Author Center
The Author Center provides details on what IEEE Pervasive Computing magazine requires when submitting a manuscript for review. Please select from the menu below for information on:
Mission and scope
IEEE Pervasive Computing is a catalyst for advancing research and practice in mobile and ubiquitous computing. It is the premier publishing forum for peer-reviewed articles, industry news, surveys, and tutorials for a broad, multidisciplinary community. It covers hardware technology, software infrastructure, real-world sensing and interaction, human-computer interaction, and systems considerations.
Please consult our Editorial Calendar for more information on special issues and submission deadlines. If you have further questions, contact us at pervasive@computer.org .
Audience
Developers, researchers, and educators who want to keep abreast of rapid technology change.
Style
Editing
IEEE Pervasive Computing is a magazine, not a journal. Articles should be understandable to a broad audience of people interested in pervasive computing. The writing should be down-to-earth, practical, and original. Authors should avoid theory, mathematics, jargon, and abstract concepts. Don’t assume that your audience will have specialized experience in a particular subfield. Try to make your article accessible to others outside your community or area of specialty by explaining terms and concepts.
Use active voice instead of passive voice (“We discovered ...” rather than “It was discovered ...”). In the first few paragraphs, tell why your subject is significant in the pervasive computing field. Avoid repetition of results and signposting (indications of what will follow or references to previous or subsequent sections). Conclusions should not summarize but instead outline future goals or lessons learned. If you must use acronyms, define each one on its first appearance. When you mention a person in the text, include the full name on first reference and only the last name subsequently.
Once we accept your article for publication, IEEE Pervasive Computing staff editors will work with you to prepare the article to meet our style requirements, editing it according to our requirements regarding length, presentation, grammar, and style (see the Computer Society Syle Guide and our Editing Philosophy). Editing includes copy editing (grammar, punctuation, and capitalization), style editing (conformance to the Computer Society magazines' house style), and content editing (flow, meaning, clarity, directness, and organization). We are happy to correct any errors inadvertently introduced during the editing process but must adhere to our style guidelines for consistency throughout the magazine. The editing process begins four to ten weeks before publication and takes two to three weeks.
Content
Types of articles
Regular manuscripts fit within the magazine’s scope but are not submitted for a special issue. Special issue manuscripts cover a specific topic scheduled on our editorial calendar . Please be sure to select the appropriate issue (manuscript type) when uploading your manuscript.
In addition to full-length articles, IEEE Pervasive Computing has a variety of departments:
- Applications
- Conferences
- Education & Training
- New Products
- News
- Standards & Emerging Technologies
- Wearable computing
- Works in Progress
For more information, see our Department Guidelines.
Topics of interest
IEEE Pervasive Computing magazine is looking for articles on a broad range of topics, focusing on five main areas:
- Hardware—hardware technology
- Software—software infrastructure
- Physical Interaction—real-world sensing and interaction
- The Human Experience—human-computer interaction
- Systems—systems considerations
Originality
All manuscripts submitted must be original. Articles published (completely or in significant part) in other magazines or journals will not be considered for publication in IEEE Pervasive Computing. We will consider papers published in conference proceedings if they contain important or interesting new results, but they will be reviewed again by the magazine's reviewers, independent of the conference's reviewing process (see below). If a manuscript has been published or is being considered for publication elsewhere, the author must include that information in the submission cover letter. If such an article is accepted for publication in IEEE Pervasive Computing , the author is responsible for securing permission from the copyright holder.
Length
Feature articles range from four to seven magazine pages, including all figures, tables, and sidebars, and references. This is 4,000 to 6,000 words (counting a standard figure or table as 250 words). References are limited to the most relevant 15, except in survey articles that discuss a wide range of research.
We accept plain text, Word, LaTex, Postscript, and PDF. Any file that you upload to Manuscript Central will convert into a PDF.
Our system has size limitations on individual files. Please do not attempt to upload a file larger than 20 MB.
Set the paper size in your text document to 8 1/2 inches wide by 11 inches high, rather than A4. Margins should be at least one inch on the left and right and at least 1.5 inches from the top and bottom. Your manuscript must have page numbers on every page, at least one inch from the bottom of each page.
Abstract, keywords, and taxonomy
The abstract should be no more than 150 words and should describe the overall focus of your manuscript.
Keywords should closely reflect your topic and optimally characterize your manuscript. IEEE Pervasive Computing provides keywords that are taken from the ACM taxonomy. (This is an extended version of the ACM Computing Classification System Copyright ©2003 ACM, used with permission.)
We recommend that you enter a minimum of two keywords when uploading your manuscript. Expert reviewers in your topic area are linked to your manuscript by keywords.
Illustrations
All illustrations must be cited in the text, numbered, and have descriptive captions. Graphics should show only the coordinated axes (or at most the major grid lines) to avoid dense, hard-to-read illustration. Detailed graphics guidelines are available here. If your article is accepted, be prepared to submit separate files for each figure.
Supplemental material includes videos and extra graphics in addition to your completed manuscript. We prefer that you submit this type of material after discussion with IEEE Pervasive Computing’s magazine assistant.
Author photos should be submitted as a high-resolution (300-dpi if possible) EPS, TIFF, or JPEG file.
References
Please number your references in the order in which they appear. On average, an article should have 10–15 references—sometimes more in well-justified situations such as survey or tutorial pieces. Cite only published or scheduled-for-publication material that the public can easily access. Avoid listing multiple references for standards or methodologies that are well-known to the community and IEEE Pervasive Computing’s readership.
Citations must include full publication information—for articles, this means listing all authors, the article name, the publication’s full name, the volume, issue number, month, and year of publication, and the pages cited. For conference proceedings, we need the article and the proceedings titles, the name and location of the proceedings publisher (not the conference’s location), the year of publication, and the pages cited (examples appear in the CS Style Guide).
Author bios
Articles should be accompanied by a short biographical sketch and author photo. The sketch should contain, in the following order, your current position and affiliation; current research interests; highest academic degree, area of study, and institution; professional affiliations; and postal and email addresses. The photo should be submitted as a high-resolution (300-dpi if possible) EPS, TIFF, or JPEG file.
Web resource
IEEE Distributed Systems Online is the official Web resource for IEEE Pervasive Computing. Visitors have free access to in-depth information in expert-mediated subareas such as mobile & wireless, distributed agents, and collaborative computing, as well as peer-reviewed surveys, departments, and news. IEEE DS Online will publish accepted multimedia extensions to IEEE Pervasive Computing articles, offering authors increased flexibility and options for disseminating content. Interested authors should write for more information.
Submission guidelines
Concurrent submission
We do not allow submission to more than one publication at one time. If we determine that a manuscript has been submitted to another publication before IEEE Pervasive Computing's review process is completed, your manuscript will be immediately rejected.
Duplicate submission
We do not accept duplicate submissions of manuscripts. Please do not attempt to enter or upload a modified version of a manuscript that is already in the system as a new submission.
Identical submissions will be immediately rejected.
If any portion of your submission has appeared or will appear in a conference, workshop, proceedings, or another periodical (including other IEEE Computer Society magazines & transactions), please include a copy of your previously published manuscript along with your IEEE Pervasive Computing submission and a summary of changes identifying the differences between the two.
Please be aware that editors and reviewers are required to check the submitted manuscript to determine whether a sufficient amount of new material has been added to warrant publication. The IEEE Computer Society's guidelines are that authors should only submit original work that has neither appeared elsewhere for publication, nor which is under review for another refereed publication. If authors have used their own previously published material as a basis for a new submission, they are required to cite the previous work(s) and very clearly indicate how the new submission offers substantively novel or different contributions beyond those of the previously published work(s). Any manuscript not meeting this criteria will be rejected. Copies of any previously published work affiliated with the new submission must also be included as supportive documentation upon submission.
If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact the magazine assistant.
Copyright form and clearances
We assume that articles submitted to us are for our exclusive use and will be published under the IEEE copyright. At least one author must sign a release form transferring copyright to the IEEE (excepting certain key rights retained by the authors) before we can publish an article. The author must secure all necessary copyright clearances. For more information and an online copy of the form, see http://computer.org/copyright.htm.
Login instructions
The IEEE Computer Society now employs a secure, Web-based manuscript submission and peer-review tracking system called Manuscript Central for all article submissions to IEEE Pervasive Computing. The site itself provides detailed instructions on usage. This tool significantly reduces the time required for the peer review process.
Everyone who submits a manuscript must have a Manuscript Central account. If you have previously volunteered in any capacity for the IEEE Computer Society Manuscript Central has emailed you or will email you a login and password. On your first visit here, please click on CHECK FOR EXISTING ACCOUNT. Try to avoid creating a duplicate account.
If you have not volunteered with the IEEE Computer Society or have not received a new-user email, then click on CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT. The bolded fields must be completed in order to continue the process.
Also, if you anticipate that you will need to be notified at two email addresses, please include the second email address (CC). You may mark this email address active or inactive as needed.
If you have technical difficulties with your account, please contact Support by clicking the Get Help Now button in the upper right corner of your screen.
A unique manuscript tracking number will be assigned to your manuscript and should be used when corresponding with the magazine assistant. On the first page of the manuscript, include the title, "Version #...," all author names and affiliations, the date of submission, an abstract, and keywords. In the cover letter, include all authors' mailing addresses, daytime telephones, email addresses, and fax numbers. For articles with more than one author, state who will act as the primary contact with the magazine. Please list all authors who contributed to your manuscript. If necessary, you may change the list of contributing authors when you upload a revised version.
Uploading instructions
Detailed information on uploading your manuscript is available here . The system requires you to proof your files before completing the uploading process.
Peer review process
Once you receive a confirmation letter from Manuscript Central, the magazine assistant will verify that your manuscript meets IEEE Pervasive Computing's word length requirements and forward your manuscript to the editor in chief for an initial review. If the editor in chief finds that your manuscript is within the scope of the magazine, it will be assigned to an editor.
Reviewers are chosen to review manuscripts based on their expertise. You can login to Manuscript Central and check the status of your manuscript anytime during the process. Normally, you will receive a final decision within four to six months.
Only about 25% of all manuscripts submitted to IEEE Pervasive Computing are published, and the manuscripts we publish generally receive very positive reviews.
How to contact us
IEEE Computer Society
10662 Los Vaqueros Circle
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
USA
+1 714 821 8380
pervasive@computer.org
