New Guidelines for Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks
published Aug 3, 2015 11:58amThe Geoscience Information Society (GSIS) has released new guidelines for authors, editors, and publishers of geologic field trip guidebooks. The document is available for free downloading on the Society's website at http://www.geoinfo.org/guidebooks.html.
Guidebooks are a significant contribution to geoscience literature and are often the most current, or only available, synopsis of an area's geology. But incomplete bibliographic information and non-standard formats can make them difficult for researchers to locate and use, and problematic for libraries to acquire. "We looked at all aspects of guidebooks – format, content, distribution, accessibility – in coming up with this new set of recommendations," said Linda Musser, chair of the GSIS Guidebooks Standards Committee. "The title page information, road logs, GPS coordinates, index maps, illustrations, all of these elements influence the usefulness of a guidebook."
Guidelines for Authors, Editors, and Publishers of Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks was last revised in 2005. The current revision incorporates specific recommendations for guidebooks issued in digital formats.
A free aid to locating field trip guidebooks, the Geologic Guidebooks of North America database, is compiled by members of the GSIS and supported by the American Geosciences Institute. More than 12,000 field trip references are included. Coverage is being expanded to include areas outside North America. The database may be accessed at http://www.americangeosciences.org/georef/geologic-guidebooks-north-america-database.
The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization devoted to improving the exchange of information in the earth sciences. The membership consists of librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals.
Guidebooks are a significant contribution to geoscience literature and are often the most current, or only available, synopsis of an area's geology. But incomplete bibliographic information and non-standard formats can make them difficult for researchers to locate and use, and problematic for libraries to acquire. "We looked at all aspects of guidebooks – format, content, distribution, accessibility – in coming up with this new set of recommendations," said Linda Musser, chair of the GSIS Guidebooks Standards Committee. "The title page information, road logs, GPS coordinates, index maps, illustrations, all of these elements influence the usefulness of a guidebook."
Guidelines for Authors, Editors, and Publishers of Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks was last revised in 2005. The current revision incorporates specific recommendations for guidebooks issued in digital formats.
A free aid to locating field trip guidebooks, the Geologic Guidebooks of North America database, is compiled by members of the GSIS and supported by the American Geosciences Institute. More than 12,000 field trip references are included. Coverage is being expanded to include areas outside North America. The database may be accessed at http://www.americangeosciences.org/georef/geologic-guidebooks-north-america-database.
The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization devoted to improving the exchange of information in the earth sciences. The membership consists of librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals.