Column: President’s Message March 2009 The Newest ISMTE Member Benefit In this issue: From the Executive Director - Beverlee Anderson ‘How can I find a job like yours?’ talented membership. So take a look It’s a question many of us are often at it, post your basic resume/CV, and Articles asked and which we often ask of keep an eye out. • Advertising in others. ISMTE can now help answer In the meantime, take a close Journals 2 that question. look at your own resume/CV which, The newest member benefit is of course, should always be kept up our Career Center - a partnership to date. Is it focused on delineating with Job Target, a nationally the skills you have, your recognized job board that serves accomplishments, your Columns many industries. So should you post responsibilities? Or is it just a list of • President’s your resume/CV online if you are, as dates and jobs? Does it fit onto a Message 1 I am, happy with your current maximum of two pages? Do you • Tips & Tricks 7 situation? Of course. You never even know where it is on your • Taming know what is out there that might computer? Do you have a few Technology 12 just be what you were always looking sample cover letters you can • Publication for. Many of the jobs we currently manipulate for different Partners 15 have came about by word of mouth, circumstances? Our Career Center • Portrait of an an opening someone knew you would also offers resume/CV writing Editorial Office be ’perfect‘ for, or an exhaustive job services and EON will publish ’how- 17 search. The Career Center job board to’ articles on this subject as well. is another tool for expanding our I love my job…or should I say individual potential and our Society’s jobs, as none are full-time in real niche community of managing and time, but full-time in commitment Calendar 19 technical editors. Hopefully, as to the goals of each organization for ISMTE grows and provides more quality membership services, quality professional development, the only educational opportunities, and place a potential employer will turn quality resources. I try hard to to is our site to post available jobs convey this in my own resume. and to view the resumes/CVs of our continued on page 11
MARCH 2009 PAGE 1 ARTICLE Advertising in Journals
by Jason Roberts ISMTE President Managing Editor, Headache Managing Editor, The Journal of Sexual Medicine [email protected]
Advertising in journals can look at how each of these represent a potentially Revenues from factors influence revenue: lucrative way to supplement a Advertising journal’s sales revenues – Circulation Size possibly even exceeding The most common type of subscription sales. It’s not for advertising is the traditional As expected, larger all journals: many subjects allotment of page space for a circulation journals can simply do not lend themselves product advertisement in print demand the highest sales to advertising, either because journals. For medical journals figures, but volume is not there are no products to in particular, revenues can run everything. If a journal has a market or because the from several hundred dollars or predominance of a particular readership is too small, or even Euros to several thousands per type of reader (characterized too international (more on that issue. In medical publishing by specialty or area of later). This article looks alone, according to PERQ, the expertise), this may be more specifically at the sale of renowned monitor of journal attractive to advertisers than commercial advertising space. advertising spend, US $850 sheer volume, much like how Other types of advertising million was spent on TV advertisers seek the core include classifieds (often used advertising in 2005.1 18-49 demographic because of for small job postings, resale of their spending power. equipment) or in-house The revenues generated by advertising on left-over pages. print advertising vary widely Content may also trump between journals. Reasons for circulation. For example, again, In this article I will restrict this include the size of drawing from medical journals, comments to print circulation, the location of the clinical journals might have an publications. Online advertisement within a journal easier time in securing advertising will be a focus of a and the length of an advertising than a basic science second article to publish later advertising arrangement. Let’s title. For pharmaceutical in the year in EON. advertisers, clinicians are the
1 PERQ/HCI Research. (2006) Advertising revenue by medical specialty. Princeton (New Jersey) www.perqhci.com/News/ spending/ad_revenue_by_class_pfv.html (accessed 19th February 2009)
MARCH 2009 PAGE 2 ARTICLE
Advertising in Journals continued key group because they are location. Within a print journal product prescribers. Clinicians certain spaces are of higher Usually publishers attempt might only refer to basic value to advertisers. Sales staff to secure multiple-issue science titles when they need know this and price advertising commitments, some background science. A accordingly (Preferred Position most obviously for a complete clinician might consult a Rates). The back cover and volume or year. In return, clinical journal more regularly inside front cover command advertisers may receive a as it has the potential to the highest prices. After that, discount on pricing. influence their practice. In this location next to the Table of Conversely, publishers can scenario, both journals may Contents or featured articles/ often make a ‘quick buck’ from have the same circulation, but sections might also demand a one-off sales for special or one title might simply sit on a higher fee. themed issues. Another source bookshelf most of the time – of one-off revenue is sales in an clearly not an attractive Most journals cluster issue carrying the abstracts for prospect for potential advertising into one spot, a meeting. advertisers. usually at the start, before the The geographic editorial content, or at the Non-traditional distribution of the readership back of the journal, after the Advertising is also important for editorial content. Some advertisers. Though this is journals do allow interspersed Page advertisements somewhat of a generalization, a advertising. These are adverts dominate sales but some journal with a truly mixed in with the editorial publishers offer other sales international subscriber-base content. Again, advertisers will options for print publications. might struggle to secure pay top dollar for such These have the potential to advertising over a title with locations. Most titles, however, return higher revenues as they subscribers clustered consider this a commercial step typically stand out from the predominantly in one country. too far. Standards have norm. All usually feature some Reasons for this include obviously changed over time. form of product branding. variance in the names of For Headache’s 50th anniversary, Some options include: products in different markets I consulted a facsimile of the and complexities over whether first edition and not only found Bellyband- A wrap that a particular product is available interspersed advertising, but partially covers the front and (and by extension, if a company each advertisement was back of a journal issue. About is allowed to market a product followed by an article on the 75% of the cover is still in certain markets). product from the preceding exposed. The bellyband is advert – a situation, I should typically fitted so tightly it Location of an hasten to add, that would never must be torn apart before the Advertisement happen now. reader can open the journal. Cover Tip- A postcard lightly As with selling a house, it’s Length of Advertising glued to the cover and removed all about location, location, and Agreements like a post-it note. The
MARCH 2009 PAGE 3 ARTICLE
Advertising in Journals continued measurement is approximately are very tight regulations (for industry in particular has made 7 inches (18cm) across by 5 example, in the United States attempts to regulate itself and inches (13cm) down. these are set by the Federal provide good practice policies Outsert- a loose Drug Administration) such as PhRMA Guiding advertisement placed in the regarding when a product can Principles: Direct to Consumer journal’s polybag (the plastic be advertised. If a product has Advertisements About wrapping the journal is mailed not been indicated for use in a Prescription Medicines.2 The inside). particular treatment method acronym PhRMA stands for E-Sert- A DVD placed in the for a disease or condition, then The Pharmaceutical Research journal or in the journal’s a pharmaceutical company and Manufacturers of America. polybag. cannot promote that product. Advertorial- An Some products, however, are Who decides what is advertisement designed to look used ‘off-label’ for treatment acceptable? like an article. The word for an associated condition ‘advertisement’ is listed above that in turn affects the Determining what is or below to distinguish it from condition actually under appropriate content is a task editorial content. treatment. Sometimes these that falls to different parties Business Reply Card- Bound products become well known depending on factors as varied into the journal or affixed to an as an alternative form of as who owns the journal or ad. It prompts the reader to treatment and drug companies even society politics. For titles mail in the card or go to a may eventually look to receive not owned by a publisher website and find out more approval from a regulatory (society-owned publications for information on a product or body like the Federal Drug example) the responsibility for service. Administration or its vetting the content of an equivalent in other countries. advertisement might rest with Advertisers might try other In such circumstances a the editor-in-chief. The types gimmicks to stand out in a company may provide a of advertising allowed (e.g., the crowded marketplace. Recently ‘corporate ad’ that promotes a acceptability of bellybands) I received a copy of a journal in company and its commitment may rest with a publication its usual polybag with an odd- to a particular field of study committee, board of directors, shaped bulge on one side. On without specifically or an editorial board. Such opening the bag, out fell a mentioning a product. Such an control over the vetting noisemaker – when you blew it, advertisement could process is critical for many and it unraveled, the name of a potentially be interpreted as a societies as it can be construed drug appeared. ‘nod and a wink’ to the fact a that allowing certain products drug is not approved for to advertise constitutes a tacit Restrictions on advertising treatment but is being used off- endorsement of a product. My label. two titles Headache and The For medical journals there The pharmaceutical Journal of Sexual Medicine have
2 www.phrma.org/files/DTCGuidingprinciples.pdf (Accessed 16th February, 2009)
MARCH 2009 PAGE 4 ARTICLE
Advertising in Journals continued very tight guidelines on Advertising plans sales where none existed products that can be before. advertised, the latter for Rarely do companies with obvious reasons if you have products to market get Does journal advertising checked your junk e-mail involved directly with the work? folder recently. Like many purchase of advertising space. medical journals, they take An agency will be employed to In the medical world, their cues from the buy space and these agencies direct-to-physician advertising International Committee of typically keep voluminous data is just one of several marketing Medical Journal Editor’s on individual journal strategies to boost sales. The (ICMJE) guidelines on circulation, publication majority of a promotional advertising.3 In particular, the frequency, pricing, and budget is devoted to the sale of ICMJE recommends three timeliness (journals that direct-to-consumer advertising, policies: develop a reputation for the budgets for which (in • The juxtaposition of persistent lateness will find it North America in particular) editorial and advertising much harder to secure sales). are several times greater than material on the same Many of you might have the total spend in journals, products or subjects received e-mails/letters from thanks to high rates charged by should be avoided. such organizations to provide high-circulation magazines and • Interleafing advertising updates on this information. for television commercials. pages within articles Journals that have traditionally PhRMA’s report on advertising interrupts the flow of snubbed advertisers or have no and promotion trends editorial content and track record of selling suggested US $4.6 billion was should be discouraged. advertising space may find it spent in 2006 on marketing to • Advertising should not hard to suddenly generate sales. consumers.4 be sold on the condition During my days as a publishing It should be noted, that it will appear in the manager at a large publisher I however, that journal same issue as a witnessed many journals decide advertising spending does not particular article. they wanted to increase their typically come from the same sales from nothing to budget as consumer Anecdotally, I would something, only to then see advertising. Nor is it the sole imagine the third their disappointment when tactic employed by drug recommendation is generally sales did not materialize. companies to influence ignored by a majority of Unless prominent figures in the prescribing behavior. Direct- journals as so many advertising field can be marshaled to help to-physician approaches range commitments are across secure advertising from hospital promotions to several issues. commitments as personal ‘detailing’ (office visits from favors, it is not easy to generate sales representatives) to journal
3 International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication. Updated 2008. www.icmje.org/ (Accessed 16th February, 2009) 4 www.phrma.org/files/Marketing%20and%20Promotion%20Facts_071108_FINAL.pdf (Accessed 16th February, 2009)
MARCH 2009 PAGE 5 ARTICLE
ARTICLE Advertising in Journals continued advertising. advertising commitments, that habits. A new drug compound Clearly, however, advertising a company is focusing its or product/technology coming in journals must generate marketing dollars on direct-to- off-patent may trigger a wave sufficiently handsome returns consumer activities. This is a of rival product developments on investment (ROI), frequently replayed answer, and launches. otherwise companies would however, when companies are What has not changed is not engage in the practice. confronted about why they the advanced planning of Fugh-Berman and colleagues dropped their journal advertising campaigns. Journals identify the likely reason why: promotional activities. are researched ahead of the prescribing ability of eventual placement and doctors. They note that journal Conclusions budgets are then managed advertising has a significantly tightly, accordingly. I have seen greater ROI than direct-to- Writing this article within in many editorial board consumer spending because: the context of a gloomy meetings, for a variety of titles, ….advertisement[s] in economic background, the over several years, an consumer magazines future of journal advertising unfounded belief that reaches potential spending remains highly advertising is like a spigot purchasers individually, a uncertain. But there may also waiting to be turned on. The pharmaceutical be bright spots. Variances in industry simply does not work advertisement viewed by industries, be it pharmaceutical that way and a compelling case one physician could result or otherwise, are likely to be must be developed by a journal in dozens or hundreds of driven by ‘local’ factors. with the expectation of a long- drug purchases.5 Product cycles are an obvious range effort from initial Knowing this, it is ‘local’ reason. The presence of attempts to sell advertising particularly frustrating for a new product in a particular space through to the eventual many journals to hear, when field may force competitors publication of an battling to retain lost into increasing their spending advertisement.
5 Fugh-Berman A, Alladin K, Chow J (2006) Advertising in Medical Journals: Should Current Practices Change? PLoS Med 3(6): e130 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0030130
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MARCH 2009 PAGE 6 Column: Tips & Tricks for Best Practice in the Editorial Office
Keeping Up To Date
by Irene Hames Managing Editor, The Plant Journal, Wiley-Blackwe [email protected]
The world is filled with more publicly without suffering from information overload available information than ever before, and it is (which, based on the Wikipedia entry, is when increasing at a phenomenal rate. For anyone ‘an excess amount of information is provided, with a computer or phone and Internet making processing and absorbing tasks very connection, it’s all just a few clicks away. This difficult for the individual because sometimes obviously has many advantages. Information on the validity behind the information cannot be any topic, however specialised or remote, can be seen’)? readily and rapidly obtained. The power of What all of us want professionally is to search engines is something we take for granted, know about things that will help us in our jobs, but it is extraordinary. I just ran a few searches keep us abreast of important issues and in Google – it brought up more than 23 million developments in our profession and industry, results for ‘peer review’ in 0.08 seconds, more and be relevant to our own special interests. We than 46 million for ‘editorial office’ in 0.09 each have to identify the type of information seconds, and nearly 9 million for ‘manuscript we’re interested in and then work out how best review’ in 0.12 seconds. This is staggering! When to get it and how to do this in the most efficient I started working in an editorial office nearly 20 way. years ago, getting information meant going to A Disciplined Approach the library, and if it didn’t have what was needed, using an interlibrary loan or photocopying It’s very easy to get distracted when looking service. Information was harder to get, and it for information online, to follow link after link, took more time. Nowadays it can be accessed and end up losing sight of what it was we started anywhere and anytime; geographical boundaries out looking for. A lot of interesting and useful and time zones have mostly become irrelevant. information can, of course, be found that way, and can help inform and enhance our ideas. But Information Overload there are also a lot of dangers lurking. Time can be wasted and work interrupted in an unhealthy There is, however, a downside to the way. The introduction of social networking has existence of all this information and its ready increased the problem, and a disciplined availability. Leaving aside the issues of reliability approach is essential when working. and accuracy – which are real problems as The phenomenon of blogging is a powerful anyone can put up information online – how can new way of reaching out to people with similar a professional in today’s world keep up to date interests or ideas, and it is a great way to find
MARCH 2009 PAGE 7 Column: Tips & Tricks for Best Practice in the Editorial Office
Keeping Up To Date continued
out what new things they have come across, daily, others weekly, or even monthly, what they think, what they would advise. But depending on how active they were – and check when you look at the number of entries and the what was new. I’ve now got an RSS feed reader times of posts on various sites, it’s clear that set up on my computer, and this alerts me some people are posting many times whenever new content is added to any of the throughout the day (and night in some cases), sites I’ve added to it, saving me a lot of time which must be disruptive to concentration and (see http://sspnet.org/forward/rss.aspx for a quality working. Concerns have even been brief description of what RSS is and links to raised about ‘blogging addiction.’ more information; Editor’s note: see also the So how can you keep informed without Taming Technology column in this issue). On spending hours online and without the process my feed reader, the screen is split into three. interrupting your work? First, be selective – The list of my selected sites is on the left. The identify sites where you can get valuable and name of any site that has new information on it reliable information that is genuinely useful or appears in bold. If I click on a site, that brings interesting to you. Second, let information up a list of entries in the central part of the come to you, if at all possible, for example by screen, all with dates and times of posting, and identifying people who regularly find and post with the new content in bold. When I click on on the sorts of information you’re interested in a specific entry, the text of the start of that and whose comments and opinions you respect content appears on the right side of my screen. and tend to agree with. Third, set up a system If I’m interested in reading more, I can click that will alert you automatically to new through to the website itself, either keeping it information of interest. Fourth, work out a in just the right-hand column or opening it up schedule for checking Web sites and new in my browser. It’s very simple and effective, information updates that work for you – maybe and, most importantly, suits me. If I find a new first thing in the morning, with a cup of coffee, website I’m interested in and I add it to my or over lunch, or at the end of the day, or feed reader, it also lists previous posts (in maybe check just weekly, on a specific day. Do categories such as ‘this week,’ ‘last week,’ etc.), it in whichever way works best for you, fulfils which enables me to catch up on past activity if your needs, and fits in to your work day I want. This can be very useful. Some websites without disrupting it or taking you away from I still check individually as either they haven’t important jobs and breaking your got an RSS feed facility or I haven’t been able concentration. to set them up in my feed reader. I’m also signed up to a number of eToC alerts for RSS Feed Readers various journals.
I have a list of Web sites for organisations Suggested Websites and people that I’ve built up over time, and have them bookmarked in my browser. I used Here (in alphabetical order, with brief to open them up regularly, individually – some descriptions, some taken from the
MARCH 2009 PAGE 8 Column: Tips & Tricks for Best Practice in the Editorial Office
Keeping Up To Date continued
organisations’ own websites) are the sites I their entire catalogue of journal titles as COPE follow (in addition, of course, to ISMTE!) that members. COPE provides a forum for might be of interest to other members of publishers and editors of scientific journals to ISMTE: discuss issues relating to the integrity of the work submitted to or published in their ALPSP – The Association of Learned and journals, both print and online.’ There are Professional Society Publishers guidelines on good publication practice on the (www.alpsp.org) is an international trade website, and summaries of the case studies that association ‘representing all types of nonprofit have been discussed at COPE meetings. publishers, and is the largest trade association for scholarly and professional publishers. Over CSE – The Council of Science Editors 10,000 journals are published by ALPSP (www.councilscienceeditors.org), has a mission members as well as numerous books, reports, ‘to promote excellence in the communication databases and other products and services.’ of scientific information’ and its purpose is ‘to Updates are regularly posted on new courses, serve members in the scientific, scientific reports, and responses to position statements publishing, and information science or policies. Members have access to advice communities by fostering networking, notes, market reports, and other valuable education, discussion, and exchange and to be information. an authoritative resource on current and emerging issues in the communication of ALPSP Alert - this is ALPSP’s monthly scientific information.’ newsletter (available to member organisations), and features ALPSP news, forthcoming events, Delicious (http://delicious.com) – This is a industry news, new products and services, news social bookmarking service that allows users to on people, new research and reports, legal tag, save, manage, and share Web pages from a news, library news, and technology updates. centralised source. You can check out what people you trust and respect are looking at and ‘Bad Science’ (www.badscience.net) – Ben bookmarking. Goldacre’s blog, where he exposes pseudo science and sets the record straight (if you don’t EASE – The European Association of know this site, take a look). Science Editors (www.ease.org.uk) is ‘an internationally oriented community of COPE - The Committee on Publication individuals from diverse backgrounds, linguistic Ethics (http://publicationethics.org) is traditions and professional experience who ‘concerned with the integrity of peer-reviewed share an interest in science communication and publications in science, particularly editing. EASE offers the opportunity to stay biomedicine … some publishers (Elsevier, abreast of trends in the rapidly changing Wiley–Blackwell, Springer, Taylor & Francis environment of scientific publishing, whether and the BMJ Publishing Group) have signed up traditional or electronic.’
MARCH 2009 PAGE 9 Column: Tips & Tricks for Best Practice in the Editorial Office
Keeping Up To Date continued
ICMJE – The International Committee decide whether their revised paper is re- of Medical Journal Editors (www.icmje.org) reviewed?’ is a group of general medical journal editors - ‘Peer-to-Peer’ (http://blogs.nature.com/peer- whose members meet annually and revise the to-peer). Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Because there are so many blogs and forums on Submitted to Biomedical Journals. These Nature Network, it’s very easy to get side- guidelines (which you may hear referred to as tracked. Although there is a lot of high-quality the ‘Vancouver’ guidelines, originating from the content on the Network, there are postings place of the first meeting in 1978) cover many that end up becoming just long conversations editorial issues and are a very valuable resource. between members of close-knit groups. Updates seem to come out each October, so I Sometimes witty and interesting, but check around then every year. sometimes just a series of one-liners not related JAMA & Archives Alerting: Topic to the topic under discussion, so beware. The Collection Alert (http://jama.ama-assn.org/ site is, though, worth exploring and can throw collections) - I’m signed up for ‘Journalology/ up some very interesting contributions. For Peer Review/ Authorship’ and get e-mail alerts, example, I just came across an interview with links, when new articles on theses topics (written, with good links) with Geoffrey Bilder, are published in JAMA (Journal of the American Director of Strategic Initiatives at CrossRef, on Medical Association). the blog ‘Gobbledygook’ (http:// KnowledgeSpeak network.nature.com/people/mfenner/blog/ (www.knowledgespeak.com) is an online news 2009/02/17/interview-with-geoffrey-bilder). service that reports on developments within Many interesting topics are covered, including the STM publishing industry and sends out what CrossRef is and does, DOIs, OpenURL, daily alerts. Author/Contributor identifier projects. And all Nature Network (http:// are explained very clearly, which is one of network.nature.com) aims to connect scientists Geoffrey Bilder’s great talents. I’ve now added worldwide and has numerous public blogs and this blog (http://network.nature.com/people/ forums. Those I’ve found useful are: mfenner/blog) on scientific publishing in the - ‘Ask the Nature Editor’ (http:// Internet age to my feed reader because it looks network.nature.com/groups/ interesting and informative. askthenatureeditor/forum/topics) ORI – The Ofce of Research Integrity - ‘Nautilus’ (http://blogs.nature.com/nautilus) (http://ori.dhhs.gov) ‘promotes integrity in - ‘Nothing’s Shocking’ (http:// biomedical and behavioral research supported network.nature.com/people/noah/blog). See by the US Public Health Service (PHS) at two recent posts/discussions for very good and about 4,000 institutions worldwide. ORI thoughtful comments on suggested new peer monitors institutional investigations of review models: 4 Nov 2008, ‘Sequential research misconduct and facilitates the reviewing’, and 29 Jan 2009, ‘Should authors responsible conduct of research (RCR) through educational, preventive, and regulatory
MARCH 2009 PAGE 10 Column: Tips & Tricks for Best Practice in the Editorial Office
Keeping Up To Date continued activities.’ It has many resources on its website promoting excellence in science – I’m signed up that are useful to journal editorial work and a for daily alerts for ‘Science in the news.’ quarterly newsletter. Sense About Science Peer Review Congress (www.ama-assn.org/ (www.senseaboutscience.org) is an independent public/peer/peerhome.htm). The Sixth charitable trust that responds to the International Congress on Peer Review and misrepresentation of science and scientific Biomedical Publication will be held later this evidence on issues that matter to society. It year, September 10-12, in Vancouver, and publishes many useful guidance leaflets. information on this important meeting should SSP - The Society for Scholarly Publishing start to appear soon. The program for the last (www.sspnet.org) is ‘a nonprofit organization Congress (2005) is at www.ama-assn.org/public/ formed to promote and advance communication peer/program.html, and is worth checking among all sectors of the scholarly publication periodically. As well as listing all the Abstracts community through networking, information for that meeting, links are given to articles for dissemination, and facilitation of new those studies that have been published developments in the field.’ subsequent to presentation at the Congress. The Royal Society( http://royalsociety.org) is the independent scientific academy of the UK and the Commonwealth, and it is dedicated to
Column: President’s Message
The Newest Benefit continued
continued om page 1 in-chief already has benefited from many of the articles I have forwarded to him and I came into my ISMTE job by accident, suggestions on handling some sticky issues but I prefer to call it serendipity. I joined the with authors and/or reviewers. So even as I first time someone introduced me to ISMTE do my job for you as executive director of and have silently thanked whoever gave the ISMTE, I am becoming a better managing Society my name to solicit for membership. editor. Who could ask for anything more! Every time I open the newest EON, or read the suggested industry news items listed on our home page before I post them, or check Beverlee Anderson up on Gary’s blog or an answer to a question ISMTE Executive Director on our Member Forum, I know I am doing Santa Fe, NM informal personal development. My editor- [email protected]
MARCH 2009 PAGE 11 COLUMN: Taming Technology
What is RSS?
by Melissa L. Rethlefsen Librarian/Assistant Professor of Medical Education Mayo Clinic [email protected]
If you spend any time on the Web, you you in a single place—your RSS reader—in a have no doubt seen mysterious orange symbols convenient and easily browsed format. like the one above on some of your favorite An RSS reader, sometimes called an RSS Web pages. You may even have seen these aggregator, is a website or a piece of software same symbols appear in your Web browser where you access all of your subscriptions. when you go to some websites. What you may There are a lot of different kinds of RSS not have realized is what these are or how they readers out there, and which one you use can benefit you. depends on how often you’ll be accessing your These orange symbols are RSS icons. RSS, information and how much you want to track. or Really Simple Syndication, is a newer The major types of RSS readers are: technology that can help you stay up-to-date and be more productive. How does it do this? • Web-based RSS reader (e.g., Google Basically, RSS is a special format websites use Reader, Bloglines, NewsGator Online) to send out new and updated information, • Personalized home page (e.g., iGoogle, whether it is news, tables of contents for your Netvibes, My Yahoo!) favorite journals, research studies, new photos • Standalone software or Web browser or videos from your friends, or the latest blog add-ons (e.g., FeedDemon, BlogBridge, post you want to read. Instead of having to go Sage for Mozilla Firefox) to each of these web sites individually, hunting • Built-in reader (e.g., Internet Explorer around for anything new, trying to remember 7+, Microsoft Outlook 2007, Mozilla what you’ve already seen, and generally wasting Firefox, Flock) valuable time, RSS brings all new content to
The chart below lists some of the strengths of each type of reader. Type Strengths Web-based • Most common, so there’s a lot of help available online reader • Can access your news from anywhere you have an Internet connection • Can handle hundreds of RSS feeds easily • Will track what you’ve seen and what you haven’t • Built-in organizational tools help you manage your feeds • Share items with colleagues and friends
MARCH 2009 PAGE 12 COLUMN: Taming Technology
What is RSS continued
Personalized • Good for quickly skimming news from a few sources (not home page recommended for managing lots of feeds) • Can incorporate other non-RSS tools and gadgets into a personalized home page Standalone • Can handle hundreds of RSS feeds easily software or Web • Will track what you’ve seen and what you haven’t browser add-ons • Built-in organizational tools help you manage your feeds • Often include powerful searching and archival tools • Can access RSS feeds behind your institution’s firewall and feeds that require username/password access Built-in reader • Don’t have to learn a new tool • Good for a few feeds • Can access RSS feeds behind your institution’s firewall and feeds that require username/password access
Of these RSS readers, Google Reader and a particular reader in the options, though it Bloglines, both Web-based readers, are the may take a bit of hunting. most popular. The rest of the article will use Google Reader for the examples, but other readers will work similarly. Once you’ve chosen an RSS reader, you get to subscribe to your favorite stuff on the Web. Chances are most of the websites you visit will have associated RSS feeds. Look for the orange RSS icon—if you use Firefox 2+ or Internet Explorer 7+, your browser will even alert you when an RSS feed is available for a page you’re on using the same RSS icon. In Firefox, you’ll see the icon in your location bar if a feed is available; in Internet Explorer, it’s part of the toolbar. Most electronic journal publishers offer How you subscribe to a feed depends on RSS feeds for tables of contents for their your RSS reader and Web browser. One fail- journals. You can also set up custom RSS feeds safe way to subscribe is to copy the Web in many databases and search engines, address for the RSS feed and paste it into the including Google News, Scopus, and PubMed. subscriptions area of your reader. You can also These types of feeds can help you stay up to set up your browser to subscribe to a feed using date with just the content you need.
MARCH 2009 PAGE 13 COLUMN: Taming Technology
What is RSS continued
To set up a PubMed RSS feed, perform a search as normal in PubMed. Once you have your search, choose RSS Feed from the Send-to menu.
Click the Create Feed button to create your custom feed, and then right-click the orange XML button and copy the Web address for the feed. After you’ve pasted the address into your feed reader’s subscription area, any new articles on that topic will appear in your feed reader. For more information on using RSS, see these great tutorials and sources:
• RSS in Plain English: www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english • Google Reader’s YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/GoogleReaderHelp • Google Reader: Getting Started: www.youtube.com/watch?v=65iL0Q97RCg • Make Your Own Medical Journal with iGoogle: http://casesblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/ make-your-own-medical-journal-with.html • RSS – Internet Explorer 7: www.ie-vista.com/rss.html • How to Use the New Google Web Search RSS Feeds: www.readwriteweb.com/archives/ how_to_use_the_new_google_web_feeds.php
MARCH 2009 PAGE 14 COLUMN: Publication Partners Overcoming the Language Barrier in a Global Academic Community by Laura Stemmle, PhD Editing Director, American Journal Experts [email protected]
As science and technology have moved to much broader range of documents also existed, the international stage, English has become the but they lacked subject matter expertise and, common language of communication. For non- therefore, produced a much lower-quality native English speakers, this often presents a product. When AJE entered the market 5 years challenge when it comes time to write a ago, the average turnaround time for editing a manuscript. Scientists, reviewers, and journal technical manuscript was 12 days, and small editors alike experience the frustration of companies were unable to scale their service to language barriers; and in many cases, a meet the demand of the global academic substantial bias exists against otherwise good community. Our company recognized the need work that is difficult to read. For this reason, the for a more streamlined, subject-specific, number of online professional editing companies technical editing service and pioneered a much dealing primarily with technical academic higher-efficiency system by utilizing state-of-the- manuscripts has solidified and the market has art software and a large pool of topic-specific matured. editors. Often it falls to the journal editor to find The majority of today’s technical editing and recommend language editing options to companies employ full- or part-time editors with authors when a manuscript is rejected on terminal degrees in science or medicine and a English grounds, so it is important for journal proven publication record. Some even provide editors to have a general knowledge of the profiles of their editors and allow customers to language-editing marketplace. For the past choose a specific individual for their project. several years, I have worked as a contract editor, AJE, on the other hand, recruits part-time full-time managing editor, and editing director contract editors working as PhD candidates, for one such company, American Journal Experts postdoctoral fellows, or professional students at (AJE). In this capacity, I have seen firsthand the ten internationally well recognized US increased need and demand for English editing universities to serve as primary editors. Full-time services by the international academic managing editors match papers with the best community. editors for the job based on their areas of In the past, most technical editing was done expertise and the quality of their previous edits. by professors who edited on the side. This Quality control also is provided by the managing resulted in high quality work, but was expensive, editors, who carefully review the work of the time-consuming, and required a lot of customer primary editor and make additional corrections interaction, which is difficult for non-native before sending the paper back to the customer. speakers. Less expensive services dealing with a All editors are given scores and feedback from
MARCH 2009 PAGE 15 COLUMN: Publication Partners Overcoming the Language Barrier continued the managing editors for each assignment, Online companies offer a variety of services, which allows us to track editor quality and ranging from copyediting and formatting to the assign papers appropriately. full translation of a document into English. The The customer population requiring English costs vary widely, and most companies request a editing services is incredibly diverse and sample of the document before offering a quote includes individual researchers from hundreds of because there is such a wide variation in writing countries. In our company, submissions from quality; a poorly written document takes China, Brazil, and South Korea predominate, significantly longer to edit than a well written but still comprise only a small percentage of our one, so it is logical to treat each paper total submissions; our customers come from individually. Our company has found this step to more than 150 different countries, including be particularly daunting for customers who international researchers working in the United struggle with English, so we eliminated the States. Publishers and journals also work directly quote-based system and simplified the process with AJE and other companies to outsource the of submission by creating a fixed pricing editing of their papers after acceptance; others structure based only on the general length of the refer their authors to us and provide a group paper – small, medium, large, or custom – and code for their journal that gives the customer a the requested turnaround time 10% discount (e.g., http://content.karger.com/ (www.journalexperts.com/pricing.php). This is resources/authors.asp). made possible by having a large volume of work. A significant number of our customers are AJE is by far the largest editor of English referred to us by journals with a submission that academic manuscripts in the marketplace, and needs further help with language issues, and our editors realize that although they will links to our website and other similar companies encounter a wide range of writing quality, the can be found as resources for authors on an work averages out over time. With more than increasing number of journal Web pages. Often 500 specialized contract editors, we are able to a referral comes directly in the rejection letter provide topic-specific editing in nearly 200 or in one-on-one communication between the diverse areas of study in an affordable and journal editor and the author. For example, accessible manner. Elsevier keeps a list of reputable language Clearly, English editing companies are editing services (www.elsevier.com/wps/find/ providing a much needed service to academic authorsview.authors/languagepolishing) and and publishing communities. It is increasingly directs authors to the list in rejection letters. important for international researchers to utilize Many researchers are unaware of the existence professional services or find help from willing of editing companies or have a difficult time colleagues to compete for publication in English determining which companies do a good job. An language journals; and as submissions from the initial push from the journal editor is often international community continue to rise, the necessary to give authors the courage to try a publishers and editors of these journals are language editing company. After experiencing finding it more economical and efficient to refer the positive impact a professional editing service papers in need of editing to companies who has on their publication record, authors almost specialize in polishing technical academic never go back to submitting a paper without it. manuscripts.
MARCH 2009 PAGE 16 COLUMN: Portrait Of An Editorial Office
the Red Journal
by Sherryl Sundell Managing Editor, International Journal of Cancer [email protected] http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/29331/home
Editorial office work is ideal for people the International Journal of Cancer (IJC) with ‘compound’ lives. When I arrive at the appeared in 1966. It is a society journal, owned office in the morning sometime between 9 and by the UICC (International Union Against 9:30 am, several of the editorial assistants have Cancer) and published by Wiley-Blackwell. already been hard at work for quite a while. Since late 1999 the editorial office has been The next one turns up at about 10 after she has situated in Heidelberg, Germany, at the dropped her daughter off German Cancer Research at nursery school. One of Center. We have an the early birds gets ready editor-in-chief (EIC; who to leave again around also works as an noon to make lunch for associate), seven associate her son, and then the one editors, and a statistics who is a student comes in consultant. The office the afternoon after staff consists of one classes. Such a set-up not managing editor and five only accommodates Editorial Office editorial assistants. The *We’re also known as the Red everyone’s ‘other life,’ but Journal. IJC is a large journal: it also helps us to make do Submissions peaked to with our relatively limited over 2,900 in 2007 and space. And the IJC office that number is now is basically open for stabilizing at the business 11 hours a day, 2,750-2,800 mark. which is a good thing — considering that our Acceptance rate: 28%. We publish 24 issues per authors, reviewers, board members, publisher, year (6,000 pp), and our Impact Factor for and production department are spread all over 2007 was 4.555 (trend moving upwards!!). the world. When I joined the IJC in 2002 the journal But those are actually flourishes. I better was still receiving manuscripts by post — the start over, with a sketch first: The first issue of traditional three copies of the text and glossies
MARCH 2009 PAGE 17 COLUMN: Portrait Of An Editorial Office the Red Journal continued
and, if you were lucky, a diskette. Every works — while trying to ‘encourage’ everyone available surface in the office was covered with to use the online system at the same time. manuscripts held together by heavy-duty clips To make that part of the story short, we — the higher the “R,” the fatter the package, finally made it to today. Today, 99.9% of our and the greater the strength required to add manuscripts are submitted online. Only rarely another piece of paper to it. Hanging files does a reviewer only accept to review if he/she filled all the filing cabinets and were stacked can have a printed copy — and that usually on top nearly to the ceiling, too. The rest of means a pdf file as an e-mail attachment. All the space was taken up with desks, computers, our associates have adjusted very well and and office machines (it still is, but all those most PREFER using the computer, as most things somehow seem smaller now). My also have their own labs and other work on top background was in publishing, and after of the journal. We are fortunate here in that working at a technologically progressive the associates and EIC are all at this institute science publisher for 14 years (helping me to or living in the area, which served the journal get computer savvy pretty fast and where by well through this particular paper-to- that time paper manuscripts were already few electronic transition because any problems and far between), I was strongly inclined to could be handled on site. Scientifically it also move to an electronic system. promotes a good and close working On January 1, 2003, we switched from relationship among them as we meet once a paper (and an old Access database) to week to discuss all and sundry relating to the Manuscript Central, the system our publisher journal. (It won’t stay that way forever, of was promoting. The three of us who worked course, and that’s good, too. Personally, I am on January 2 that year huddled in front of one all for any solution that keeps the journal computer and proceeded to upload all the new scientifically and technically state-of-the-art). manuscripts that had been sent on diskette That the associates (including our 2008 (we had to contact — and of course remind — Nobel Laureate EIC!) are mostly all deeply authors of papers without a diskette in order involved in their own research, too, means that to finish up submissions…). Getting authors we take care of the physical work in peer and reviewers to work online was only part of review in the editorial office. For this, the the challenge; not all our associates were editorial assistants are assigned to one or more willing to only use the computer, either. This associate editor, depending on numbers of meant that for several years we transitioned papers and working hours. The through the process of still receiving some communication lines (e-mail and phone) are manuscripts on paper — uploading always hot and things work well that way. One manuscripts and figures at the editorial office, editorial assistant handles the pen-and-paper handling diskettes, ZIP disks, and MOs, forms, and final decisions (as a real letter) get sending paper packages to our editors by sent out via digital sender; another person house post and stacks of manuscripts to our takes care of database maintenance, also a big publisher by FedEx nearly every day — the job considering the size of our database.
MARCH 2009 PAGE 18 COLUMN: Portrait Of An Editorial Office
the Red Journal continued
Everyone shares the rest of the work required to to be adapted at regular intervals and keep any office running. Manuscript Central workflow and instructions The office team sits down together on periodically reviewed and kept up to date. The Wednesdays to discuss work load, changes in editorial board rotates pretty much every year, procedures, scheduling, vacations, or problems. also requiring a lot of preparation and Sometimes we have ‘Topic meetings.’ In one of correspondence. Then there is our Spotlight these we brainstormed about our column, the mini reviews, and the special documentation, and as a result, I am presently sections on hot topics to prepare and keep track rewriting our office manual. (The piece about of. office documentation in EON was a great help Each year, the IJC also hosts a lectureship here.) At the same time author instructions need jointly with the Meyenburg foundation. Calendar of Events Committee on Publication Ethics ISMTE American Conference (COPE) - The Ethics of Editing August 4, 2009 27 March 2009 Baltimore, MD, USA London, UK www.ismte.org http://publicationethics.org
Council of Science Editors ISMTE European Conference 1-5 May 2009 August 25, 2009 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Oxford, UK www.councilscienceeditors.org/events/ www.ismte.org annualmeeting09/index.cfm ALPSP -Efective Journal Editorial 6th International Congress on Peer Review & Biomedical Publication Management 10-12 September 2009 12 May 2009 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada London, UK www.ama-assn.org/public/peer/peerhome.htm www.alpsp.org European Association of Science ALPSP -Journal Development Editors 24 June 2009 10th EASE General Assembly and Conference London, UK 16-19 September 2009 www.alpsp.org Pisa, Italy www.ease.org.uk/easeconfdocs/ 1stCircular-2009.pdf International Academy of Nursing ALPSP -Commissioning Book and Editors - 28th Annual Meeting Journal Content 26-28 July 2009 25 November 2009 Chicago, Illinois, USA London, UK www.nursingeditors.org www.alpsp.org
MARCH 2009 PAGE 19 COLUMN: Portrait Of An Editorial Office the Red Journal continued Outstanding cancer researchers have Everything that keeps the journal moving participated, and it has been a huge plus in and developing adds color to the picture: promoting the journal and making it better getting statistics together and presenting them known all over the world. And anyway, being meaningfully, keeping on top of what is ‘international’ is a very important part of happening in journal publishing and in peer everything we do. We keep statistics on review, collecting ideas, and continually trying international aspects of submission and on to find ways to make our journal better. authors and reviewers. In this respect, we try We are fortunate: our portrait starts with a and keep the editorial board in balance, too. good sketch — our journal. Embellish the Actually, the first and most important picture with editorial competence, good qualification for working at the editorial office procedures, high motivation, creativity, color, is to speak and write English fluently because and some flourishes and then frame it with the English is our working language. (I think the goal of publishing papers of high scientific editorial assistants like that part of the job quite quality. There you have the editorial office of well since they all have interests stretching the IJC. beyond the borders of Germany.)
ISMTE EON EON is the official newsletter of the International Society for Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE) and is published monthly. The contents and opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily represent those of the Society, the Board of Directors, or EON editors. Submissions are welcome and can be sent to the editor at the address below. Submissions may be edited for style and format without the author’s permission. Authors must seek permission to reprint any copyrighted material and provide this permission to the editor. EON’s content belongs to the members of ISMTE. Users may view and download EON articles for personal, non-commercial use. Use beyond that allowed by the "Fair Use" limitations (sections 107 and 108) of the U.S. Copyright law require written permission from the EON editor.
Editor: Kristen Overstreet [email protected] Associate Editors: Susan Scalia [email protected] Emily Mueller [email protected] Editorial Advisor: Sirkka-Liisa Leinonen [email protected].fi Section Editors: Portraits: Deborah Bowman [email protected] Technology: Kimberly Sankey [email protected] Publication: Jan McColm [email protected] Ethics: Ira Salkin [email protected]
A note on English: ISMTE aims to be a truly international society. English wi represent our lingua anca, but we would like to stress that in materials published in EON or online that variations in idiomatic usage and spe ing should reflect the origins of the author. No one version of English is preferred over the other.
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