STAR Paper Publication Procedure

 

  • Step 1: Paper proposal to PWG (PAs) 

     
  • Step 2: PWGC preview (PAs —> Conveners —> PAC) 
    • Results, major conclusions are near final, analysis is mature
    • Requirements: a webpage with title, PA list, target journal, abstract, figures with major if not all uncertainties, tables if any, physics conclusions 
    • Preview presentation template 



  • Step 3: PWG review (PAs —> Conveners)
    • PAs address PWGC comments, finish all aspects of the analysis, present final results in PWG meetings and address all comments raised
    • Requirements: Paper draft, analysis note
    • Checklist for analysis note; Instructions for analysis code preparation
      – Collaboration member, if desired, should be able to reproduce the results following the analysis note and analysis code. 
    • Once all the PWG comments are addressed, conveners officially sign off and request GPC formation 
       
  • Step 4: GPC formation (Conveners —> PAC) 
    • Requirements: analysis note, paper webpage, paper draft, analysis code approved by PWG 
    • A dedicated mailing list (star-gpc-XXX-l) is created for each GPC. Please use it for all GPC communications. 
    • Only GPC members and PAs are subscribed to the mailing list 
    • Collaborators can request subscription during collaboration review
       
  • Step 5: Collaboration review (GPC chair —> PAC/SP) 
    • GPC chair writes to PAC/SP when paper is ready to be released for collaboration review 
    • Requirements: analysis note, paper draft, analysis code approved by GPC 
    • Acknowledgement is prepared by PAC and sent to PAs. Full author list will be included only when accepted for publication. At this stage ‘The STAR Collaboration’ will be the author
    • Management will identify at least 5 institutes as institutional readers
    • PAs should prepare data tables for HEPData at this stage
      • Instructions on YAML file preparation 
      • Guidance on significant digits (Please pay attention)
         
  • Step 6: Announce the paper to RHIC (SP) 
    • Requirements: point-by-point responses to collaboration review comments, updated paper draft and analysis note, all approved by GPC. PAs send responses and updated drafts to starpapers-l. 
    • At least one week for collaboration to have further comments. If more comments, PAs should address them. SP approves exception 
       
  • Step 7: Submit to arXiv/journal (PAs) 
    • Requirements: 1 week after announced to RHIC, and go ahead from PAC 
      –  arXiv license: CC BY-NC-ND 
      –  Include supplemental material, if any, in arXiv version 
      –  Send confirmation email from journal to starpapers mailing list 
    • An entry on HEPData will be created after submission. PA: uploader; GPC chair: reviewer

       

  • Step 8: Address referee comments (PAs and GPC)
    • Send referee reports, as well as responses and updated material (after GPC approval) to starpapers-l mailing list

 

  • Step 9: Paper accepted for publication (PAs, GPC, PAC, SP) 
    • Full author list will be provided by the PAC following the new author list policy of STAR
    • The paper draft with the author list should be circulated to Starpapers (by SP) for 3 business days before sending to journal
    • PAs should forward the proofs to the PAC and SP. PAC will check the author list and acknowledgements. PAs should wait for green light from PAC to respond to journal


       
  • Step 10: Paper published (PAs) 
    • Upload final version to arXiv  
    • Make sure the analysis note on drupal and analysis code in CVS are up-to-date
    • Prepare a short note for our STAR front page. It should be written for a non-expert, highlighting 1-2 of the key results with, preferable, only 1 figure
    • PAs are encouraged to advertise the papers
    • Also, everyone can request DOE to consider our publications as DOE highlights. If you want to try, please let the management know and we can support. Of course, you do not need our permission doing so.

       

  • HEPData process — Important!

    • Final upload (by PA) and approval (by GPC chair) should happen before the paper is published
    • Will be a requirement for releasing the author list and approving the proof 
    • PAs should prepare the data tables during collaboration review and the initial upload and review should be done while the paper is in journal review