Publications And Reporting: Policies and Guidelines

Introduction

One function of the Communications Program at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) is to record and distribute research results and published materials. Production of Sea Grant-related reports and articles is the responsibility of the agent, specialist, or funded researcher, and while NJSGC cannot offer direct assistance with photography, printing, or artwork, NJSGC’s Communications Staff can offer recommendations as to their appearance, readability, and effective use.  Please call or contact NJSGC’s Communications Specialist (732-872-1300×18) for further information.

General Publication Guidelines

Submission of articles and/or other materials (brochures, posters, fact sheets, manuals, workshop materials, lesson plan, etc.) is critical to the continued success of NJSGC and its federally-funded Sea Grant program. It is also a requirement for grantees receiving New Jersey Sea Grant funds.

NJSGC is required to report all research articles and other published materials resulting from funded projects to the federal government which stores Sea Grant publications at the University of Rhode Island in the National Sea Grant Library.

Per congressional mandate, all researchers receiving Sea Grant funding are expected to submit articles to professional journals in order to disseminate findings to the scientific community. This is in addition to submitting required progress, annual (PIER), and final reports noted herein.

Acknowledgement and Publication REQUIREMENTS

Articles, publications, and other products resulting all or in part from NJSGC funding must acknowledge all forms of support and include the following statement in an appropriate position or location on the publication, usually on the last page or inside front or back cover.

This [publication manual, fact sheet, poster, , presentation, etc.] is the result of [work, research] sponsored by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) with funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Sea Grant, U.S. Department of Commerce, under NOAA grant number [Insert Appropriate NOAA Grant Number here] and the NJSGC. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NJSGC or the U.S. Department of Commerce. [Insert Assigned NJSG Publication Number Here: NJSG-XX-XXX]

NOTE: Including the above acknowledgement is required. As indicated in the acknowledgment paragraph, a NOAA grant number and a NJSGC publication number must be included and placed on all materials and products.

To locate the NOAA grant number under which your project was supported, consult the following list of grant numbers:

2/1/18 – Present                NA18OAR4170087

2/1/14 to 6/30/18               NA14OAR4170085

2/1/10 to 4/30/15            NA10OAR4170075

3/1/06 to 7/31/11            NA06OAR4170086

3/1/01 to 2/28/06            NA16RG1047

3/1/97 to 9/30/02            NA76-RG0091

To obtain a NJSGC publication number, contact NJSGC’s Communications Associate (732-872-1300×17) AFTER your paper or manuscript has been accepted, but PRIOR to submitting your manuscript for publication.  You will be assigned a number that will be reserved for that specific publication.  The number will be recorded as “in review” or “in press.”  If, for any reason, the status of the manuscript changes (i.e. not accepted for publication, rewritten and submitted under a similar title, etc.), please notify NJSGC’s Communications Associate.

ADDITIONAL Publication Requirements

NJSGC requires a digital (preferred) or hard copy of every journal article, published abstract, or other product (fact sheet, web-page, CD, etc.) resulting from your funded research or outreach project. Please note all journal articles MUST include an abstract.

In an effort to comply with new Federal and program policies regarding paperwork reduction and to create a more efficient system of storing and distributing research-related information, we ask that whenever possible, an electronic version of your articles and publications be provided to NJSGC’s Communications Office. The National Sea Grant Library has transitioned to digital and electronic distribution and filing of all Sea Grant products. Ideally, your documents should be scanned or converted and sent as PDF files. These files can be emailed as attachments to the Communications Specialist. When providing electronic files, the Communications Office will handle any necessary printing of copies for distribution.

Please note: Hard copies of journal articles (peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed) are no longer required if a PDF is submitted to NJSGC. If no PDF is submitted, two hard copies are required. For all other publication types, please refer to the following categories to determine how many copies to send.

Print/Hard Copy Only: Send two original copies if the item is available in print/hard copy format AND (1) is not available in digital format, (2) is commercially published (but not “open access”), or (3) you are supplying a digital copy for archival purposes only and not allowing the NSGL to make it digitally available. One copy will go into the archive collection and the other will be available to circulate.

Print/Hard Copy plus digital: Send one original copy if the item is available in both formats and you are supplying a digital copy that the NSGL may make accessible from its website. The hard copy you send will be the archive copy and the digital copy will replace the circulating copy and be digitally accessible from the NSGL website.

Digital Only: If documents are published originally online and not available in print/hard copy format, a digital copy is the only one needed. A URL, PDF, or other digital file must be provided; however, when submitting the online cataloging form, permission must be granted for the NSGL to make it accessible. If the item is available in print/hard copy from any source (program, publisher, etc.), the number of copies to send the NSGL must be determined by one of the categories listed above instead.

Please note: Commercially-published documents (including journal reprints from sources that are not “open access”) have copyright restrictions that usually prevent us from making them available online. Even though we cannot make these works digitally accessible, programs are encouraged to send a digital file, whenever possible, so that we can digitally archive ALL documents for preservation purposes.

THESES

Hard copies of thesis/dissertation abstracts are no longer required if a PDF is submitted to NJSGC for distribution to the National Sea Grant Library. The abstracts are kept on file at NJSGC for review by audiences interested in work done through Sea Grant-supported or related research.

FACT SHEETS AND OTHER OUTREACH MATERIALS

Fact sheets and one-pagers are designed to convey information on specific issues and topics to the public and user groups.  They are frequently based on, but not limited to, NJSGC research and usually compiled by NJSGC Extension, Education, and/or Communications staff and designed for lay audiences.  If you plan to produce outreach materials, please note that an acknowledgement statement as described previously is required along with displaying NJSGC and NOAA logos. 

PRESS/MEDIA RELATIONS

The more Sea Grant is mentioned in the media, the more widely recognized the program becomes.  Greater program exposure can go a long way toward stabilized and improved funding support for the National Sea Grant Program (and subsequently New Jersey) in the future. If you are contacted by any media about your research, please be sure to mention the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and the National Sea Grant Program.

 

PUBLICATION Style Guidelines

Standard NJSGC Summary Paragraph

Whenever appropriate, please include a description of NJSGC in your publication. The following paragraph is suggested: New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) is an affiliation of colleges, universities, and other groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of New Jersey’s marine and coastal environment. NJSGC meets its mission through its research, education, and outreach programs. For more information about NJSGC, visit njseagrant.org.

Visual Identity (Logo Usage)

The NJSGC logo and NOAA logo are available for download in several file formats at https://njseagrant.org/Media_Center/Logos.html 

NJSGC Logo

Appearance: The NJSGC logo is the National Sea Grant logo with gull wings over “NJ Sea Grant Consortium” wording. Do not print other graphic elements behind the NJSGC logo or over it. Do not alter the logo’s proportions by widening or elongating it.

Size: Do not use the logo in a size less than 1 inch wide (for print use) or 72 pixels high/180 pixels wide (for Web/screen use). There is no limit to how large the logo can be.

Color: The logo can be used in any appropriate color to compliment the publication piece, however, PMS 294 (Dark Blue) is preferred. Logo can also be reversed out to white on a dark background. A single color must be used for the entire logo, and a strong color that contrasts with the background is preferred.

NOAA Logo

Appearance: Do not print other graphic elements behind or over the NJSGC or NOAA logo. Do not alter the NJSGC or NOAA logo’s proportions by widening or elongating it.

Size: Do not use the logo in a size less than 3/4 inch wide (for print use) or 72 pixels high/180 pixels wide (for Web/screen use). There is no limit to how large the logo can be.

Note: The NOAA and NJSGC logo should appear equal in size when they are displayed together.

Color: The logo should only be reprinted in its original colors.

Reporting Requirements

The National Sea Grant Office requires certain reports for research projects that NJSGC is obligated to file on your behalf.  These reports include a progress report, a final report, and an annual report (also referred to as the PIER report).  If, for any reason, the project is terminated before the stated contract date, a final report and an annual report (PIER) is still required.

Templates for the progress and annual report can be found on NJSGC’s website.  A template for the annual (PIER) report will be sent to all Principal Investigators in advance of each year’s annual reporting deadline. In all cases, reports must be submitted electronically as an email attachment to NJSGC’s Program Associate (732-872-1300 x10).

PENALTIES FOR LATE REPORTING

Failure to submit the progress, annual (PIER), or final report will freeze all funds until the missing report is filed.  Ten percent (10%) of each award will be withheld pending submission of the final project report. In the case of missed deadlines, the Principal Investigator will be notified by NJSGC by email with a copy to his/her institution’s grants officer.

DATA SHARING                                                                                                                   

Environmental data collected or created from Sea Grant-funded research must be made publicly visible and accessible in a timely manner  and free of charge or at a minimal coast that does not exceed the cost of distribution to the user except where limited by law, regulation, policy, or national security requirements. Data are to be made available in a form that would permit further analysis or reuse, and must be sufficiently documented (preferably using existing  open metadata standards) to enable users to independently read and understand the data.  The location (internet address) of the data should be included in the final project report. Pursuant to NOAA Information Quality Guidance, data should undergo quality control (QC) and a description of the QC process and results should be referenced in the metadata.

Data accessibility must occur no later than the publication of a peer-reviewed article based on the data, two years after the data are collected and verified, or two years after the original end date of the grant (not including any extensions or follow-on funding), whichever is sooner, unless a delay has been authorized by the NOAA funding program.

Disclaimer: Data produced under a Sea Grant funded research project and made available to the public must be accompanied by the following statement: “These data and related items of information have not been formally disseminated by NOAA, and do not represent any agency determination, view, or policy.”

Failure to Share Data: Failing or delaying to make environmental data accessible in accordance with the Data Management Plan submitted to NJSGC in the original proposal application, unless authorized by the NOAA program, may lead to enforcement actions, and will be considered by NOAA when making future award decisions.  Funding recipients are responsible for ensuring these conditions are also met by sub-recipients and subcontractors.

In addition, researchers must complete Data Management Plan Forms at proposal submission and project completion.

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