The nano.org project is currently in early beta testing. However, the features described below are already in effect. Importantly, manuscripts uploaded during beta will persist into the final version of nano.org, and will retain any codes they are assigned. Note that, during beta, all users automatically have the scholar rank. Users cannot presently request peer review of their manuscript - however, once this feature is activated it will be possible to request review of previously uploaded papers. Read more about the beta test here.

One of the primary functions of nano.org is to act as a repository for scientific papers, including 'preprint' papers which are under review elsewhere. The act of uploading a paper automatically generates a new research discussion thread associated with the manuscript, so that registered scholars can interact with one another and with the authors. Optionally, the authors can also request that nano.org arrange for the paper to be reviewed by peers. For a full overview of this aspect of the site, see the corresponding About page. On the present page, we provide help on the process of uploading an article.

Manuscript preparation
Before uploading, it is important to prepare the manuscript file correctly. We do not have specific style guides - it is acceptable to use any layout, citation scheme, etc, that would be appropriate for a print journal. However, the manuscript must be saved as a single file in Adobe PDF format. For users who normally work with Microsoft Word format (.doc) documents, we have a help page describing how documents can be converted. The maximum file size for automated upload is 8MB, although larger files (for example, a PhD thesis) can uploaded by requesting assistance from a site Operator.

The upload process
Having prepared the manuscript file locally on her computer, the author visits the "Articles" section of nano.org, and selects the option "Submit articles" which appears at the bottom of the link panel on the right.

If it is does not appear, or clicking it has no effect, then possibly the author is either not logged in, or does not yet have the 'scholar' rank (a requirement in order to make contributions in this section).

The submit link takes the author to a special page for article uploads. At the top, there is a choice to be made between (a) uploading an article AND requesting that the article be reviewed, (b) simply uploading an article without requesting review, (c) starting a discussion thread about an article hosted elsewhere.

During the closed beta test of nano.org, the first of these options is not available. Therefore, an author wishing to upload her paper must choose the middle option. Then the author should provided the further details requested below. All fields must be filled out, except "Journal reference, or equivalent" which is optional (since, of course, the material being uploaded might not yet have appeared in a journal). In the final section, the author selects those topics to which this article is relevant. Note that it is possible to select several topics, so that articles which overlap several areas can be correctly recognised as such.

Once all details have been entered, the author would click "Submit". This brings up a second and final page, where the author can check the appearance of the title / abstract, confirm that author names and emails are correct, and then upload the paper itself.

Optionally, the author may also upload a small image (JPG or GIF format) which will be displayed next to the paper's title. This image will be used both in (a) listings where multiple articles appear, where it will appear scaled to a height of about 60 pixels, and (b) at the start of the article's discussion thread, where it will be about 140 pixels in height. Therefore it is appropriate to upload an image of, say, 140x140 pixels.