Camera-Ready Submission Instructions

📅 Key Deadline: 17 July 2026 (23:59 Pacific Time)
No extensions will be granted. The editorial schedule is fully allocated.

1. Overview

Congratulations on having your work accepted to SAB 2026! This manual explains what you need to prepare and submit for the camera-ready version, depending on your track.

Track    What you submitted Published in proceedings? LTP required?
1 Conference paper (archival) ✅ Yes — LNAI, Springer Nature ✅ Yes
2 Conference paper (non-archival) ❌ No — but hosted on conference website ❌ No
3 Poster abstract Poster session; but abstract hosted on conference website ❌ No

Workshop/Tutorial proposers will be contacted separately by the organising committee. This manual does not apply to you.

All deadlines are 17 July 2026 at 23:59 Pacific Time (PT), as per CMT.

2. Track 1: Conference Papers (Archival)

Track 1 papers will be published by Springer Nature in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) series (From Animals to Animats 18. SAB 2026). Springer applies strict formatting and legal requirements. Please read this section carefully.

2.1 Page Limit

The final paper must not exceed 12 pages, including all text, figures, tables, and references. Papers exceeding the limit will be returned for revision.

2.2 Templates

You must use one of the official Springer LNCS templates. We strongly encourage LaTeX.

Template Notes
LaTeX2e (recommended) Download from the SAB 2026 instructions page or via Overleaf (search “Springer LNCS”)
Microsoft Word Use only if LaTeX is not feasible; submit .docx source plus figures as separate files

Full author guidelines and template downloads: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines

2.3 Required Paper Header

Your paper must include the following in the header:

  • Author names — exactly as they should appear in the published proceedings. Names cannot be changed after delivery to Springer.
  • Affiliations — institution, city, country.
  • Email address of the corresponding author — Springer uses this to send personalised access links after publication.
  • ORCID identifiers — strongly encouraged for all authors. Register at https://orcid.org if you do not have one.

Author names are final. Once a paper has been delivered to Springer, authors cannot be added, removed, or reordered, and the corresponding author cannot be changed. Ensure all co-authors agree on the author list before submission.

2.4 Abstract and Keywords

  • Abstract: 150–250 words
  • Keywords: 4–6 keywords listed below the abstract

2.5 Figures and Tables

  • All figures must be high-resolution (at least 300 dpi for raster images).
  • Figures must be legible in black-and-white, as print copies may be produced in greyscale.
  • Captions are placed below figures and above tables.

2.6 References

  • Use the Springer LNCS reference style (numeric, in order of appearance).
  • LaTeX: use the llncs.bst BibTeX style and include both your .bib and compiled .bbl file. Word: use the Springer template bibliography style.
  • All references must be complete: authors, title, venue, year, and pages where applicable.

2.7 Third-Party Material

If your paper reproduces figures, tables, or text excerpts from copyrighted works (other papers, books, websites), you must obtain written permission from the copyright holder before submitting the camera-ready version. Include an attribution statement in the caption or as a note.

2.8 Ethical Standards

All authors must comply with Springer Nature’s Publisher’s Code of Conduct for Book Authors. In particular:

  • Self-plagiarism, duplicate submissions, and salami publishing are not acceptable.
  • If you are extending a conference paper into a journal article, the extended version must include at least 30% new material and must cite the original publication.

2.9 What to submit

For each accepted Track 1 paper, the corresponding author must submit a ZIP archive containing:

  • Final paper as PDF
  • All source files (LaTeX: .tex, .bib, .bbl, figures, .sty/.cls; or Word: .docx + figure files)
  • Signed Licence to Publish as a scanned PDF

3. Track 2: Conference Papers (Non-Archival)

Track 2 papers undergo a light peer review and will be hosted on the SAB 2026 conference website but will not be formally published in the proceedings. This preserves your ability to submit the work to a disciplinary journal.

3.1 Formatting

The same formatting requirements as Track 1 apply:

  • Maximum 12 pages including all references
  • Written in English, formatted in Springer LNCS style
  • Use the official LaTeX or Word template

3.2 What to submit

Submit a single PDF of your final paper via CMT. No Licence to Publish is required. No source files are required.

4. Poster Presentations

Authors of accepted poster abstracts will present their work at the SAB 2026 poster session. Time permitting, poster presenters will also give a short spotlight presentation to the full audience.

4.1 Camera-ready abstract

Submit your final poster abstract as a PDF (maximum 3 pages including references, Springer LNCS format) via CMT. No Licence to Publish is required.

4.2 Poster format

For your poster presentation, please prepare a printed A0 poster in landscape format:

A0 landscape: 118.9 cm × 84.1 cm (approximately 46.8 in × 33.1 in)

Printing is the responsibility of the authors. Please ensure your poster is printed and ready before travelling to Berlin.

💡 Tip: Export your poster as a PDF before printing and check that all fonts are embedded and all images render correctly at full size.

5. Licence to Publish Agreement
(Track 1 only)

A signed Licence to Publish (LTP) agreement is required for every Track 1 paper. Without it, your paper cannot be included in the proceedings.

5.1 Who signs

The corresponding author signs the LTP on behalf of all co-authors. By signing, the corresponding author:

  • Confirms that all co-authors have agreed to publish the paper.
  • Grants Springer Nature the rights needed to publish the contribution.
  • Accepts responsibility for releasing the material on behalf of all co-authors.

5.2 Which form to use

Situation LTP form
Standard (most authors) Licence to Publish for LNCS — download from https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines
Authors based in Asia/Singapore region Asian Singapore Licence to Publish for LNCS — same download location

⚠️ Use only the official, unmodified form. Modified LTP agreements are not acceptable to Springer. Do not alter any text in the form.

5.3 How to sign and submit

  1. Download the correct LTP form from the SAB 2026 instructions page.
  2. Print the form, complete all fields, and sign in ink by hand.
  3. Scan the signed form to a clear, legible PDF.
  4. Name the file ltp_<PaperID>.pdf and include it in your submission ZIP (see Section 6).

6. Preparing Your Submission Package

6.1 Track 1 (Archival) — ZIP archive

Compile all files into a single ZIP archive named:

SAB2026_CameraReady_<PaperID>.zip

Replace <PaperID> with your CMT paper ID (e.g. SAB2026_CameraReady_042.zip).

Required contents:

File Filename convention
Final paper (PDF) paper_<PaperID>.pdf
Signed LTP (scanned PDF) ltp_<PaperID>.pdf
LaTeX source files main.tex, references.bib, references.bbl, figures folder, any .sty/.cls files
or Word source .docx file + all figure files

Example structure (LaTeX):

SAB2026_CameraReady_042.zip
├── paper_042.pdf
├── ltp_042.pdf
├── main.tex
├── references.bib
├── references.bbl
└── figures/
    ├── fig1.pdf
    └── fig2.png

Before zipping:

  • Compile LaTeX from scratch in a clean directory to confirm it compiles without errors.
  • Check all figures appear correctly in the compiled PDF.
  • Verify the PDF is not password-protected or restricted.
  • Check the PDF is ≤ 20 MB. If larger, compress figures without reducing below 300 dpi.
  • Confirm the LTP form is fully completed: paper title, author name(s), ink signature, date.

6.2 Track 2 (Non-Archival) — PDF only

Submit a single PDF of your final paper. No ZIP archive, no source files, no LTP needed.

6.3 Track 3 (Poster abstract) — PDF only

Submit a single PDF of your final abstract (max. 3 pages). No ZIP archive, no LTP needed.

7. Submitting via CMT

Camera-ready submissions are made through the same CMT portal used for initial submission. You will upload your files to your existing submission record.

Steps:

  1. Log in to the SAB 2026 CMT portal: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/SAB2026
  2. Navigate to your accepted paper in the Author Console.
  3. Click the camera-ready submission link for your paper.
  4. Upload your ZIP archive (Track 1) or PDF (Tracks 2 & 3).
  5. Review the uploaded files to confirm they are correct.
  6. Submit — you will receive an email confirmation.

If you do not see a camera-ready submission option in your CMT record, contact the organisers at organisers@sab-conference.org with your paper ID.

📅 Deadline: 17 July 2026 (23:59 Pacific Time). We recommend submitting at least two days early to allow time for any last-minute issues.

8. Incorporating Reviewer Feedback

Authors of accepted papers are requested to revise their manuscript in response to reviewer comments before preparing the camera-ready version. Please address all major concerns raised by reviewers. No response letter is required for the camera-ready submission.

9. Submission Checklists

Use the checklist for your track before submitting. Every item must
be completed.

 

✅ Checklist A — Track 1: Archival Conference Papers

Formatting & Content

Licence to Publish

Submission Package

CMT Submission

✅ Checklist B — Track 2: Non-Archival Conference Papers

 

✅ Checklist C — Track 3: Poster Abstracts

Camera-ready abstract

Poster

10. Useful Links & Contacts

Resource Link / Contact
SAB 2026 Author Instructions https://sab-conference.org/instructions-for-authors/
Call for Contributions https://sab-conference.org/call-for-contributions/
CMT Submission Portal https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/SAB2026
Springer LNCS Author Guidelines https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines
Licence to Publish (LNCS) Download from https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines
ORCID registration https://orcid.org
Springer content sharing policy https://www.springer.com/gp/springernature/landing/content-sharing
Publisher’s Code of Conduct Download from https://sab-conference.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Publishers_Code_of_Conduct_for_Book_Authors.pdf
Organiser contact organisers@sab-conference.org

11. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add or remove an author in the camera-ready version?

No. Author changes are not permitted after the initial submission. Once a paper has been delivered to Springer, author names cannot be added, removed, or reordered, and the corresponding author cannot be changed. If there is a compelling reason, contact the organisers immediately.

Can I submit in Word instead of LaTeX?

Yes, Springer provides a Word template. However, we strongly encourage LaTeX as it produces better-formatted output and avoids common font and spacing issues. If you use Word, submit the .docx source file together with all figures as separate image files.

My paper is slightly over 12 pages. Is that acceptable?

No. The 12-page limit is strict and includes all content. If necessary, condense your text, reduce figure sizes, or tighten the reference list. Appendices count toward the page limit.

Do all authors need to sign the LTP, or just the corresponding author?

Only the corresponding author signs the LTP, but they do so on behalf of all co-authors. By signing, the corresponding author confirms that all co-authors have agreed to publish under the Springer licence.

What happens if I miss the camera-ready deadline?

No extensions will be granted. Papers not submitted by 17 July 2026 (23:59PT) may not be included in the proceedings. Contact the organisers as early as possible if you anticipate any difficulty.

Can I post my paper on arXiv or my personal website?

Springer’s content sharing policy permits authors to share their own work in certain ways (e.g. on personal websites, institutional repositories, or preprint servers). Consult the policy at https://www.springer.com/gp/springernature/landing/content-sharing before posting. Sharing a preprint before the proceedings are published is generally permitted.

I included figures from another publication. Do I need permission?

Yes. If you reproduce figures, tables, or substantial text from copyrighted works, you must obtain written permission from the copyright holder before submitting the camera-ready version. Include an attribution statement in the caption of the reproduced item.

I submitted a non-archival (Track 2) paper. Do I need to submit the LTP?

No. The LTP is only required for Track 1 (archival) papers. For Track 2, submit a PDF of your final paper only.

Registration

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