Queue Author Guidelines


ABOUT QUEUE


Queue is not a "here's the latest product from company X" magazine. We're more in-depth, focusing on core technologies themselves and how they affect software engineers. Not "solution focused" but "problem focused"--e.g. what's hard about implementing a technology? What are the gotchas to look out for? NOT "do (or use) XYZ and all your problems go away."

QUEUE READERSHIP


Our core readers are practicing software engineers. We're writing for the highly technical folk, usually coming up through the software engineering ranks, who are deeply involved with technology but also may serve a managerial function. They might have a responsibility for strategy and leadership, but are not exclusively focused on business functions. Job titles include architect, team leader, senior engineer, software engineer, director of technology, director of development, etc.

ARTICLE FOCUS


The article should focus on describing challenges in the space in general, as well as tradeoffs or pitfalls to watch out for when employing any particular approach. It should also look to the future, the next couple of years, and describe some of the looming challenges and opportunities the industry expects.

REVIEW POLICY


Although ACM Queue reviews articles only from authors who have been specifically invited to submit manuscripts, an invitation alone is not tantamount to a guarantee to publish. A panel of reviewers must first vet submitted manuscripts both for accuracy and relevance.

ARTICLE PARTICULARS


Wordcount: We ask feature article authors to shoot for 3500 words. We can go under by a few hundred or over by as much as 1000 and still be in good shape.

Figures: Figures are encouraged. We rework all art to fit Queue style. Photographs and screenshots should come in high resolution.

References: Please try to limit reference lists to 15 sources or less. Citations should be made in the body of text, with an alphabetical list of references at the end of the article.

Biography: Please include a short, one-paragraph biography that summarizes your background and interest in the area you're writing about.

Style: ACM Queue articles are edited to conform to The Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago Press) as well as according to our own house style.

EXAMPLES


Here are a few articles that fit Queue's focus well:

API Design Matters, Michi Henning, ZeroC

Real-world Concurrency, Bryan Cantrill and Jeff Bonwick, Sun

Triple-parity RAID and Beyond, Adam Leventhal, Sun