Research Initiatives
IOP Publishing extends co-review policy to entire owned journal portfolio, delivering a collaborative and supportive experience for all reviewers
IOP Publishing, Voting Member, News Announcement, June 21, 2023
IOP Publishing (IOPP) is rolling-out a new co-review policy across its entire owned journal portfolio as part of its commitment to ensuring an inclusive and supportive review process.
Early career researchers (ECRs) often support more experienced academics by contributing ideas or comments to peer review reports. Yet, according to a survey, 70% of ECRs say that their name was withheld from the editorial staff after they served as a reviewer or co-reviewer on a report, and they received no official recognition for their work.
Infrastructure and Platforms
More libraries sign on to OCLC's WorldShare Management Services platform
Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), Voting Member, Press Release, June 23, 2023
Eleven libraries have recently signed on to use OCLC's WorldShare Management Services, the fully integrated library platform designed to meet the changing needs of today's libraries.
WorldShare Management Services (WMS) is the cloud-based library services platform with WorldCat as its foundation, which allows library staff to draw on OCLC's shared data network and technology for more efficient workflows. WMS also enables staff to better manage resources in all formats and to provide their users with improved access to the library's collections and the world's knowledge.
The Modernized ClinicalTrials.gov Website is Here!
National Library of Medicine (NLM), Voting Member, Technical Bulletin, June 21, 2023
Today, ClinicalTrials.gov Beta, the modernized version of ClinicalTrials.gov, becomes the primary ClinicalTrials.gov. The modernized website has an updated design that is visually appealing and easy to read. This new design includes simple web components, such as left-side menus and expandable accordions, that improve navigation and make information readily findable. In addition, the modernized website is optimized for use on mobile devices. The website was modernized with plain language in mind to make informational content easier to understand.
The homepage features an enhanced search experience with a streamlined user interface that combines the former website's basic and advanced searches. The default search fields are organized based on user feedback and advanced filters (relabeled "More filters") are accessible from either the home page or the search results page. Users can find studies close to their current location, a city, state, country, or a specific address using the "Location" field with the newly integrated map-based API.
The University of Wyoming Selects the Ex Libris Higher Education Platform for Multiple Library Services
University of Wyoming Libraries, L.S.A. Member, and Ex Libris, Inc. Voting Member, News Announcement, June 12, 2023
Ex Libris, part of Clarivate, is pleased to announce that the University of Wyoming (UW), a leading public research university in the United States, recently chose the Ex Libris Higher Education platform for its cloud-based library solutions of the Alma library management system, Primo discovery, Library Mobile app, and Leganto for course resources. This decision is part of the university’s effort to enhance the accessibility and efficiency of their library services, meet the evolving needs of its users, and maintain its status as a leading research institution.
Alma, a cloud-based library services platform, will serve as the backbone of UW’s library operations. It is designed to streamline workflows, simplify resource management, and provide seamless access to library materials. Alma’s flexible architecture allows for easy customization and integration with third-party systems, making it an ideal solution for a large, research-focused institution like UW.
Mitsubishi Electric Chooses IPfolio from Clarivate
Clarivate Analytics, Voting Member, Press Release, June 1, 2023
Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a global leader in connecting people and organizations to intelligence they can trust to transform the world, announced today that Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has chosen IPfolio™ from Clarivate to optimize management of its intellectual property (IP) operations. With the implementation of this solution, Mitsubishi Electric has been able to reform its IP operations by improving IP work quality and efficiency, achieving seamless communication and enhancing IP strategic activities.
Gordon Samson, President, Intellectual Property, Clarivate, said, “We are very pleased to help Mitsubishi Electric drive innovation while effectively managing and protecting its critical IP assets. With deep knowledge of patents, trademarks, case law and non-patent literature, we are offering contextualized insight to businesses at all stages of the innovation lifecycle, from ideation through protection and commercialization. The implementation at Mitsubishi Electric is another great outcome from our mission to advance the success of people and organizations.”
Partnerships and Collaborations
The American Chemical Society and the Chinese Chemical Society renew partnership agreement
American Chemical Society (ACS), Voting Member, Press Release, June 20, 2023
The American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) have renewed a partnership agreement. A signing ceremony was held on June 17 at the 33rd CCS Congress at the Hongdao International Convention and Exhibition Center in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
Zhigang Shuai, vice president, CCS, and James Milne, president, ACS Publications, signed the agreement on behalf of the two societies.
Wiley and European Hematology Association announce partnership
Wiley, Voting Member, Press Release, June 9, 2023
Wiley, one of the world’s largest publishers and a global leader in research and education, today announced that it will publish the open access journal HemaSphere on behalf of the European Hematology Association (EHA), the largest community of European hematologists, beginning in January 2024.
“Wiley continues to prioritize open access publishing and EHA is a membership organization committed to promoting excellence in patient care through research, and education,” said Shawn Morton, Wiley Senior Editorial Director, Health Sciences. “Our partnership aims to combine our strengths and establish HemaSphere as the foremost open resource for hematologists worldwide.”
Open Access, Open Science
AGU’s Journal Water Resources Research Goes Fully Open Access
American Geophysical Union (AGU), Voting Member, Featured Article, June 7, 2023
Water Resources Research, AGU’s journal for research on the movement and management of Earth’s water, will be switching to a fully open-access publishing model to be completed on 1 January 2024. It is the eleventh AGU journal to switch to open access.
“Open-access publication is a cornerstone of open science, and arguably a moral imperative for openness in all aspects of our research,” said Georgia Destouni, Editor-in-Chief of Water Resources Research and a hydrologist at Stockholm University in Sweden. “All can now view, cite and share the research published in WRR, promoting collaboration, innovation, and the advancement and impact of this inherently interdisciplinary field.”
Standards in Practice
Announcing CRediT Taxonomy support for all Scholastica products
Scholastica, Voting Member, Blog Posting, June 13, 2023
We’re excited to announce the ability to add CRediT Taxonomy fields to Scholastica’s peer review system submission form and machine-readable metadata exports, as well as the option to include CRediT details in the body and metadata of articles typeset or published via Scholastica.
From study conceptualization to funding acquisition to data curation and visualization — there are so many ways researchers contribute to scholarly content that traditional author lists often fail to recognize. That’s where The Contributor Roles Taxonomy, a.k.a. CRediT, comes into play.
Honorable Mentions
UMass Amherst Libraries Remember Daniel Ellsberg
University of Massachusetts, Amherst Libraries, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, June 20, 2023
The UMass Amherst Libraries remember Daniel Ellsberg, who died on June 16, 2023, 3 days after the 52nd anniversary of the publication of the Pentagon Papers. As a moral crusader for a better world, Ellsberg’s life and work will serve as an inspiration for generations of future activists and truth-tellers. The Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center (SCUA) will continue to shepherd his legacy via his extensive archive at UMass Amherst.
Currently, the Libraries are hosting “Daniel Ellsberg: A Life in Truth,” a physical and digital exhibit drawing from the vast collection of Ellsberg’s documents, photographs, and artifacts acquired by UMass Amherst in 2019. On display in two locations in the W. E. B. Du Bois Library until September 2023, the exhibit begins on Floor 25 in the SCUA reading room and continues on the lower level in the Learning Commons. It is accessible during regular library hours throughout the summer.
Product Innovation
OCLC introduces AI-generated book recommendations in WorldCat.org and WorldCat Find beta
Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), Voting Member, Press Release, June 21, 2023
OCLC is beta testing book recommendations generated by artificial intelligence (AI) in WorldCat.org, the website that allows users to explore the collections of thousands of libraries through a single search. Searchers can now obtain AI-enabled book recommendations for print and e-books and then look for those items in libraries near them. The AI-generated book recommendations beta is now available in WorldCat.org and WorldCat Find, the mobile app extension for WorldCat.org.
“OCLC has always been committed to offering new and emerging technologies to help libraries gain efficiencies and better serve their users," said Mary Sauer-Games, OCLC Vice President, Global Product Management. “We believe that this particular application of AI technology has great potential for libraries and their users. We're excited to test this new AI book recommendations feature to help people quickly find what they need in libraries through WorldCat.org and our Find app."
Library Launches New Search Functionality
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press, Voting Member, News Announcement, June 13, 2023
On June 13, 2023, the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press moved its catalog, DELCAT, to a new cloud-based services platform, providing students, faculty and researchers with an enhanced, user-friendly discovery experience with simplified searching.
The new platform is a next-generation unified research management system that delivers seamless collaboration between the Library and campus systems, and ensures Library operations are connected across teaching and research initiatives.
Leadership Opportunities
Librarian of Congress Names New Inspector General
Library of Congress, Voting Member, News Announcement, June 20, 2023
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today, the appointment of Glenda B. Arrington as the inspector general for the Library of Congress. Formerly the inspector general of the Air Force Test Center, Arrington’s more than 35-year career comprises a broad professional portfolio spanning the public and private sector, academia, community outreach, and nonprofit board leadership. Arrington has extensive leadership experience and has served for nine years as an inspector general in the federal government.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr. Arrington and to welcome her to the Library of Congress,” Hayden said. “Already an accomplished Inspector General with other government agencies, she brings a wealth of experience, expertise and achievements, which will serve the Library well.”
DEIA Efforts
Newly released: Data Curation Primer on Data Accessibility
University of Michigan Library, L.S.A. Member, Blog Posting, June 9, 2023
Although accessibility is a commonly-used word in the context of data management and sharing, it has most often been used in the more general sense of data that is findable and widely available. This includes considerations around indexing, clear context (and language), well-defined and standardized access paths, using open file formats, and paywalls/affordability. However, accessibility that explicitly takes into account the needs of a range of potential users including those with disabilities or neurodivergence is most often not included in this approach, and this shortfall is long overdue to be addressed. (Additionally, of course, accessibility benefits everyone who encounters the data regardless of their abilities–accessible data is more navigable and understandable for everyone!)
For the purposes of this work, truly accessible data means data compatible with assistive technologies, and featuring the considered use of design features such as color contrast, font size and legibility, and alternatives to visual presentations of information such that users with physical/sensory disabilities or who are neurodivergent have equivalent access to the information represented by the data.