GFAR - Global Forum on Agricultural Research
Selection Guidelines for Submission of Documents in GFAR Bibliographic database
-Draft-
Rome, March 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. BASIC CONCEPTS
3. COVERAGE OF THE DATABASE
3.1. Subject coverage
3.2. Chronological coverage
3.3. Geographic coverage
3.4. Language coverage
4. SELECTION CRITERIA
Annex I – GFAR Categories
1. INTRODUCTION
The GFAR Bibliographic database is a cooperative product of the GFAR Secretariat in collaboration with the Library and Documentation Systems Division of FAO, it has been developed using a customized module of EIMS (Electronic Information Management System) of FAO.
The documentation was provided by the GFAR Secretariat to an information specialist who is analyzing the literature produced by GFAR Secretariat, creating metadata records using FAO semantic standards and assigning categories according to the GFAR Classification.
As the collection and selection of documents are separated activities, guidelines for the selection of documents are needed to create consistency in the enhancement and development of the collection.
Selection criteria are essential to guarantee the coherence and the compatibility of the database records, avoiding therefore, both the inclusion of irrelevant documents and the exclusion of important ones.
This methodology describes how the GFAR bibliographic database will be populated with bibliographic material that was never organized before in a database; hopefully in the future each member of the Secretariat will be responsible for selecting the documents that should be included in GFAR bibliographic database. Documents of local interest or which do not comply with these criteria should be included restricting their access in the databases and will not be published on GFAR website (http://www.egfar.org/home.shtml).
These selection criteria should be complemented, in practice, with consultation with GFAR Staff members on the different areas covered by the database and with the utilization of other components such as the AGROVOC Thesaurus and the GFAR Classification (see Annex I of this document).
These Guidelines could be improved by observations and suggestions of all those who share the effort of populating the GFAR bibliographic database to reach a high degree of quality among the records.
2. BASIC CONCEPTS
Document:
“A generic term for a physical entity consisting of any substance on which is recorded all or a portion of one or more works for the purpose of conveying or preserving knowledge.” (http://lu.com/odlis/odlis_d.cfm ODLIS: Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science)
Within the context of the GFAR bibliographic database, a document can be: a collection of newsletters, a concept paper, a Report, a thesis, a specific event paper, etc. (see below: Types of documents that will be included in the GFAR BD).
Non-Restricted document:
Documents published and distributed through the formal publication channels (i.e. official, governmental) and accessible to all users.
Restricted Document:
Documents restricted which do not follow the formal publication and distribution channels, and contain sensitive and confidential information. The restriction will be at GFAR level. To access these documents a special user profile is needed. They will not be published on GFAR website (http://www.egfar.org/home.shtml), they will be accessible only locally.
3. THE DATABASE COVERAGE
The GFAR bibliographic database is an attempt to cover all types of documents (restricted and non-restricted) produced by GFAR Secretariat, related to the GFAR fields of action and following the criteria described in this document.
The fundamental factor that determines the inclusion or exclusion of a document in the database is its content and its electronic format: only PDF Format and HTML will be accepted to allow the preservation of the access to the document.
3.1 Subject Matter Coverage
GFAR database covers all topics addressing the GFAR fields of action:
· GFAR Programme Activities
· GFAR Mission
· Stakeholders
· Capacity development
· Knowledge sharing on ARD issues
· Information and Communication Management
The system is intended primarily for the GFAR Staff membersstakeholders, researchers and experts in the above mentioned areas and for GFAR Secretariat.
The GFAR Classification is available in English. A controlled classification that helps the information specialist in the analysis of the documents is included in the database, and it contributes also to its future retrieval. The GFAR Classification has been mapped with AGROVOC thesaurus which is available in 9 languages. http://www.fao.org/aims/ag_alpha.htm
A document is qualified for inclusion in the GFAR database whenever its content can be described using one or more GFAR topics. (GFAR Categories are in Annex I).
The classification will have to be alive and users should provide more proposals to add new main categories and subtopics.
The subject matters covered by GFAR are not submitted to strict limits: documents regarding GFAR “Programme Activities” could be considered relevant also for “Stakeholders”, Ssome categories may have overlapping topics overlapping.
3.2 Chronological Coverage
The database includes documents produced from 1998 onwards. In order to create new records, priority should be given to recently published documents.
3.3 Geographic Coverage
GFAR includes documents published in all countries and Regions of the world. A FAO standard list of countries is included in the data entry interface. In a second phase a further refinement of the geographic coverage will be added with areas of action peculiar to the Secretariat (i.e. Global, local). Most of the existing bibliographic databases produced by FAO index the documentation using the same standard list.
All GFAR Documents representing the activities of the Secretariat in these Countries and Regions should be included in the database whenever their contents have relevance with the topics covered by GFAR classification.
3.4 Language Coverage
Documents in English, French and Spanish will be considered for inclusion.
The GFAR Classification is monolingual - English - but documents with versions in several languages can be indexed and retrieved using AGROVOC. For each version of the document it will be created a database record.
4. SELECTION CRITERIA
A document will be considered for inclusion in GFAR BD whenever its content can be described utilizing one or more GFAR category. One of the goals of the GFAR BD is to disseminate most relevant and significant information about the activities and projects of GFAR Secretariat. To achieve this goal, it is required the set up of a “selection group” responsible for complying with GFAR selection criteria and for the evaluation of the existing literature to be included in the database.
1) Quality of the content
The content of the documents included in GFAR BD must have a technical and relevant significance concerning the GFAR Secretariat. For instance, a document can be added to the GFAR BD if produced by official institutions which are responsible for the content of it. To deposit a document in GFAR BD, the author should submit it to the GFAR Secretariat which will approve its inclusion or not in the database and its corresponding publication on the website.
2) Content importance
The documents included in GFAR BD should be used as:
· Reference material;
· Decision-making;
· Training of staff members
· Evaluating activities.
· Problem solving;
· Planning projects or establishing programmers
· Planning Partnerships
3) Types of document that should be accepted in GFAR BD
· Administrative Form
· Article
· Best practices
· Brochure
· Case Study
· Concept paper
· Conference Compendium
· Correspondence
· Data
· Directory
· Image
· Minutes
· Monograph
· Newsletters
· Periodical publication
· Portal
· Press release
· Proceedings
· Promotion material
· Agreements
· Report
· Series
· Sound
· Thesis
· HR Form
· Video
· Web Publication
· Website
· Working papers
· Business Plans
· Background Documents
· BTO Report
· Survey
· Budget
· Other
ANNEX 1
GFAR CATEGORIES
Programme Activities
Agriculture
ARD strategy (i.e. Agricultural Research for Development Strategy)
Cross-organisation
Evaluation
Infrastructure
Institutional support
Leadership
Management
Markets
Monitoring
Partnerships
Planning
Project management
Research
Research partnership
Resource development
Rural development
Strategies
Sustainable development
GFAR Mission
Collaboration
Decision making
Governance
Incentives
Inclusiveness
Innovation
Integration
Market linkages
Organisational development
Resource development
Subsistence
Sustainable development
Stakeholders
Civil Society
CSOs
Developed Countries
Donors
Entrepreuners
Farmers
Institutes
Institutions
member profiles
milti-stakeholder
National Origanizations
NGOs
Non-Government
Organisational profiles
Organizations
Private Sector
Regional Fora
Regional Organizations
Stakeholders
Capacity development
Capacity building
Capacity development
Change management
Learning
Learning exchanges
Organisational learning
Training
Information and Communication Management
Blogs
Communication
Documents
ICTS (Information and Communications Technology Services)
Information dissemination (i.e.dissemination)
Information management
Information Types
Intranet
Libraries
Open source
Knowledge sharing
Advocacy
After action review
Awareness
Communities of practice
Content management system
Cross-culture
Formal networks
Group facilitation
Knowledge and development
Knowledge capture (i.e. capturing)
Knowledge fairs
Knowledge management
Knowledge mapping
Knowledge processes
Knowledge sharing practices
Linkages
Mapping
Network analysis
Networks
Online facilitation
Open space
Participatory
Peer assist
Sensitization
Social network analysis
Storytelling