NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS F/SPO, OPR, and OSF series

SPO coordinates print publication and prepares electronic files for online publication of the F/SPO, OPR, and OSF Technical Memorandum (TM) series. SPO publishes F/SPO TMs online and maintains the web page for that series. OPR and OSF series are published online by their respective offices.

FORMATTING
A standard template for the front matter is available at this link. Authors are free to style their layout as they like as long as the same general front matter information is included. PDFs of published TMs can be viewed at the F/SPO TM page here for additional formatting examples. Note pagination of front matter:

Cover
Inside front cover (usually blank)
Title page (no number)
Suggested reference page (p. ii) 
Contents (p. iii & continuing as needed)
Additional front matter (Executive Summary, Acknowledgments, etc) 
Blank page if front matter ends on an odd-numbered page 
Text of report (starts on p. 1)

COLOR 
Color is generally not used in printing TMs unless it is necessary for communicating scientific information. It is not used as a design element except when pre-approved for certain specific outreach publications. (Color can be used for the online publication, but should be easily converted to grayscale for printing without loss of meaning or readability.)

SUBMISSION
Authors submit formatted files in Word format, along with the completed manuscript transmittal form, NOAA form 25-700. Submissions may be sent by email to the Managing Editor at shelley.arenas@noaa.gov. The report number is assigned when the completed manuscript transmittal form is received.

EDITING/REVISIONS 
Manuscripts are not edited word-for-word but receive a quick review for basic consistency of headings, pagination, page breaks, use of color, etc. Any issues that might come up with printing -- such as quality/resolution of images – are also noted. If changes are minor, the TM managing editor makes the revisions to the Word file. Otherwise a revised file is requested from the author. It usually takes 1-2 weeks to return the initial review of the submitted TM to the author, depending on what else is in the queue.

PRINTING & ONLINE PUBLICATION
When the report is in final form, SPO creates the PDF for printing and coordinates printing through the NOAA printing office and GPO. To ensure that TMs get into the federal depository library system via GPO, a minimum print run of 50 copies is ordered (GPO then adds their required copies and pays for them separately). Authors provide an accounting code for printing costs on the 25-700 form. (A full address for shipping the copies also should be provided.)

Once the final PDF is completed, the TM can be published online (some authors prefer to wait for printed copies or to do a formal "roll-out"). We include all F/SPO TMs on our website; authors’ offices sometimes put the reports on their own websites as well.

After the report is sent to GPO for printing, it generally takes about 3 weeks until the printed copies are received.

Questions? If you have questions on these guidelines, please contact the Managing Editor at: shelley.arenas@noaa.gov