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Research scientists do not publish only journal articles, but also informal documents, i.e. GREY LITERATURE (GL).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…
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 3
Increased production and use of GL
Results of a Pubmed search of the term “grey literature” (2013)
0
50
100
150
200
250
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 4
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
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 5
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
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 6
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:
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 7
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:
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 8
Why Nancy style?
independent and correct production of institutional reports in the respect of the basic editorial principles
Authors and issuing organizations
GOAL
TARGET
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 9
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
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 10
Nancy style to be introduced at Court
“”
SEVEN mice, magically
transformed into six horses
and a coachman,
led Cinderella to the castle…
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 11
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:
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 12
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
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 13
Considerations associated with intellectual property (copyright)
New responsibilities arising from electronic publishing
2. Publishing and editorial issues
Burden of each mouse
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 14
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
Burden of each mouse
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 15
Sources of information used in the report
4. References
They shall be corrected cited to permit retrieval.
Burden of each mouse
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 16
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
Burden of each mouse
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 17
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
Burden of each mouse
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 18
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
Burden of each mouse
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 19
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
EASE/ISMTE joint meeting • Blankenberge 23-24 September 2013 20
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