Affiliation
None
Fri, 06/29/2012 - 13:57

Is there any way to change the format of the JAAVSO so that the figures and tables appear within the text of the paper instead of at the end?  The current format was fine when most issues were read in printed form.  It was easy to hold your place with your thumb and flip a few pages to the back to see the figure or table that was referenced in the text and then return.

However, now I read most issues in the electronic format and that's not as easy.  Perhaps at least link to the figures could be provided but the return to the text would still be problematic. 

I also personally find it easier to follow the concepts when the illustration or data is right with the text that refers to it rather than flipping back and forth. 

....Tim

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Figures in the body of the paper

I agree with this suggestion 100%. It's not only inconvenient to have to thumb or scroll your way to the end of a paper to see a figure while reading, it's totally unnecessary. I can't think of one good reason why you should make it more difficult to illustrate a point. For example...

(I'm sorry, you will have to bookmark this page and find the rest of my remarks elsewhere in this forum.)

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Figures not in the body of a paper.

This may be necessitated by the JAAVSO and EJAAVSO not having a full standard page size.  Most of the major astronomical publications have a full page format with double columns and figures within the text.  Perhaps a larger page size for EJAAVSO would be more desirable to put us on par with these major astronomical publications.  Since most major journals are available in electronical format, I would not think that a smaller page size is warranted for the EJAAVSO and JAAVSO, unless we are locked into the smaller page size by virtue of our hard copy printing and production setup.  Kevin Paxson - PKV

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Page sizes

I would have thought that issues of differences between output formats (eg, printed small pages, unlimited electronic pages, mobil devices, etc) has been well handled by style sheet technology?  Who does the type setting for JAAVSO and EJAAVSO - in house or out sourced?