ACL 2025 Template: Duplicate Title & Author Info Issue
Discovering unexpected duplications in your paper's title, author, and correspondence information when using the ACL 2025 template can be quite confusing. This article dives deep into this specific formatting quirk, aiming to provide clarity and potential solutions for researchers submitting their work through platforms like arXiv. We understand that encountering such anomalies can be disheartening, especially when you've meticulously crafted your paper. This issue, often seen after the abstract, presents the same core details but in a different visual style. Let's break down why this might be happening and what you can do about it.
Understanding the Duplication
It appears that when you utilize the ACL 2025 template for your submissions, particularly when using arXiv for pre-print hosting, a peculiar duplication occurs. Your paper's title, the list of authors, and the corresponding contact information seem to be presented twice. The first instance typically appears at the very beginning of your document, as expected. However, a second iteration of this information materializes after the abstract. This second instance, while conveying the same essential data, is often formatted differently from the initial display. This can lead to confusion and raise questions about the intended presentation and the integrity of the document's metadata. It's a visual hiccup that, while perhaps not affecting the core content of your research, can detract from the professional presentation of your work. For many, the first impression of a paper is crucial, and seeing duplicated information can unfortunately lead to a less polished perception. We'll explore the potential causes behind this duplication and offer strategies to navigate this formatting challenge, ensuring your research is presented as clearly and professionally as possible.
Why Does This Happen?
Several factors could contribute to the duplication of title, author, and correspondence information within the ACL 2025 template, especially when rendered on platforms like arXiv. One primary reason might be related to the template's underlying LaTeX structure. Templates, particularly those designed for large conferences like ACL, often have specific commands and environments to handle different parts of a document. It's possible that a particular command intended for the initial display of metadata is being inadvertently triggered again later in the document's processing, or perhaps a separate command is responsible for generating a meta-information block after the abstract for specific rendering purposes. These templates are sophisticated tools, and sometimes, subtle interactions between different packages or compilation steps can lead to unintended outputs.
Another possibility lies in the interaction between the template and the submission platform. arXiv, for instance, processes submitted files (often LaTeX source) and converts them into various formats, including HTML. The way arXiv's conversion tools interpret the template's metadata commands could be leading to the duplication. The template might be instructing the compiler to display the information in a certain way, and arXiv's system might be interpreting those instructions to render it again in its own standard HTML output. It's a complex chain of processing, and any misinterpretation or redundant instruction can result in such duplications.
Furthermore, user error in template customization cannot be ruled out. While templates aim for simplicity, researchers might occasionally modify certain parts of the .tex file, perhaps to add custom fields or adjust spacing. If these modifications are not done carefully, they could inadvertently activate commands that lead to the repeated display of metadata. We'll delve into specific areas of the template to look for potential culprits and discuss how to rectify them, ensuring your paper appears just as you intend it to.
Navigating the ACL 2025 Template
Navigating the ACL 2025 template effectively is key to avoiding or resolving the duplication issue. The template's structure is designed to manage various components of a research paper, including title, authors, affiliations, abstract, and the main body. Understanding how these components are delineated within the LaTeX source file is the first step. Typically, metadata like the title and authors are defined using specific commands early in the document. The abstract is then introduced with its own command. The duplication you're observing likely arises from how these commands are processed or from additional commands that might be included to ensure certain metadata is present in the final output, regardless of its initial placement.
When using the ACL 2025 template, it's crucial to pay close attention to the preamble and the initial sections of your .tex file. This is where commands like itle{}, ewcommand{ extauthors}{}, and ewcommand{ exttt{}{} might be defined or used. The duplication suggests that either the command responsible for printing the title/author block is called twice, or that there's a mechanism within the template that regenerates this information for specific output formats (like HTML on arXiv) which is being triggered erroneously.
For those comfortable with LaTeX, inspecting the template files themselves can be highly beneficial. Look for sections that explicitly print the title, authors, and correspondence. You might find that a command like hispagestyle{firstpage} or similar constructs are involved in generating the title page elements, and a separate, perhaps less obvious, command is responsible for the post-abstract display. Identifying these commands and understanding their purpose within the template's logic is essential. If you suspect a modification you made is the cause, review those changes meticulously. Sometimes, a simple typo or an incorrect placement of a command can lead to such unexpected behavior. We'll explore practical steps you can take to identify and correct these formatting anomalies.
Practical Solutions and Workarounds
When faced with the duplication of title, author, and correspondence information in the ACL 2025 template, several practical solutions and workarounds can help. The most direct approach involves meticulously examining your LaTeX source file (.tex) for redundant commands. Open your main .tex file and search for the exact title text, author names, or email addresses. This will help you pinpoint where the information is being called to be printed. You are looking for instances where commands responsible for displaying these elements might be inadvertently included twice. For example, if the template has a command to print the title and authors on the first page and another to repeat it in a header or footer-like structure after the abstract, you might need to comment out or remove the latter if it's not desired.
Another effective strategy is to leverage the template's documentation or examples. Most conference templates come with a sample .tex file or a detailed manual. Compare your submission file against these examples. If the duplication appears in your file but not in the official example, it strongly suggests an error in your customization. Look for differences in how the metadata is declared and printed. Consider temporarily commenting out custom additions you've made to the template. If commenting out a specific block of code resolves the duplication, you've likely found the culprit. This is a systematic debugging process that can save you a lot of frustration.
If you're unable to identify a specific command causing the issue, a potential workaround might involve manually editing the generated HTML or PDF after compilation, though this is less ideal for pre-prints as they are often generated automatically. However, for final submission, understanding the source of the error is paramount. Sometimes, the issue might be with how arXiv processes the PDF or LaTeX. In such cases, contacting the platform's support or checking their FAQ for known issues with specific templates can be beneficial. For a clean and professional presentation, pinpointing the source of the duplication within the LaTeX template is the most robust solution.
What to Check in Your .tex File
To effectively tackle the duplication issue in the ACL 2025 template, a systematic check of your .tex file is essential. Begin by scrutinizing the very beginning of your document, in the preamble and the section where document metadata is declared. This is where commands like itle{...}, ames{...}, hanks{...}, and potentially custom commands for author affiliations and correspondence should be located. Ensure these are defined correctly and only once. The template likely uses specific commands to format this information for the title page.
Next, pay close attention to the abstract section and anything that immediately follows it. This is where the duplication is reported to occur. Look for any commands that might be instructing the LaTeX compiler to re-print the title, authors, or contact information. Sometimes, templates include hooks or specific environments to ensure that certain metadata is available for different output formats, such as HTML conversion. It's possible that a command intended for one purpose is being misused or has an unintended side effect. For instance, check for any unningtitle or unningauthors commands, or any explicit egin{abstract} and unninghead combinations that might be inadvertently pulling in the main title and author details.
Review any custom macros or environments you might have added. If you've tried to customize the author-affiliation block or add extra information, these modifications are prime suspects. Temporarily comment them out, one by one, and recompile to see if the duplication disappears. This isolation technique is highly effective for debugging. Furthermore, consider the hanks{} command often used for correspondence. Ensure it's correctly associated with an author and not appearing as a standalone element that might be triggering a re-display of contact info. By methodically checking these areas, you can isolate the problematic command or section of your code.
Final Thoughts on Presentation
Ensuring a clean and professional presentation of your research paper is paramount, and the duplication of title, author, and correspondence information in the ACL 2025 template can be a frustrating obstacle. We've explored the likely causes, ranging from template intricacies to platform interactions and potential user customizations. By systematically inspecting your LaTeX source file, comparing it with template examples, and employing debugging techniques like commenting out code, you can identify and resolve this issue. Remember, the goal is to have your metadata displayed clearly and accurately, just once, at the beginning of your paper.
This attention to detail not only enhances the readability of your work but also contributes to its overall credibility. A paper that appears well-formatted and free of such glitches is more likely to be taken seriously by reviewers and readers alike. While the issue might seem minor, it speaks to the care you've taken in preparing your submission. For those seeking further insights into academic publishing best practices and template usage, resources like the ACL Anthology provide a wealth of information and examples of correctly formatted papers. Additionally, consulting the official documentation for the ACL 2025 conference or the specific submission system you are using can offer tailored guidance.
Ultimately, overcoming these formatting challenges ensures your research stands out for its content, not for minor presentational errors. We encourage you to be patient with the debugging process and to leverage the available community resources if you encounter persistent problems. A well-presented paper is a crucial step in effectively communicating your valuable research findings.
