QUICK COURSE FOR AUTHORS: METADATA FOR NURSING RESEARCH – UPDATE 2011
Dalmo Valério Machado de Lima¹, Soymara da Silva Santos²
1,2 Fluminense Federal University
ABSTRACT
Problem: Historically, the inconsistence of filling the metadata determines the repulse of above 70% of all submissions to health publications. Justification: After exact two years of publication of the first quick course for authors and the change of the editorial body of OBJN, it is necessary to equip the authors aiming the new patterns of scientific publications. Objective: To demonstrate, step-by-step, the moments of correct execution of metadata, based on the rules of OBJN. Method: This is a descriptive study under a quick course in metadata format. Results: Blocks of images and directions for filling up the forms. Conclusion: The set of a guide to complete the information reduces the submission time, maximizes the visibility of submitted material and of the issue, and reduces the repulsion index.
Keywords: Access to Information; Authoring and Co-Authoring in Scientific Publication; Nursing Based on Evidences.
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, with the rise of many different medias and new languages, of worldwide range, which, in many cases, is necessary to review the importance of the rules of description and visual patterns of presentation of scientific articles as a way to differentiate this type of production and dissemination of information, both for its actual use, and for its preservation and future access(1).
To allow the discovery and location of items to its collection, libraries and archives produce information (catalogs) that describe the propriety of these items, such as author, title, publication date, topic, etc. when we refer to the web, a similar action is taken through metadata(2).
The metadata, the main topic of this article, has a function to represent the scientific study. It would be a form of description and promotion of the research, once these elements represent the topic and the scope of the content of the study.
The common definition given to metadata is that they are “data about data”. The understanding, however, in a wider perspective of the study of description of documents, is that metadata are a full representation of informational content in documented language appropriated to each area of study in which they are applied to.
In this case, it is necessary to be attentive to the vocabulary used to respond to the information asked, as a better execution of this step of submission can develop to a higher number of results in search mechanisms. It is necessary a familiarization with the standards and with the paper to be submitted so the content is suitable to the publication standards and that the author is prepared also to interpret this task with accuracy in different moments in which he/she is transposing the knowledge to their studies.
In the Semantic Web, metadata are used to describe the meaning the resources of the Web and intelligent agents, developed through the techniques of Artificial Intelligence, use those descriptions to assist web users to find and manipulate those resources. For the Semantic Web, metadata schemes create a great base to develop a common semantic understanding. However, to allow machines to use metadata to aid humans in described resources, Artificial Intelligence techniques are necessary. In this sense, the Semantic Web extends the concept of metadata, as it incorporates these techniques of reasoning and interference. In Artificial Intelligence, the instruments of semantic description are named ontologies(2).
The OBJN (Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing), the scientific journal of nursing of Fluminense Federal University, uses the filling standard of metadata by Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). THE DCMI is an open organization that works and gives support to innovation in metadata design since 2000.
The correct normalization and description of a scientific paper, once it demands a research and attention to the details, demonstrate to the editors a profound preoccupation with the produced knowledge that is aimed to become public, and it is a matter of respect to the precepts of quality and reliability of the information made public in the environment it belongs and benefits from.
Historically, the inconsistence of completing the metadata determines the denial of more than 70% of all submissions to publication in the health field. After exact two years after the publication of the first quick course to authors(3) and the change in the editorial body of this journal, the OBJN sees as necessary to assist the authors to attend the new demands in scientific publication. Therefore, this article has an objective to demonstrate step-by-step the stages of a correct execution of metadata according to the rules of OBJN.
METHOD
Descriptive study presented in a quick course in metadata format.
RESULTS
Image 1A – Step 3: entering the metadata
Comments of the markers by arrows
1. Browser: The Journal Electronic Editing System (SEER, in Portuguese) is a result of prospective technologies made by the Brazilian Science and Technology Information Institute (IBICT, in Portuguese) to identify applications that could treat and spread the Brazilian scientific production on the web. The SEER system started in 2003, and since the customizing of the Open Journal Systems (OJS), a software of electronic journals for management and publishing, developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) from the University of British Columbia. It is a innovative initiative from IBICT that immediately after the OJS software translation to Portuguese, the first Brazilian journal using this technology was published on the Web , the Science of Information journal. After that, the IBICT stated the process and the distribution of the translated SEER to Brazilian editors interested in publishing scientific magazines with free access on the Web and to promote the technical training to use this tool, in systematic trainings done since November 2004 in many parts of the country. In only five years, SEER has helped the rise of more than 1,000 Brazilian scientific journals on the Web. Today, OBJN uses the SEER version 2.3.3.2. As it is an open source system and freely distributed, many of its functionalities as well as the development of tools and plug-ins come from international collaboration through discussion lists. In this subject, among the most popular browsers in Brazil, Firefox, developed by Mozilla Foundation, is the one that presents better stability and functionality to SEER, and because of that, OBJN recommends its use.
2. Language: OBJN has allowed SEER in Portuguese, English and Spanish to user’s interface. This way, the author must choose the preferred language to data input. It is necessary to observe that ALL information must be exactly the same to all three languages. As usual, we adopted the Portuguese language as the default language to the interface.
3. Step 3: Pay attention that the insertion of metadata starts in Step 3 of the submission and it can be interrupted and retaken any time by the author, making sure that the metadata already inputted will not be lost, as far as they are saved when clicking on the inferior-left green button named “SAVE AND CONTINUE”
4. Metadata inclusion: After clicking in “METADATA INCLUSION”, the area for inserting and editing the information will be enabled. Despite the fact only the fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory to SEER, OBJN adopted as a policy the acceptance of submissions with all fields completed only.
5. Language of the form: There is a suspended list with three languages of OBJN, however in this step, the language selected must be in English. It is necessary to note that the selection of the English language in this field does not compel that the data inputted needs to be in this language. This comes from the system’s original language set.
6. First name: Insert ONLY the first name of the author, despite the fact it can be a double name, like “Dalmo Valério”. Following this example, in this field, it will have only the name “Dalmo”, with the use of the first letter of the name in capital letter.
7. Middle name: Insert all names without abbreviations between the first and the last, including prepositions (if any), like: de, da, e. Except the prepositions, all names must start in capital letters.
8. Last Name: Type only the last name, stating by a capital letter. Exceptions are doubled last names, such as: Filho/Son, Junior, Segundo/Second, which also must be added in this field.
9. E-mail: Insert the electronic mail in lowercase letters. You should keep this field up-to-date to facilitate the communication between the author and the readers. Some journals like OBJN encourage the authors that are part of the editorial board to use preferably their institutional e-mail accounts.
10. URL: Abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator, which refers to the hosting address in an institution website. It should not get mixed up with author’s electronic address, as mentioned above. IT MUST BE PRECEDED BY http://www. E.g.: http://www.uff.br, to the authors linked to the Fluminense Federal University.
11. Institution/Affiliation: This field must be filled in Portuguese and it refers to the MAIN AFFILIATION OF THE AUTHOR and NEVER should be misunderstood. We recommend the adoption of the following hierarchy: department, faculty, university, state abbreviation and country. E.g.: Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, Aurora de Afonso Costa Nursing School, Fluminense Federal University (WITHOUT a period in the end of the text). Please note that it does not refer to the author’s curriculum, by his main affiliation. The adoption of double affiliation is recommended only to students who have a working connection with one institution and develop academic or cooperative study in another.
12. Country: It refers to the original country of the AUTHOR.
13. Biographical summary: It is a field to be filled in Portuguese, and definitely does not refer to the author’s curriculum vitae or his memorial, but to the main academic and professional characteristics accumulated along the years. We suggest two paragraphs: First - you should adopt the following hierarchy, separated by commas and starting all words in capital letters, except prepositions – the basis education (bachelor’s degree), main occupation and highest academic achievement title; Second: type the Lattes curriculum link, starting by the http://
Image 1B – Step 3: entering the metadata
14. Title: Insert the title of the article in Portuguese, up to 12 words, including the method or study design. Pay attention that approach is not a method. This way, the terms “qualitative” or “quantitative” are not adequate to be in the title. Detailed information about the typology of the designs of research adopted by OBJN were published by Lima(4).
15. Abstract: Insert the abstract in Portuguese with up to 150 words. Exceptions are abstracts of thesis/dissertations and previous notes that can have up to 1,000 words. It must be written in a single paragraph, demonstrating the following sections in bold, followed by a colon: problem or introduction (optional), objective, method that must be the same one described in the title, results, discussion and conclusion. On the next paragraph, write in bold “Keywords”. After the colon, insert from three to six thesaurus in Portuguese. The controlled dictionary is available in http://regional.bvsalud.org/php/decsws.php. The descriptors must be separated by a semi-colon (;) and a final stop after the last one. The keywords have to star by capital letters in all words, except the prepositions and articles. E.g: “Nursing Caretaking”. These terms OBLIGATORY are the ones adopted in the field 17, however, different from the last mention one, here they must be in Portuguese.
16. Area and subarea of knowledge: A field to be completed in English after consulting the terminology in Portuguese or Spanish, according with the language of the author. Based on a complete lack of standardization of the journals about the criteria to be adopted in this field, OBJN took the design the table of the areas of knowledge, adopted by the Brazilian National Scientific and Technological Development Counsel (CNPq, in Portuguese), also available on http://www.cnpq.br/areasconhecimento/index.htm and here makes it available, ina short and trilingual version (Annex 1). The short table has three columns: Portuguese, Spanish and English. Then, for each term selected, the author will have to inform the correspondent term in English. The hierarchical levels of the terms are identified by the colors: red, green, blue and black, respectively corresponding to: major field, field, subfield and specialty. OBJN recommends that the author select six terms, respecting preferentially the four hierarchical levels (colors), on which are added to other free-selection terms. E.g.: the data referring to this article can be categorized as: Applied Social Sciences; Information Technology; Library Science; Information Recovery Techniques; Health Sciences; Nursing. These terms were used only for consulting, as in the field 16 the must be typed firstly in English, separated by a semi-colon (;), the last term followed by no other symbol or sign, using capital letters in the beginning of each word, except to prepositions or articles. .
17. Topics: We recommend filling up this field with three to six terms, available in http://regional.bvsalud.org/php/decsws.php The descriptors must be separated by a semi-colon (;) and CANNOT have a full stop the end of the last term. Descriptors must start with capital letters in all words, except prepositions and articles. E.g.: “Nursing Caretaking”. These terms are OBLIGED to be the same used in the abstract in the field 15, however, diferently from the first, here all terms must be in English. From the abovementioned web address, you should look for the terms that contemplate the nature of the submitted material. As an example, the term “free access to information” will be placed as a template in the “LOCATE DESCRIPTOR” field.
Image 2A – Selecting descriptor
A – corresponds to the typing area of the term the author decides it represents the nature of the study. During the typing, the auto-complete function is enabled, giving possible options that are based on the letters typed.
B – corresponds to the term that best fits the necessity of the author and later, it must be selected with a left-click.
Image 2B – Selecting descriptors
C – after selecting the term, click on “I” (which stands for Information) to open the next window.
D – verify if the DEFINITION of the thesaurus really express the author’s will.
E – check for SYNONIMS that can be better placed, also to avid the recurrence of terminology of the same meaning.
F – finally, copy the other languages DESCRIPTOR to paste it properly in the Field 17.
18. Keywords: Differently from the TOPIC field, field 18 refers to a single word or short expression devotedly used in the area of interest, that, however, do not belong to a thesaurus, yet. You should note that the capacity to recover publications from the use of thesaurus is infinitively higher if compared to a keywords search. We recommend the use of three, up to six, terms in Portuguese based on the standard format adopted by OBJN, in capital letters (except prepositions and articles), absense of final stop in the end. E.g.: Metadata; Life Sciences; Nursing
19. Geo-spatial: Insert field in Portuguese, following the standard format, which refers to the coverage area researched in the study, reducing, this way, the words in the title. Suggestions: name of the City, State, Country, Continent or Worldwide Range.
20. Chronological or Historical: Field to be completed in Portuguese, which embraces the chronological or historical and, similar to the previous item, also reduces the size of the title. It refers to the PERIOD OF COLLECTION OF DATA or SEQUEL and, in the case of Historical Review Study, expresses the timeframe adopted or the classical historical divisions. E.g.: 2010, From March to May 2011, Middle Ages, First Semester of 2011.
Image 3C – Step 3: entering the metadata
21. Characteristics of research sample: Field to be completed in Portuguese and in standard format that should express the attributes of the researched sample. E.g.: Men; Pregnant Women, Manuscripts, Articles; Seniors; Newborns; Offshore Workers.
22. Type, method of point-of-view: Field to be filled in Portuguese and of standard format that has to coincide with the title, abstract and method. We suggest a consultation to the paper of Lima(4).
23. Language: Refers to the language of the manuscript. Considering that since issue number 2 of 2011, OBJN adopted the trilingual model to all publications and that the field 23 refers to the standardization in English to the form to be filled by the author (see item 15), it must be typed the abbreviation “en”, in lowercase lettlers, referring to English.
24. Agencies: Field to be completed in Portuguese and of standard format that must include the complete name of the sponsoring agency(ies), followed by its abbreviation between parenthesis. In the case of a research without sponsors, please type “Not available”. E.g.: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), Conselho Regional de Enfermagem do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (COREN-RJ).
25. References: Insert ALL references used in the manuscript, rigorously obeying the Vancouver stype, in order they appear in the text, simple spacing, references NOT NUMBERED, leaving a blank line between them. Please, pay attention to the maximum limit of references adopted by OBJN: 3 quotes to prior notes, 15 quotes to reviewed articles and 10 quotes to the other sorts of publications. ALWAYS that a quote is in more than one language, use the English language version in the references.
26. Save and continue: When clicking in this field, the author will finalize the insertion of metadata.
CONCLUSION
The establishment of filling guidelines reduces the time of submission, maximizes the visibility of the submitted material and of the journal, and reduces the repulsion index.
REFERENCES
1. Arellano, Miguel Angel. Preservação de documentos digitais. Ci. Inf., Brasília, 33 (2) Aug. 2004 . Available from <http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-19652004000200002&lng=en&nrm=iso>. access on 17 October 2011. doi: 10.1590/S0100-19652004000200002.
2. Rocha RF. Metadados, web semântica, categorização automática: combinando esforços humanos e computacionais para a descoberta e uso dos recursos da web. Em Questão 2004,10(1):109-121.
3. Cruz I. Fast course for authors: metadata for nursing research. Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing [serial on the Internet]. 2009 August 1; [Cited 2011 October 17]; 8(2). Available from: http://www.objnursing.uff.br/index.php/nursing/article/view/j.1676-4285.2009.2457/525
4. Lima DVM. Research design: a contribution to authors. Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing. [serial on the Internet]. 2011 October 17;[Cited 2011 October 17]; 9(2). Available from: http://www.objnursing.uff.br/index.php/nursing/article/view/j.1974-4285.2011.4332
