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Preparing conference proceedings: from template to DOI registration

Whether a volume of proceedings can be found and cited depends on decisions made months before the conference. This guide goes through the steps from template to DOI registration in order.

Published: ·Last updated: ·Silsile Press

Conference paper template (Word)

Which decisions should be made at the start?

The form of the proceedings should be settled before the call for papers is published: whether there will be an abstract book, full-text proceedings or both; which institution will publish them; whether papers will get DOIs; and which languages the volume will use.

These decisions shape the author guidelines. If full texts are required, the page limit, citation style and language of the abstract belong in the call. Rules that change later mean asking authors for new files and a slipping timetable.

What kind of template should authors get?

The template is a Word document that authors fill in, asking up front for everything needed during typesetting. Author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, email, abstract, keywords and references should sit in separate, clearly marked fields, so that the same details can be used consistently in the book and in the DOI record. A sample template with these fields can be downloaded in Word format from the link at the top of this guide.

  • Separate lines for title, authors and affiliations; affiliations written out in full.
  • An ORCID iD field for every author.
  • An abstract of set length and keywords; in both languages for bilingual conferences.
  • A single citation style (e.g. APA 7) with examples.
  • Numbering and caption rules for tables and figures.

How are the abstract book and full-text proceedings prepared?

The abstract book is usually distributed before or during the conference and follows the programme. The full-text proceedings are prepared after the conference, from the final corrected texts.

  1. Accepted papers are listed in programme and session order.
  2. Texts are checked against the template; missing ORCID iDs, abstracts or affiliations are reported to authors.
  3. The volume is set to the shared layout, and author and affiliation indexes are prepared.
  4. A proof PDF goes to the organising committee and corrections are made.
  5. The imprint page is completed and the print and electronic PDFs are delivered.

In whose name are the ISBN and imprint prepared?

The ISBN is obtained in the name of the institution or press publishing the volume. For university conferences this is usually handled through the institution's own publishing office or library. Print and electronic editions may need separate ISBNs.

The imprint page gives the title, editors, publishing institution, place and year, ISBN and licence where applicable. The conference name, dates and location should also be stated clearly.

Does every paper need a DOI?

Crossref recommends assigning DOIs to all papers of a conference and notes that the conference itself may also get a DOI. A separate DOI makes each paper easier to find, cite and add to the author's ORCID record.

In Crossref's conference record the conference name is required; theme, acronym, sponsor, location and dates are optional. The proceedings title, publisher and publication date are required. Recurring conferences with an ISSN can be deposited as a series.

DOIs are registered through the publishing institution's own Crossref membership. Membership and fees are covered in our guide Crossref DOIs for a journal.

What should happen after the conference?

Papers should be published at a permanent address on the conference site, and each DOI should resolve there. For recurring conferences, keeping the same web address and book template keeps earlier proceedings accessible.

Silsile carries out this work, from the conference website to DOI registration of the proceedings, as part of the conference publishing package.

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