Dominic Farace’s scientific contributions

The GL2021 Conference 1 offered the many and diverse communities of practice in the field of grey literature a unique opportunity to collaborate in addressing and defining the next phase in the digital transformation of grey literature. In preparation for this conference, a panel session on the future of grey literature was planned on the program; and, in advance, an online survey was carried out among GreyNet’s own community of practice in the field of grey literature.

This article presents and discusses different kinds of data documents, including data sets, data studies, data papers and data journals. It provides descriptive and bibliometric data on different kinds of data documents and discusses the theoretical and philosophical problems by classifying documents according to the DIKW model (data documents, information documents, knowl­edge documents and wisdom documents). Data documents are, on the one hand, an established category today, even with its own data citation index (DCI). On the other hand, data documents have blurred boundaries in relation to other kinds of documents and seem sometimes to be understood from the problematic philosophical assumption that a datum can be understood as “a single, fixed truth, valid for everyone, everywhere, at all times”

Data papers have been defined as scholarly journal publications whose primary purpose is to describe research data. Our survey provides more insights about the environment of data papers, i.e., disciplines, publishers and business models, and about their structure, length, formats, metadata, and licensing. Data papers are a product of the emerging ecosystem of data-driven open science. They contribute to the FAIR principles for research data management. However, the boundaries with other categories of academic publishing are partly blurred. Data papers are (can be) generated automatically and are potentially machine-readable. Data papers are essentially information, i.e., description of data, but also partly contribute to the generation of knowledge and data on its own. Part of the new ecosystem of open and data-driven science, data papers and data journals are an interesting and relevant object for the assessment and understanding of the transition of the former system of academic publishing.

In 2011, GreyNet embarked on an Enhanced Publications Project with DANS, Data Archiving and Networked Services in an effort to circumvent the data versus document camps entrenched in grey literature communities1. The results of that project served to incorporate in GreyNet’s workflow the acquisition, indexing, and linking of research data with their full-text and accompanying metadata2,3. Recently, GreyNet discussed with a data management librarian from the University of Florida a proposed follow-up project dealing with data papers – a new document type within grey literature. Data papers are defined as scholarly publications of a searchable metadata document describing a particular online accessible dataset or a group of datasets published in accordance to standard academic practices. As such, data papers represent a scholarly communication approach to data sharing4. The outcome of that discussion led to the formation of a project team with the twofold purpose of producing and publishing a set of data papers originating in the field of grey literature, and in so doing raise awareness to this new document type by demonstrating its value for library and information science. The method of approach includes the construction of an online standardized template that encompasses a data paper, defining the population asked to complete the template, instruction and further contact with the authors/researchers during the course of the project, along with an analysis of the results. The anticipated outcome of the project would provide a tested template that could be used by other grey literature communities in the production of data papers. It would demonstrate how OA, DSA5 and FAIR6 principles are implemented and reinforced via data papers. And, it would further provide examples of how data citations can generate trusted bibliographic references.

In the spring of 2014, a workshop took place at the Italian National Council of Research inPisa¹. The topic of this event dealt with policy development for grey literature resources. Some seventy participants from nine countries took an active part in the workshop - the outcome of which produced what is today known as the Pisa Declaration². This fifteen point document arising from the input of those who attended the workshop sought to provide a roadmap that would help to serve diverse communities involved in research, publication and the management of grey literature both in electronic and print formats. The Pisa Declaration has been translated and published in some twenty languages. They are all accessible online via the GreyGuide Repository³ and Portal⁴. Currently, 140 information professionals from renowned organizations worldwide have endorsed this document⁵. In an effort to assess the impact that the Pisa Declaration has had during the last two years on the policy development for grey literature resources, an online survey among those who endorsed the document was carried out and their responses were analysed. Descriptive statistics and short summaries are used to describe the basic features of the data collected. They are combined with simple graphics that offer easier visual representation of the results achieved. Specific results of the survey analysis indicate those points in the Pisa Declaration that in varying degrees are of relevance and importance to grey literature, as well as points that need further attention and work. Although integral part of library and information management practice grey literature has its own peculiarities and needs that require special attention in order to reach its deserved level of importance in today’s research and other activities.

The data collected is based on the responses of fifty authors/researchers, who have presented full-text papers published in the International Conference Series on Grey Literature. The dataset consists of ten questions, three of which are open-ended. The data contains the number and percentages of responses to questions dealing with the author’s own empirical research data, its current availability, and the author’s willingness to archive the data and make it openly accessible. The data in this study was collected and computer analyzed via Survey Monkey, where it remains stored along with a copy in Excel housed in the DANS Easy Archive. The data from the study was collected in 2011 within the framework of an enhanced publications project². Since then, emphasis on data preservation, open access, and the reuse of data has increased exponentially. This data from six years ago offers a valuable baseline that would allow for a follow-up questionnaire in part or whole. Hereby, one would stand to gain insight into changing attitudes and practices within GreyNet’s research community and renders potential (re)use by other professional research communities.

The goal of this project is to develop an open source repository of good practices in the field of grey literature. That which originated in monographic form will now open and expand to include content from the global grey literature community. Such practices will range from the production and processing of grey literature through to its distribution, uses, and preservation. The repository will contain guidelines such as those in handling theses and dissertations, how to write research reports, metadata required for working papers as well as good practices in the subject areas of agriculture, health, education, energy, environment, et cetera. The purpose of an online repository of good practice in grey literature will provide the many stakeholders in government, academics, business and industry with the benefits of experience, sustained management, and proven results. The procedure initially applied in this project deals with the design and development of a template that will capture data and information about published as well as proposed good practices within a standard format. While the metadata captured in the template are indeed standardized, their accompanying fulltext documents need not be. Furthermore, the template seeks to identify intended users of a good practice, as well as metadata that will facilitate the search and retrieval of records in the repository. Technical developments related to the design and construction of the repository, its eventual platform as well as its maintenance are other related issues addressed in the project. While there are no direct costs associated with the project, each partner is committed to allocate human and material resources needed to carry out their related tasks. It is expected that the initial phase in acquiring records for the repository will rely on channels available through the Grey Literature Network Service. Populating the repository will be somewhat timeconsuming and the first harvest will not produce an abundance of records. The project is long term; however it is all the more worthwhile. The GreyGuide will provide a unique resource in the field of grey literature that is long awaited and which responds to the information needs of a diverse, international grey literature community.