EASE Handbook Section 6 Blegi… · 2. Publishing and editorial issues 3. Report structure 4. References 5. Non textual material 6. Revision editing 7. Instructions to authors Our

EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013

Grey literature: challenges & responsibilities

for authors and editors

Paola De Castro, Sandra Salinetti

Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome (Italy)

EASE Handbook • Section 6.4

EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 2

Why grey literature in EASE Handbook?

Research scientists do not publish only journal articles, but also informal documents, i.e. GREY LITERATURE (GL).

Information produced on all levels of government, academia, business and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing, i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity.

Given at International GL Conference (New York 2004)

GL is now available on the Internet, therefore GL authors need guidelines…

Definition

Technical reports, conference proceedings, working papers…


Increased production and use of GL

Results of a Pubmed search of the term “grey literature” (2013)

0

50

100

150

200

250


Characteristics initially associated to GL have been upset(limited number of copies, specific target, difficult to retrieve)

GL and the Internet “sea change”

Information retrieval Document availability

Increased responsibility Target no longer under control

PROS

CONS


GL: from Cinderella to Princess

Old and new virtues to enter the realm of science!

Unique contentOriginal information Not for profit production

Pleasant layout Online availability

Easy retrieval

(content)

(format and availability)

OLD VIRTUES

NEW VIRTUES

The shadows of grey changed and different colours are associated with the dissemination of e-content

Today


A flick of magic wand…for Cinderella

Taking off GREY ash-dress…

• Proposal presented by ISS at the GL Conference in Nancy in 2005

NANCY STYLE…

HOW? Being aware and applying

Uniform requirements for the production of institutional reports:how to write and distribute grey literature

consensus reached on:


After that…

In 2006 the Grey Literature Steering Committee was established.

Nancy style becomes…GLISC guidelines(in English)

Italian (ISS, Italy)French (INIST-CNRS, France)Spanish (Universidad de Salamanca, Spain)German (TIB, Germany)

Translated into:


Why Nancy style?

independent and correct production of institutional reports in the respect of the basic editorial principles

Authors and issuing organizations

GOAL

TARGET


Nancy style: the secrets of the fairy

Vancouver style (ICMJE)Uniform requirements for manuscript submitted to biomedical journals NOW - Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing and publication of scholarly workin medical journals

ISO standard 5966/1982 Documentation – Presentation of scientific and technical reports

Personal experience


Nancy style to be introduced at Court

“”

SEVEN mice, magically

transformed into six horses

and a coachman,

led Cinderella to the castle…


Nancy style to be introduced at Court

1. Ethical considerations 2. Publishing and editorial issues 3. Report structure4. References 5. Non textual material 6. Revision editing7. Instructions to authors

Our mice to reach the Castle are:


They regard responsibilities of the authors of reports and their issuing organizations.

They also take into account the appropriateness of peer review

and possible conflicts of interest, privacy and confidentiality.

1. Ethical considerations

Burden of each mouse


Considerations associated with intellectual property (copyright)

New responsibilities arising from electronic publishing

2. Publishing and editorial issues



The HEAVIEST burden allowing to reach the desired goal

A well designed structure includes:

FRONT MATTER

BODY OF REPORT

END MATTER

3. Report structure

UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTENT



Sources of information used in the report

4. References

They shall be corrected cited to permit retrieval.



Tables and figures playing a significant part

in the understanding of concepts explained in the text.

5. Non textual material

ADDING VALUE to the information given



It ensures that the technical content of a report is COMPLETE, ACCURATE and UNDERSTANDABLE to the intended audience.

THREE LEVELS

Levels of revision depend on:

speed in diffusion availability of editorial staff budget

6. Revision editing



They are our coachman: it is up to him to drive the horses.

All issuing organizations should provide guidelines for a correct production of reports

7. Instructions to authors



And what about the pumpkin?

It is the CONTENT of the document.

All guests must follow a proper etiquette!

A smart layout and well balanced structure is useless without any good substance!

YET a good pumpkin can reach the castle to join the party of the noble (prestigious journal articles and monographs)

only with a flick of the “NANCY WAND”

FIRST RESPONSIBILITYof any author or issuing organization


Conclusions...

and the spell... will not end at midnight!

Nancy style helps improving GL

quality usability availability

It grants GL NOBILITY to join the party

Nancy style contributes to

meet OA challenges train GL authors to produce

editorially correct documents

GL authors must be aware of their responsibilities

Documents

EASE Handbook Section 6 Blegi… · 2. Publishing and editorial issues 3. Report structure 4. References 5. Non textual material 6. Revision editing 7. Instructions to authors Our