In January 1995, the JOIDES/PCOM Publications Subcommittee proposed a series of recommendations that would retain the basic structure of the ODP/TAMU publications, yet would reduce both the amount of editing done by the ODP/TAMU Publications staff and the size of the Initial Reports and Scientific Results volumes. These recommendations were submitted and endorsed at the April 1995 PCOM meeting as a way to achieve an approximate one-third cost reduction in the ODP/TAMU Publications Department budget by FY98 (see Panel Recommendations, PCOM for more PCOM information).
The plan included the following summarized actions:
The Publications Department began research and development of CD-ROM publishing during 1994. The Leg 151 co-chiefs were interested in the possibility of having a viewable version of their volume on CD, and the production schedule for that volume (extended six months by the co-chiefs to permit the publication of additional material) allowed the Publications Department time to experiment with this new type of product development.
The JOIDES/PCOM Publications Subcommittee proposed electronic publishing as part of the package of changes for the department. The Publications Department has determined that industrial scanners, trained personnel, electronic storage space, and physical space to house equipment are all necessary requirements for CD-ROM production. To date, the department has published six IR and two SR CD-ROMs of electronically viewable volumes.
During the summer of 1995, the Publications and Science Operations
Departments drafted a detailed plan for the shipboard and shore-based
implementation of the new IR format. This plan was presented and endorsed at
the September 1995 Information Handling Panel meeting, and supported by
PCOM at the December 1995 meeting. The initial goal of ODP/TAMU was to
initiate the new IR format with Leg 164, one cruise before the time mandated by
IHP. Later, ODP/TAMU decided to postpone initiation of the new format for IR
volumes to at least Leg 166 because the required equipment needs are not within
the current budget. At the December 1995 meeting, PCOM advised JOI that it
gave high priority to purchase scanners and associated storage space for the
production of the Proceedings volumes on CD-ROM. PCOM requested that this
equipment be purchased after further investigation of available options and their
cost-benefit ratio.
Funds have been identified for the purchase of scanners and JOI approval has been received. ODP/TAMU now plans to initiate the new format for IR volumes with Leg 168. The Publications and Science Operations Departments have begun to draft guidelines for the new SR format, which they plan to initiate with Scientific Results Volume 161. The Publications Department will also revise the Instructions for Contributors, a guide for contributing authors.