Scientific, Editorial, and Technical standards: Reevaluation

Publication Details

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Ongoing participation in Bookshelf requires a content provider to continue to meet NLM’s scientific, editorial, and technical quality standards for Bookshelf and the NLM collection over time.

NLM will reevaluate content for continued participation in Bookshelf if there are problems identified with the content that the provider fails to address or that appear to be systemic; if there are verifiable concerns about the scientific, editorial, or technical quality of the content; or if there are significant changes in the ownership, policies, or practices for producing the content.

The reevaluation process for a Bookshelf-participating journal is similar to the review process for new applications to Bookshelf.

Content providers are also expected to continue to meet the terms of specified in the LitArch participation agreements, including:

  • Deposit of any revised or updated content soon after the time of publication
  • Notification about any change in status of content (such if the conclusions, guidelines, or recommendations presented in a document are no longer valid or effective)

Scientific and Editorial Reevaluation

Before a reevaluation based on scientific and editorial reasons begins, Bookshelf staff will notify the content provider of NLM’s concerns and place a hold on processing any additional content until the review is complete. The reevaluation process will focus on recent content and may take up to 12 weeks.

Note

Content may be reevaluated by NLM only if it has an active LitArch-participation agreement. Some content in Bookshelf is deposited in compliance with the public access policy of collaborating funders and are published by publishers that are not active participants in Bookshelf.

If content was accepted for archiving in Bookshelf by virtue of its inclusion in MEDLINE, the reevaluation process will involve the Literature Selection Technical Review Committee.

If, as a result of the reevaluation, the content is found to currently meet NLM’s scientific and editorial standards for Bookshelf, Bookshelf will continue to accept and archive content from the provider, including all content published during the holding period. If the content is found to no longer meet NLM’s standards, the Literature Archive agreement will be terminated and the provider will be eligible to re-apply 24 months after the date of the termination. No additional content, including any content submitted or published during the holding period, will be accepted for archiving in Bookshelf.

Technical Reevaluation

Bookshelf will communicate to a content provider any systemic technical or production issues, including the failure to provide updated content in a timely manner. If the content provider repeatedly fails to respond or successfully resolve these technical and production issues, NLM reserves the right to terminate its LitArch agreement with the provider. The provider will be eligible to re-apply 24 months after the date of the termination.

NLM’s decision to continue or cease archiving content in Bookshelf is final. NLM encourages content providers to use feedback resulting from the reevaluation process to improve the overall scientific, editorial, and technical quality of their content.