articles that are significantly longer, please query first by sending an abstract.

Include a short biographical sketch of the author(s)--about 25 words--including current position and educational background.

Style

Good writing sounds like comfortable conversation. Write naturally and avoid stiltedness. Except for a rare change of pace, most sentences should be 25 words or less, and paragraphs should be six sentences. Avoid excessive use of capital letters. Be sure to define all acronyms. Consult "Tips for Authors" at <http://www.dau.mil/pubs/pm/articles.asp>.

Presentation

Manuscripts should be submitted as Microsoft Word files. Please use Times Roman or Courier 11 or 12 point. Double space your manuscript and do not use columns or any formatting other than bold, italics, and bullets. Do not embed or import graphics into the document file; they must be sent as separate files (see next section).

Graphics

We use figures, charts, and photographs (black and white or color). Photocopies of photographs are not acceptable. Include brief, numbered captions keyed to the figures and photographs. Include the source of the photograph. We publish no photographs or graphics from outside the DoD without written permission from the copyright owner. We do not guarantee the return of original photographs.

Digital files may be sent as e-mail attachments or mailed on zip disk(s) or CD. Each figure or chart must be saved as a separate file in the original software format in which it was created and must meet the following publication standards: color and greyscale (if possible); JPEG or TIF files sized to print no smaller than 3 X 5 inches at a minimum resolution of 300 pixels per inch; PowerPoint slides; EPS files generated from Illustrator (preferred) or Corel Draw. For other formats, provide program format as well as EPS file). Questions on graphics? Call [phone]. DSN 655-4287 or e-mail [e-mail]. Subject line: Defense AT & L graphics.

Clearance and Copyright Release

All articles written by authors employed by or on contract with the U.S. Government must be cleared by the author's public affairs or security office prior to submission.

Authors must certify that the article is a "Work of the U.S. Government." Go to <http://www.dau.mil/pubs/pm/articles.asp>. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on "Copyright Forms." Print, fill out in full, sign, and date the form. Submit the form with your article or fax it to [phone], ATTN: Rosemary Kendricks. Your article will not be reviewed until we receive the copyright form. Articles printed in Defense AT & L are in the public domain and posted to the DAU Web site. In keeping with DAU's policy of widest dissemination of its published products, no copyrighted articles are accepted.

Submission Procedures

Submit articles by e-mail to [e-mail] or on disk to: DAU Press, ATTN: Judith Greig, 9820 Belvoir Rd., Suite 3. Fort Belvoir VA 22060-5565. Submissions must include the author's name, mailing address, office phone number (DSN and commercial), e-mail address, and fax number.

Receipt of your submission will be acknowledged in five working days. You will be notified of our publication decision in two to three weeks.

Submission Dates

Issue              Author's Deadline

January-February   1 October
March-April        1 December
May-June           1 February
July-August        1 April
September-October  1 June
November-December  1 August

If the magazine fills before the author deadline, submissions are
considered for the following issue.