Digital Publishing, Open Access, and Grey Literature: The War in Ukraine 2022 as a Use Case
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6
Transcript: English(auto-generated)
00:01
Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, my name is Dominic Ferrisi, and I'm from GrayNet International. I will be presenting to you on behalf of my co-authors, Dr. Plato Smith from the University of Florida, and Dr. Stefania Biaggioni and Dr. Carlo Carlesi from ISTE CNR in Pisa.
00:25
Our work deals with digital publishing, open access, and gray literature. Whereby the current war in Ukraine serves as a use case. The underlying approach in this study focuses on
00:41
digital persistent identifiers and other linked open data as they become connected and interrelated in the course of research and whose outcome is published as gray literature. In January of this year, GrayNet published its second edition of
01:02
the International Directory of Organizations in Gray Literature, IDGL. This edition includes record entries from 45 countries worldwide with a listing of 224 organizations. Each entry contains the organization's URL and RORID.
01:25
By way of the RORID, immediate access to other digital persistent identifiers is gained, such as the GeoNames ID, the CrossRefFunder ID, ISNI, and Wikidata.
01:44
This digital publication provides a lead into our research project, dealing with digital publishing, open access, and gray literature. The war in Ukraine 2022 serves as GrayNet's use case.
02:05
An online survey was designed and questions formulated in such a way that a number of responses would provide additional linked open data and digital persistent identifiers derived from publications on the current war in Ukraine.
02:24
These include URLs, DOIs, and ORSIDs. Survey data linked with the open data gathered and compiled in the study are then analyzed. The results are expected to demonstrate the currentness of gray literature,
02:44
its diverseness in formats and document types, the organizations that stand behind these publications, and how actionable persistent identifiers opens research in
03:00
gray literature to a new level playing field in a fair environment. An environment where data is not only findable and openly accessible, but also interoperable and reusable by means of digital publishing.
03:20
The method of approach was that a 10-question online survey was constructed and implemented via SurveyMonkey. Five of the questions were open-ended, three of which requested linked data. The other five questions allowed for yes-no responses,
03:43
four of which included comment fields. The first question on the survey required a yes response. This confirmed that the survey respondent agreed to the participant consent form stated at the start of the questionnaire,
04:01
that dealt with aspects of confidentiality, the risks and benefits, as well as the voluntary nature of the survey, including a withdrawal clause. The link to the online survey was created on March 22nd of this year.
04:20
Less than a month from the start of the war in Ukraine. It was then posted to GrayNet's social media and distribution list, on which all entries in IDGL are included. The online survey was closed on May 19th of this year, with 35 survey respondents.
04:42
88% of the survey questions were answered, and on average, each of the four yes-no questions were accompanied by 9.5 comments. Responses to the 10 survey questions were transferred
05:01
to an Excel spreadsheet whereby a record containing 19 fields was created for each of the 35 respondents. Six of the fields were added to each record, derived from information and open data accessible to or assigned by GrayNet.
05:23
These include the record ID, the organization's acronym, country of residence, sector of information, ROR ID, and whether it was included or not in the 2022 edition of the International Directory of Organizations in Gray Literature.
05:44
In brief, the respondents' answers to the online survey would allow for a capture of a number of types of linked data, including ORSIDs, DOIs, ROR IDs, URLs, as well as email addresses.
06:10
Of the 35 survey respondents, four were anonymous. 15 of the respondents were from organizations in the academic sector,
06:21
11 from government, two from business, and the other remaining seven were from NGOs, IGOs, or independent organizations. These organizations are located in 15 countries worldwide. 29 of these organizations carry a ROR ID,
06:44
and 26 were included in the International Directory of Organizations in Gray Literature. 23 of the survey respondents indicated that their organizations had published about the war in Ukraine 2022,
07:02
while 11 organizations had not yet published on the war as of the date on which they completed the online survey. One of the responses was considered invalid in that the link provided was not related to the war in 2022.
07:27
The links to the publications were openly accessible and categorized in 13 gray literature document types. Only three of the 23 publications contained research data,
07:42
while eight contained audio-visual material. Four of the respondents were co-authors or editors to one of the 23 publications. However, all 23 of the survey respondents have an assigned ORSID
08:02
indicating that they have publications on record. A summary of the 38 comments that accompanied the four yes-no questions on the survey is shown here. When asked if their organization published one or more documents
08:23
on the war in Ukraine 2022, those who answered yes further commented that their library provided information services in Ukrainian, as well as basic information about help for Ukrainian refugees in their country.
08:42
Research grants were made available to Ukrainian researchers. Reports of statements by academic and religious spokesmen were published. Reliable curated links regarding the war in Ukraine were shared.
09:00
Events were organized on campuses dealing with the war. Appeals to end the war were drawn up, signed and published by both researchers and staff. Other respondents mentioned that while they did not publish, they had aggregated a manifold number of documents and reports on the war in Ukraine.
09:25
Those who answered no to the question responded that while their department had not yet published about the war in Ukraine, perhaps others on their campus did. Mention was made that technically they were not publishers.
09:44
Further mention was made that their repository did, however, contain published articles dealing with that which led up to the war in Ukraine. Other respondents indicated that they intended to publish on the war in Ukraine in the near future.
10:05
When asked if the documents published on the war contained research data, three of the respondents confirmed that they did, while seven commented that the documents did not or that they were not aware of.
10:21
One respondent mentioned that data was being compiled but has not yet been published. Another commented that if reposts counted, then they did contain research data. When asked if the publications contained audio-visual materials,
10:41
mention was made of video recordings of seminars and conferences dealing with the war in Ukraine. One respondent who answered no to this question mentioned again that if reposts were included, that some of them contained audio-visual material.
11:02
In the final yes-no question in the survey, when asked if the response was an author or co-author or editor of the published documents, three stated that they were, another was a signatory to a publication, and again mentioned, was made that his or her role
11:26
was that of an intermediary and not an author. When turning to the summary of the 23 digital publications on the war in Ukraine, it is important to understand the chronological order in which the primary texts were published
11:46
and later came to be included in this study. The key dates are the start of the war on the 24th of February 2022, the publication of the link to the online survey on the 22nd of March 2022,
12:04
and the close of the link to the online survey on the 19th of May of this year. Hence, the survey was opened less than a month from the start of the war and closed just under three months into the war in Ukraine.
12:22
An analysis of the 23 publications drawn from this study are grouped and summarized as follows. Clearly stated was a condemnation of the violence and an expression of shock. It was seen as a wake-up call, especially regarding the threat by Putin of nuclear
12:44
deployment. It could lead to a sharing of nuclear weapons by Russia as well as Ukraine. Allies. Solidarity was called upon among Ukraine's allies and was witnessed and demonstrated
13:01
in the way the citizens of Ukraine united in their response to the invasion. The principle of sovereignty was upheld as contained in the international law, as well as in the UN treaty charter and reiterated by IFLA. By way of an EU directive, the millions of Ukrainians that fled the war to neighboring
13:27
EU countries were allowed to move through the EU as EU citizens. Likewise, Ukrainian research institutions were granted the same rights as those of the EU member
13:42
states. On the other hand, there was a suspension of agreements with Russia by European research centers. The overwhelming and outspoken support for Ukrainian students can be understood given that near half of the survey respondents who provided links
14:06
to the publications on the war in Ukraine were from academic institutions. This support is by way of scholarships, educational resources at no cost, and stipends.
14:23
Support was also extended to staff and their families. Material support was further raised and mounted for refugees and other vulnerable groups affected by the war in Ukraine. This was voiced at campus gatherings. Express mention was made to avoid ad hoc
14:47
policy and to ensure accurate information about the war in Ukraine. While the free flow of information must be assured, it should not be at the cost of spreading disinformation
15:02
and misinformation. A number of the publications addressed efforts to provide in-depth background information about that which led up to the war. Mention was also made that print runs would be replaced by e-publications due to the disruptions in deliveries and other
15:27
information services. Early on in the war, publications discussed the devastating effect it would have on the cultural heritage of Ukraine. Already a museum housing the work
15:45
of a UNESCO recognized artist was destroyed. SUCCO, an initiative of over 1,500 international volunteers that collaborate online to digitize and preserve Ukrainian
16:03
cultural heritage, published a digital poster on their efforts. Likewise, early on in the conflict, FAO signals the risks involved for global agricultural markets that would aggravate
16:23
the world food crises. The number of respondents to the online survey may not be considered a sizable population in itself. However, when joined by persistent identifiers and other related data, together with links to primary texts in the war in Ukraine,
16:48
we can track and trace the impact this has for digital publishing and grey literature. The schematic diagram shows GrayNet's publications both in textual and non-textual formats,
17:04
originating with the online survey and connected throughout by actionable persistent identifiers and other product identifiers. Beginning with the publication of the link to the online survey,
17:20
top left column, the responses provide access to data related to the respondents, their organizations, the type of grey literature documents published in the war in Ukraine, et cetera. These data are themselves connected to digital product identifiers, such as ORSIDs,
17:42
raw IDs, URLs, and DUIs. Data derived from the survey is then also available for inclusion in a revised and updated edition of IDGL. This information resource is openly accessible
18:00
on GrayNet's website and on the GrayGuide, GrayNet's web access portal and repository. Further, by way of an advertorial in the Gray Journal, greater awareness and wider coverage is given this grey literature resource. The URLs that link to IDGL and its assigned ISBN,
18:26
along with the raw ID assigned to GrayNet, serve in implementing FAIR data principles. While the survey data remains accessible in SurveyMonkey, it is further published in the
18:41
Dons Easy Archive and becomes openly accessible via CCO licensing. Added to the published survey data in Dons is a data paper that provides a detailed and technical description of the data. This is further published in the Gray Journal licensed by EBSCO and abstracted and indexed
19:07
by Scopus and Clarifat. The published survey data and data paper carry with them persistent digital identifiers, namely the DOI, ORSID, and raw ID. Now that the analysis of the survey
19:25
data has been carried out, it awaits publication as a conference paper in the GLP collection housed in the GrayGuide repository. It will be further compiled in the publication of the GL2022
19:41
conference proceedings and is further eligible for republication in a thematic issue of the Gray in the TIB AVE portal. The survey data and accompanying data paper,
20:03
the analysis of the survey data in the conference paper, and its video presentation each carry a separate but interoperable DOI. And it is in this way that the survey data remain fair and open to citation, referencing, and reuse.
20:25
Some concluding observations. It is important to note how prompt the organizations responded and with such foresight and concern for the accuracy in reporting on the war in Ukraine.
20:41
The responses dealt with both the immediate consideration of housing for the millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine and for needed supplies, as well as considerations related to more lasting challenges in providing educational support for students and researchers, and in
21:02
dealing with the effects of war that would be felt on world food shortages. The survey provided an increase not only in GrayNet's digital content, but also in new contacts. The fact that 74% of the respondents organizations already appeared in IDGL confirmed that this digital
21:28
resource was a determining factor in the survey population. The digital and product identifiers gained by the survey help in establishing the validity and reliability of the data collected.
21:45
They demonstrate fair data principles, and that they not only increase the findability and ensure accessibility, but that they also enable interoperability via the persistent identifiers, and thus contribute in building the PID graph for further use in research and
22:07
training. Perhaps one of the most evident of observations is the presence of persistent and product identifiers in the trail of GrayNet's digital publications, both in textual and
22:24
non-textual formats. This provides an example of Gray Literature digital publishing, whereby the war in Ukraine served as our use case. On behalf of my co-authors, I thank you for viewing
22:43
this presentation and welcome your comments and recommendations. If I may, on a more personal note, express my admiration for the strength and determination of the Ukrainian people in their defense of freedom.
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