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CEP report 2001

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Dear Mike,

  Here attached the report of the CEP for 2000. Each member of the
committee has read it and approved it.

  I think that I have sent you all the reports and budgets that you
reqested.

Best wishes,
  Howard

-- 
Howard Flack        http://www.unige.ch/crystal/ahdf/Howard.Flack.html
Laboratoire de Cristallographie               Phone: 41 (22) 702 62 49
24 quai Ernest-Ansermet             mailto:Howard.Flack@cryst.unige.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland                   Fax: 41 (22) 702 61 08

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<H2>IUCr 2000 Report - Committee on Electronic Publishing, Dissemination =
and Storage of Information</H2>

<P>
<I>Information Services</I>: The CEP has continued its task as editorial =
body for the on-line information services of the IUCr. The highest priori=
ty is set on providing up-to-date information of use to the whole crystal=
lographic community. The rebranding and restructuring of the site as a pr=
eliminary for the restyling of the existing pages is approaching completi=
on. The information services are now called under the general name <I>Cry=
stallography Online</I> in tune with <I>Crystallography Journals Online</=
I>. The style and structure of Crystallography Online emphasizes the diff=
erent aspects of crystallography and projects of the community rather tha=
n the IUCr as an institution. This change has also entailed a considerabl=
e amount of work, almost complete, by the Executive Secretary to produce =
a modernized set of web pages for the purely institutional part of the IU=
Cr. It is hoped that the restyling can be completed during 2001 and a new=
, young and enthusiastic editor appointed to continue the work on this mu=
ch-appreciated service. An important goal is to move towards an integrate=
d approach to the dissemination of information and news within the crysta=
llographic community by print and electronic means. To this purpose the C=
EP maintains contact with other important players in the field, such as t=
he editor of the IUCr Newsletter, to ensure the diffusion of valuable sou=
rces of information by all means available.


<P> =

In 1998 the R&D group at Chester made a relational data analysis for a ne=
w version of the World Directory of Crystallographers allowing a large de=
gree of automation in the maintenance of this important facility. Due to =
the heavy work load in 1999, caused by the introduction of Crystallograph=
y Journals Online, it was not possible to implement the redesigned WDC un=
til now. It is intended that this work should be carried out early in 200=
1.


<P>
<I>NeXus CD-ROM</I>: Under the continued leadership of L. M. D. Cranswick=
 1000 copies of a new version of the <I>Xtal NeXus; Virtual Crystallograp=
hic Internet on CD-ROM</I> were produced. These CD-ROMs are distributed f=
ree of charge to laboratories and scientists with an interest in crystall=
ography lacking adequate connection to the internet. The CD-ROMs contain =
public domain software and copies of web sites of interest to crystallogr=
aphers. The CD-ROMs was publicized through many channels in such a way th=
at scientists have to apply to receive a copy. Distribution at some meeti=
ngs to participants from the developing world was also undertaken. The IU=
Cr is most grateful to ICSU for financial help to this project but regret=
s that the change in ICSU policy has meant that no funding is available f=
rom this source in 2001. It is nevertheless intended to continue this pro=
ject and to report that almost all of the 1000 CD-ROMs have now been dist=
ributed.

<P>
<I>Crystallography Journals Online</I>: The online journal service has co=
ntinued to evolve. From 1st September 2000 online access was available on=
ly to subscribers of the print journals. The IUCr has become a member of =
CROSSREF, the organization offering a viable system which enables article=
 cross referencing between journals of different publishers to be impleme=
nted. Individual online article sale was implemented during 2000 and subs=
equently put into service. The scanning of back issues of all IUCr journa=
ls is advancing well and it is hoped that all back articles will be onlin=
e late in 2001 or early 2002. During 2000 a policy document concerning th=
e archiving of IUCr journals has been drafted and discussed amongst the C=
EP and other interested parties. It has now been submitted to the Executi=
ve Committee for discussion and approval.

<P> =

<I>Meeting attendance</I>: H. D. Flack (IUCr representative to ICSTI) and=
 Y. Epelboin attended the ICSTI/ICSU Press interactive workshop on <I>Dig=
ital Archiving: Bringing Issues and Stakeholders Together</I>, held on 30=
th - 31st January 2000 in Paris, France. As a result of attending this me=
eting, the first draft of a proposed IUCr policy on archiving was compose=
d for deliberation and discussion by the CEP. Moreover this meeting broug=
ht to our attention the initial report of an international working group =
convened by the IASTMP (International Association of STM Publishers) conc=
erned with <I>defining and certifying electronic publication in science</=
I>. It is in the interest of the IUCr that this work be completed and fin=
alized (there are severe difficulties of vocabulary in the initial report=
) as it will prove useful in achieving viable IUCr policies in two domain=
s. The first concerns archiving and the second is in the field of accepta=
nce standards for article submission to journals as concerns their prior =
distribution in print or electronic form as a preprint.

<P>
In May 2000, H. D. Flack (IUCr representative to ICSTI), P. Strickland an=
d B. McMahon attended the annual ICSTI meeting in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Th=
e collaboration of H. D. Flack and B. McMahon in the ICSTI review of the =
OAIS (Open Archival Information System) enabled an improved version of th=
e proposed IUCr archiving policy to be drafted. (Details of the ICSTI mee=
tings are given in the report of the ICSTI representative.) The same pers=
ons made a day visit to CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) following the IC=
STI meeting. The in-house processes for producing abstracts, attributing =
registry numbers, chemical names and diagrams by CAS were explained and t=
he CAS ChemPort facility was demonstrated. Discussions centred around the=
 electronic delivery by IUCr to CAS of electronic headers for abstracts a=
nd came to a satisfactory conclusion. In the course of the discussions th=
e problem of publications in electronic-only journals was raised as it ap=
peared that these were not integrated into the CAS system.

<P>
In October 2000 B. McMahon (IUCr representative to CODATA) attended the C=
ODATA 2000 conference in Baveno/Stresa, Italy. As the worlds of electroni=
c publishing and scientific data overlap considerably, it is a significan=
t advantage to the CEP that amongst its members one now finds the represe=
ntatives both to ICSTI and to CODATA. In November 2000, H. D. Flack visit=
ed the IUCr editorial office in Chester. This provided an excellent oppor=
tunity for discussions both within the CEP and with the Executive Secreta=
ry, the Editor-in-Chief, the Promotions representative and numerous other=
 members of staff in Chester. In February 2001, H. D. Flack, B. McMahon, =
P. Strickland and J. Helliwell will attend the ICSU - UNESCO meeting <I>E=
lectronic Publishing in Science</I> in Paris, France.

<P>
L. M. D. Cranswick, Y. Epelboin, H. D. Flack (Chair), B. McMahon, P. Stri=
ckland. 31st December 2000



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