**January, 10, 2007**

**MLRA OFFICE 6 INSTRUCTION NO. 430-383 (Reissue)**

**SUBJECT:** MO6 SOIL SURVEY MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION GUIDE

[Purpose.]{.underline} To transmit procedures for writing soil survey
manuscripts within MLRA Soil Survey Region 6.

[Effective Date.]{.underline} This instruction is effective when
received.

[Background.]{.underline} This Instruction provides supplemental
information to the National Soil Survey Handbook on procedures to be
followed in MLRA Soil Survey Region 6 for writing and assembling soil
survey manuscripts. It is an update of the previously issued MO6
Manuscript Procedures.

[Filing Instructions.]{.underline} This Instruction supercedes and
replaces the previous version of 430-383 that was originally distributed
in March 2005. File the enclosed with the other MO6 Instructions. An
updated tabulation sheet is enclosed.

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="2.125in" height="0.7618055555555555in"}

STEVE PARK

MLRA Office Leader

Attachment

The following procedures are to be followed in the MLRA Soil Survey
Region 6. Refer to section 644 of the National Soil Survey Handbook
(NSSH) for an explanation of manuscript preparation. The following
procedures provide supplementary guidelines and some recent refinements
to the soil survey publication process.

**MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION**

Format and layout of the report will be decided by the soil survey
project leader, the state soil scientist, cooperators, and the MLRA
Office. It will be guided by the memorandum of understanding or work
plan for the survey area.

The soil survey manuscript should be developed concurrently with soil
mapping and with progressive correlation. Guest author sections should
be scheduled well in advance of completion of the final draft.

[Map Unit Descriptions (MUDs) and Taxonomic Unit Descriptions
(TUDs)]{.underline}

Map unit descriptions will be generated from NASIS. The format and
content of the MUDs can be customized to meet the needs of the users.

Taxonomic unit descriptions will also be generated from NASIS. Typical
pedons should be entered into NASIS to allow generation of narrative
profile descriptions using a NASIS TUD report.

Macros are available to automatically format MUDs and TUDs for local or
interim use. MUDs and TUDs will be converted back to text-only for the
manuscript typeset.

Users requiring customization of MUD or TUD NASIS generated reports, or
tables, need only to request the needed changes from the MLRA Office.
The MLRA Office will work with the user to ensure the customized reports
meet the needs of the user. If reports, tables, or interpretations are
used from other MLRA Offices, the State or Agency needs to inform MLRA
Office 6 exactly which reports, tables, or interpretations were used.

**Manually prepared, or word processed, (not NASIS generated) MUDs,
TUDs, reports, tables, or interpretations will not be accepted as a
final manuscript product.** The only exceptions to this rule are: 1) for
unique, or special reports, tables, or interpretations that can not be
generated from NASIS, or 2) the State or Agency provides written
documentation certifying they have performed a 100 percent quality
control check, and that the data contained in the manually prepared
product matches exactly the corresponding data elements in NASIS. It is
imperative that data in the manuscript match the corresponding data in
the NASIS database.

[Tables]{.underline}

Manuscript tables will be generated directly from NASIS or the Soil Data
Mart. No additional editing or formatting (page numbers, headers and
footers) should be made to the tables. During preparation of the
manuscript, the project staff only needs to be concerned with the
technical content of the tables, not with their format or appearance.
Any revisions of data in the tables must be made in the database itself,
and not to the hard copy or report. The generated tables should be saved
as **.txt** files

Non-standard tables must be designed and proposed by the project staff
and approved by the MO staff early in the survey. Rating criteria and a
manuscript section that explains the proposed table and its columns must
be submitted for approval to the MLRA Office.

**QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OF A MANUSCRIPT**

Quality control of the manuscript is the responsibility of the State, or
the Agency responsible for the survey. The project leader has primary
responsibility for quality control. This means that the project leader
is responsible for reviewing the [entire]{.underline} manuscript to
ensure an accurate and high quality product that meets all the
specifications as prescribed in NSSH section 644.

A hard copy of the entire manuscript should be available for the final
field review. Photographs and diagrams should also be included and their
captions written. At a minimum, MUDs, TUDs, and tables must be
available. An entire manuscript must be available at the final
correlation conference.

After the project leader completes their review of the manuscript it is
forwarded to the State Soil Scientist, or responsible Agency head, for
further review. Once the State, or Agency, is satisfied with the
manuscript it is sent to the MLRA Office along with a transmittal letter
certifying that the manuscript, and associated electronic files, has
passed all quality control reviews.

The MLRA Office performs a 10 percent quality assurance review of the
manuscript and associated files. This technical review is performed at
the MLRA Office by thoroughly checking a random sampling of map units
and the accompanying MUDs, TUDs, and tables. Other sections of the
manuscript are also reviewed for technical accuracy and consistency.
Grammar and format are not specifically checked.

After the technical review the results are compiled and returned to the
State, or Agency. Commonly, the review will uncover some errors that
were repeated in several of the randomly-checked units. The State, or
Agency, is expected to correct these errors on [all]{.underline} units
in the legend, not only on the units that were noted in error during the
edit. After the State, or Agency, makes the needed corrections, the
corrected manuscript, or portions thereof, is returned to the MLRA
Office for further processing.

**MANUSCRIPT FOR THE ENGLISH EDIT AND TYPESET**

***The National Soil Survey Handbook (NSSH) Part 644*** defines the
steps for the preparation of soil survey manuscripts.

<http://soils.usda.gov/technical/handbook/contents/part644.html>

##  [Prewritten Materials]{.underline}

To deliver the manuscript for tech and English edit: **Think Pink!**
Traditionally printed on pink paper, prewritten materials ("PWM;" links
included on this page) will save the time and effort of writing each new
survey from scratch, and from the technical and English editors from
having to review each and every word of the new survey. USDA
publications policy specifically refers to avoiding the waste of
"reinventing the wheel" each time a survey is written.

PWM is available in several forms online. Which PWM is used for a
manuscript depends upon the age of the manuscript and the database used
for the soil map units. The SDQS can guide in the selection between PWM
versions. The *"Notes.txt"* file included with the PWM gives additional
instructions to authors. Some files may have an extension ".pwm," but
are simply text files. To open them, you may first have to run a text
editing program (such as Notepad), then open the files from within the
program.

-   Prewritten material for NASIS-tables, 2001. Provided by the NSSC,
    May 2001.[![](media/image4.png){width="0.1673611111111111in"
    height="0.15555555555555556in"}pwm2001.zip](ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NSSC/Editing_Guides/pwm/pwm2001.zip)
    (88 KB) (zipped text files)

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   All PWM should be downloaded from the appropriate link. **ALL
    CHANGES, ADDITIONS, OR DELETIONS TO THE ELECTRONIC PWM FILES MUST BE
    DONE USING THE "TRACK CHANGES" FUNCTION AND SAVED AS ".doc" files.**
    The purpose for this is to allow the editor to see and review all
    changes to the PWM. PWM should be printed on **pink paper** (that's
    our traditional color for PWM --- some color other than white or
    cream is fine). Author-written sections are to be printed on regular
    white paper. This shows the SDQS and the Editor what is new material
    and what is PWM.

-   Review the PWM **Glossary** and delete or add terminology as needed
    for your survey area. If a standard term is never mentioned in this
    survey, delete it; if a scientific term that is not in the Glossary
    is used in the text, add it and define it.

-   **References** **---** Each reference must be in the text or it must
    be deleted. The numbering system is no longer used; the correct
    format is to cite the author's last name/organization and the date
    of publication: e.g., (Green, 1964) or (USDA, 1998).

[Illustrations and Photographs]{.underline}

-   Illustrations and photographs and their captions must show and
    mention the soil/s or geological feature/s of the area.

-   Include as many illustrations and photographs as you want.
    Photographs can all be in color.

-   Save photographs as TIFF files if possible.

-   Composition of photos should approximate: 1/4 to 1/3 sky, 2/3 to 3/4
    landscape, level horizon.

-   Submit 3 cover photos and indicate your choices for 1^st^, 2^nd^,
    and 3^rd^.

-   ***DO NOT*** write on the back of illustrations or photographs
    except, lightly in pencil on a bottom corner; and then, only
    identify the illustration or photograph number. Include a separate
    sheet listing the illustrations, photographs, and their captions.

-   Clearly indicate in the manuscript where illustrations and
    photographs are to be inserted. This can be done electronically or
    written in by hand.

-   For illustrations please submit a copy of the original digital file
    in EPS or TIFF format if available.

-   Photographs and illustrations should be submitted in protective
    envelopes.

-   Per USDA policy, no brand names can be shown in the photo (i.e. a
    gas station sign) --- also, show positive aspects of the survey
    area, not negative; and do not select photos that reflect badly on a
    person, race, group, etc.

[@ Codes and PageMaker]{.underline}

The new @ codes have replaced the old \$ codes in the PWM. You don't
have to change the \$ codes --- that happens at the state office with
macro swaps. In fact, **don't** change **any** codes.

The Editor uses a typesetting program that covers 3 bases:

-   General typesetting (*What is typesetting?* Typesetting includes
    aligned columns, page #s, TOC, prepared illustrations, etc.)

-   HTML codes embedded in the \@codes for Web posting

-   PDF codes embedded in the \@codes for CDs and Web posting

Included in the typesetting process with the \@codes, is HTML coding.
The HTML codes embedded within the \@codes make it possible to post the
survey to the Web and to link from the Table of Contents (TOC) to the
section (e.g. click on DSM in TOC and jump to the DSM). These codes also
work in the same way for CDs.

[Submitting the Manuscript and CD to the MLRA Office]{.underline}

A 3-ring bound hard copy of the manuscript needs to be submitted to the
MLRA office along with a CD, or DVD, of all the electronic files. A
transmittal letter is also required stating the manuscript has passed
all quality control reviews and is ready for a quality assurance review
by the MLRA Office. The manuscript should be compiled and all sections
placed in the correct order as outlined in part 644 of the National Soil
Survey Handbook. For the purpose of saving paper it is not necessary
that all pages for all the interpretation tables be printed out and
included in the hard copy. **Only the first page of each table is or
needed to serve as a marker page.** However, the .txt file for each
table needs to be complete.

A CD, or DVD, needs to be submitted that contains all the electronic
files needed for the manuscript. All files names should clearly identify
the file content. Files to Include are:

1.  PWM files -- These are separate .doc files for PWM files that have
    been edited or .txt files for files that have not been edited.

2.  Guest authored section files

3.  General Soil Map Unit Narrative Descriptions file (required only if
    a GSM other than STATSGO is prepared)

4.  General Soil Map -- (required only if a GSM other than STATSGO is
    prepared)

5.  Detailed Soil Map Unit file -- One file should include all the map
    units.

6.  Series/Taxonomic Unit Descriptions file -- It is preferred that all
    the individual taxons be merged into one file.

7.  Table files -- These include all the interpretation tables as well
    as the climate tables in a .txt format.

8.  Illustration and Photograph files along with an accompanying file
    with captions.

9.  Detailed Soil Maps -- These are digitally map finished files
    produced from a SSURGO certified soil map layer. Older analog files
    are acceptable for older surveys. Each .pdf file for each detailed
    map sheet must be less than 1.5 megabytes in size.

10. Locator Map

11. Index to Map Sheets (usually prepared by Ft. Worth)

12. Conventional and Special Symbols Legend (usually prepared by Ft.
    Worth)

13. Soil Legend (usually prepared by Ft. Worth)