The 20-page booklet A Guide to CIF for Authors was produced in 1995 by the editorial office of the
IUCr to introduce authors to the mechanisms of submitting papers in CIF format. It remains a useful introduction, and should be read by all prospective authors of structural papers.
However, some of the information it contains has been superseded owing to the introduction of additional CIF data names and changes to the submission requirements made by the Commission on Journals. Authors should consult the most recent Notes for Authors for the current set of submission requirements.
It is hoped to provide a revised version of the Guide in the near future.
Additional help in constructing a CIF submission may be obtained by studying the template and example files also provided by the editorial office.