We invite articles on any
topic concerning libraries and information services throughout the world,
particularly in developing countries. Material related to indigenous
peoples is especially welcome. We are also interested in studies of the
impact of library and information services on governmental decision making
in any country.
A wide scope is preferred. Material that deals with an entire
nation or several nations will be useful to more readers than items that
are limited to the activities of a single library.
World Libraries attracts
a diverse international readership. When preparing documents for submission,
consider the following:
Cultures, educational backgrounds, and fields
of study vary greatly among readers.
English may not be the first language
of many readers.
Many readers may not be a part of academia.
Although nearly all contributors
are skilled writers, your attention to the following
guidelines will
help the World Libraries staff spend less time editing your work and ensure
that your message is communicated clearly to readers.
1. All readers will
better understand your message through simple explanations and less
complex sentences. Shorter sentences and paragraphs are best suited to
electronic publications. Refer to the Writing Tips section for further
information on creating concise text for a diverse international audience.
2.
Use consistency in style and format. The specified guidelines for style
as well as abstract, citation, reference, and submission formats create
a smoother editorial process for World Libraries staff members. Consistency
in these elements also minimizes readers' confusion about the treatment
of various elements. (Refer to Style Guidelines, Citation
Format, Reference
Format, and Abstract Format for further information.)
3. The entire document
should be accurately typed and double-spaced. All pages should be numbered,
starting with the title page. Use only a basic, widely available font
like Courier or Times New Roman, 12 point. Do not justify or break words
at the right margin.
4. Each manuscript should contain the following elements:
5. Submit one complete copy of your manuscript
as an e-mail attachment to worldlib@dom.edu. We accept Microsoft Word,
HTML, PDF, or plain text formats. If submitting your manuscript as a
PDF file, send another copy of the manuscript as plain or ASCII text with
all of the figures attached as separate, clearly labeled .GIF or
.JPG files. If submitting your manuscript in HTML format,
please keep the code as simple as possible.
Or you may mail
a hard copy or digital version to:
World Libraries
Dominican University
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
7900 West Division
Street
River Forest, Illinois 60305
6. Material of any length will
be considered. In certain cases, articles may be edited into "research
summaries" or divided into parts
over more than one issue. This will be done
only with the author's permission, however.
7. Material submitted should
not have been previously published in this form, nor should it be under
consideration for publication elsewhere, unless by specific agreement
with the editor of World Libraries. If the material has been
previously published in some other form (as a conference
paper, for example), that information should be specified
after the title on the first page.
8. Unsolicited
book reviews will not be accepted. Book reviews are initiated
directly by the Editor, who asks a specific person
to review a particular book.
9. Place the title of the paper at the top
of the first page of the manuscript. Follow the title by the full name
of all authors, their professional titles or positions, institutional
affiliations, and e-mail addresses. If one author should function
as the point of contact for questions or comments,
please indicate this with the phrase "direct comments
to" followed
by the author's e-mail address.
Do not
include the author(s) name anywhere else
in the document, except the title page.
This way, anonymity can be maintained
when your manuscript is reviewed by our
staff.
Title and author information
should appear on the first page as follows:
10.
Illustrations, figures, and tables should be included as separate .GIF
or .JPG files, named simply as figure1.gif,
figure2.gif, etc. They should be embedded
in their proper place in the document
with captions or marked in the manuscript
in this fashion: Insert figure1.gif
here, caption. Additional data, illustrations,
commentary, and complicated or long
tables should be placed in consecutively numbered
appendices at the end of the manuscript.
11.
Notes in the manuscript should be consecutively numbered, and collected
at the end of the paper after the
conclusion and before the References section.
Abstract
All papers submitted to World Libraries for
consideration must include an abstract, or a brief summary of a paper's
fundamental findings and conclusions. A well-written
abstract will pique the interest
of readers by succinctly presenting that facts and
ideas that build a paper. Follow
these guidelines:
Place the abstract before
the formal contents of the paper
and after the title and author information.
Limit the abstract to between three
and five sentences.
State the main
ideas of the paper only, avoiding
unnecessary details and explanations that are addressed
in the body of the paper.
Do not
include references or notes in the abstract.
Use proper grammar, punctuation,
and English language conventions.
References
World Libraries follows the Chicago
Manual of Style, 15th ed. (Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 2003). Authors
may wish to consult Turabian's A Manual
for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations,
6th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1996) for a convenient digest
of the directions presented in the
Chicago Manual. If you have any questions concerning
reference format, send an email to
worldlib@dom.edu.
Editorial Process
The flow of a typical
article, from author to publication:
An author is
contacted by an editor to write an article or an author
submits an article to the editors.
The Editorial
Office reviews the article.
The
author is asked to complete any revisions.
The revised paper is reviewed
and accepted for publication.
The article is submitted to the production
team.
The production team performs editing, markup, and layout design.
A draft
version is prepared.
Authors, editors and production staff review
the contents of the draft.
Authors, editors and production staff make corrections as necessary.
The
final approved article is published to the World
Libraries' Web
site.
Copyright
Authors submitting a paper to World Libraries automatically agree to assign a limited license to World Libraries if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication. This license allows World Libraries to publish a manuscript in a given issue.
Articles published in World Libraries are protected by copyright, which is retained by individual authors. Authors control translation and reproduction rights to their works as published in World Libraries.
World Libraries allows authors to attach a Creative Commons copyright license to his or her work, a license in which the author determines how his or her work can be used. For more information on the types of licenses available, visit www.creativecommons.org.
Authors submitting a paper to World Libraries do so with the understanding that Internet publishing is both an opportunity and a challenge. In this environment, authors and publishers do not always have the means to protect against unauthorized copying or editing of copyright-protected works.
World Libraries is a copyrighted product, and all rights are reserved worldwide. Permissions to use any materials appearing in World Libraries should be directed to worldlib@dom.edu.
Downloads of specific portions of World Libraries articles are permitted for personal use only, not for commercial use or resale. Educational uses of World Libraries are permitted with permission of the authors of specific works appearing in World Libraries.
Privacy
World Libraries respects the privacy of both
its readers
and its contributors. To that end,
World Libraries does not collect
in its logs or other server tools
the exact identities of its readers.
World Libraries does not require
its readers to sign in or to secure
a unique ID or password. World
Libraries does not use cookies.
World Libraries collects general information in
its logs on the origins of users
at the highest domain levels. Usage
patterns are tracked in World Libraries to assist editors in making decisions
about future content. In addition,
this information is used for research
on usage patterns to improve the
site over time.
E-mail addresses
used by World
Libraries to notify
readers of new issues as they appear
are not disclosed to third parties.
Please
direct any questions about World Libraries' privacy policy
to worldlib@dom.edu.
Writing Tips
Consider
the following tips for creating
concise text:
Be Specific
Be specific
about all references to time, quantity,
etc.
Instead of using currently or recently, specify last
spring. Often
when now and currently are implied,
these words can be deleted without
loss of meaning.
Instead of saying
several
units were added, give
a number or a rough estimate, such
as almost 100.
Use Shorter Words
Choose short, familiar words
whenever possible.
When more than 15 percent
of your words (except verbs
and proper nouns) are three or more syllables,
readers work too hard to understand
your message. To reduce larger
words, consider these tips:
Use about instead
of approximately; use rather
than utilize. Convert nouns ending in
-ion into verbs.
Use "We
considered
. . ." instead
of "We
took into
consideration .
. .
."
Replace
endeavor with
try, aggregate
with total,
and optimum
with best.
Delete Extra Words
Making your point without extraneous words helps readers
clearly understand your message.
Evaluate every that in your
text. Often that can be deleted without loss of meaning.
Avoid starting
sentences with "In
order to . . . ." By
deleting the words "in
order," you
lose no
meaning.
Rarely
is the
word very
needed. Consider
deleting it
or choosing
another word.
Very good
can be
excellent, and
very important
can be
key.
Use
Shorter Sentences
Keep at
least 75
percent of
your sentences
an average
length of
10-20 words.
If a
sentence is
longer than
three typed
lines, consider
shortening it.
Think of
your sentence
lengths as
music: quick,
quick, slow becomes short,
short, longer.
Pleasing variations
help your
readers pay
attention.
Use
Shorter Paragraphs
Keep at
least 75
percent of
your paragraphs
one to
three sentences
long. If
a paragraph
is more
than five
typed lines,
consider shortening
it.
Avoid
Clichés & Jargon
Choose
original ways
of writing
your message,
avoiding well-known
phrases such
as, When
push comes
to shove and By
the same
token. These
clichés
and well-worn
phrases will
bore your
readers.
Avoid
the use
of jargon
whenever possible.
This type
of language
or terminology
will serve
only to
confuse readers
who may
be unfamiliar
with your
field of
study.
Watch
Use of
"It"
Avoid
starting a
sentence or
clause with
It unless
the pronoun
has a
clear antecedent.
Watch Use
of "There"
Avoid starting
sentences with
There to
prevent the
use of "empty" introductory
language.
Use Strong
Verbs
Use "strong" verbs
whenever possible.
Forms of
the verb
to be (e.g. am,
is, are,
was, were)
do not
maintain readers'
interest.
Instead
of saying, "The
meeting
was productive," consider, "The
meeting
generated good
ideas for
. .
. ."
Favor the Active
Voice
Favor the active
voice over the passive
voice to avoid vagueness
unless the action is more important than the doer of the
action.
Use of the imperative is a good technique for attracting
readers and minimizing the use of passive voice constructions.
Ask
"So what?"
After you've written your text, evaluate every sentence by asking
yourself, Why is this particular piece of information important to
my readers?
If you cannot answer the question adequately about a sentence,
consider deleting it.
Style Guidelines
For general Internet writing style and usage, authors
are encouraged to consult Wired Style: Principles
of English Usage in the Digital Age, edited by Constance Hale
(San Francisco: HardWired, 1996).
For World Libraries' editorial purposes,
please adhere to these style guidelines when referencing the following:
Acronyms
Acronyms and abbreviations should be spelled out
the first time they are used. Any that are in languages other than
English should be spelled out in the original
language and in English.
For example, state World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), allowing the use of WIPO
later in the manuscript.
Dates
Dates should appear in date-month-year
format, 30 Nov 2004.
Electronic Mail
Refer to electronic mail as e-mail or E-mail,
but not email or Email.
Internet
The Internet should be called the Internet,
not the internet, the net, the Net, or the 'Net.
Languages
Correct diacritical markings are essential
in all languages that have them.
Numbers
The numbers zero through nine should be
spelled out except when referring to data or measurements, such as "The
figure
measures 3 pixels by 2 pixels ...."
All
whole numbers above nine should appear
as Arabic numerals, such as 10, 11,
12,....
Ordinal numbers
should be spelled
out, as in twentieth.
A number at
the start of a sentence should be spelled out,
as in "Fourteen
search engines were examined .... "
Percentages
Write percent, not %.
Person
Favor the use of the second-person pronoun, you, over the
indefinite third-person singular pronoun, one.
Do not assume
that the pronoun for a third-person singular noun is him or he. To avoid
awkward constructions like he/she, revise sentences.
Spelling (American
vs. British)
It is acceptable for writers to use the British spelling
or American spelling of words that appear differently in both, such
as favour-favor or catalogue-catalog. The author's spelling will be retained
in the published version.
Tables & Figures
Capitalize all references to your own tables and
figures, such
as "see
Figure
1" or "see
Table
2 below".
Always
spell
out the
words Figure or Table in reference
to
illustrations
in
the course
of the
paper.
Use lower
case
for references
to
figures
or
tables in
cited
literature,
such
as (Kokomo,
1999,
figure
8) or
(Dolton,
1968, table
5).
Verb
Tense
Choose
a verb
tense and
maintain
its use
throughout
the
document.
Carefully
consider
use
of the
future
tense,
as often
it is
unnecessary.
In
discussions
of
the literature,
use
the past
tense, as
in "Valauskas
(1990)
remarked
that
...."
World
Wide
Web
Use
the
Web or
the
World
Wide
Web,
but
not
the
web.
Citation
Format
Citations
in
the
course
of
the
manuscript
should
appear
in
the
following
ways:
General
Format
The
last
name
of
the
author
of
a
cited
work
should
appear
in
the
paper,
followed
by
the
year
of
publication
of
the
book,
paper,
report,
or
document,
as
in
(Jones,
1990).
If
there
are
several
references
to
authors
with
the
same
surname,
initials
should
be
used
to
differentiate
between
the
authors,
as
in
(C.
Jones,
1990;
D.
Jones,
1985).
Two
Authors
For
references
containing
two
authors,
list
the
authors
in
order
of
their
appearance
in
the
original
publication,
followed
by
date
of
publication,
as
in
(Smith
and
Jones,
1986).
Three
or
More
Authors
If
a
reference
contains
three
or
more
authors,
the
citation
should
appear
as
(Rogers
et
al.,
1980).
Publications
in Press
Cite
publications
in
press
(i.e.
those
documents
accepted
for
publication
but
not
yet
published)
as
(Rivers,
in
press).
Direct
Quotations
Cite
direct
quotations
as
(Merrell,
1994,
p.
98).
Indirect
Quotations
A
citation
can
refer
to
text
written
by
one
author
embedded
in
the
text
of
a
book
or
paper
written
by
another
author,
such
as
(Ransmayr
in
Rothenberg,
1995).
Multiple
Quotations
Multiple
citations
can appear
in
whatever
order
the
author
deems
relevant,
such
as
(Shane
and
Cushing,
1991;
Chalmers,
1990;
Kendall
and
Wells,
1992).
Final
Checklist
Use
the
following checklist
to
ensure
that
your
text
is
ready
for
submission
to
World
Libraries:
My
introductory
text
quickly
engages
readers'
interest
because
it
does
one
of
the
following:
Tells
a
short tale
that
leads
to
the
main
point;
Immediately surprises
readers
with
new
information;
or
Presents about
three
short
ideas
or
examples,
and
then
summarizes their
significance
in
one
sentence.
I
have
made
my
text
as
concise
as
possible
while
maintaining
its
logic
and
completeness.
Each
word
I
have
included
is
essential.
(Refer
to
Writing
Tips for
further
information.)
I
have
formatted
the
text
according
to
World
Libraries' stated
requirements.
I
have
avoided
dull
language
by
using
lively
verbs
where
appropriate
and
specific
examples
with
clear
references
to
time,
size,
etc.
(Refer
to
Writing
Tips for
further
information.)
My
entire
document
is
consistent
with
World
Libraries'
stated
style
guidelines.
(Refer
to
Style
Guidelines for
further
information.)
All
of
my
references,
bibliographic
notes,
endnotes,
and/or
footnotes
are
consistent
throughout
the
document
and
meet
World
Libraries'
stated
requirements.
(Refer
to
Citation
Format and
Reference
Format for
further
information.)
I
have
included
a
succinct
abstract
that
clearly
states
my
paper's
fundamental
findings
and
conclusions.
The
abstract
meets
World
Libraries'
stated
requirements.
(Refer
to
Abstract
Format for
further
information.)
My
text
has
been
proofread
carefully
more
than
once
to
eliminate
all
inaccuracies
in
fact,
word
choice,
spelling,
and
grammar.
(Refer
to
Writing
Tips for
further
information.)
Online
Resources
To
assist
you
with
the
self-editing
process,
World
Libraries has
compiled
the
following
list
of
online
resources
on
grammar
and
style.
You
may
wish
to
consult
these
resources
prior
to
submitting
your
manuscript
for
consideration.
This
site
is
online
companion
to
the
print
version
of
Jane
Straus's
The
Blue
Book of
Grammar
and
Punctuation,
an
excellent
resource
for
examining
the
rules
of
punctuation.
Written
by
Paul
Brians,
Professor
of
English
at
Washington
State
University,
this informational
page
examines
the
most
common
errors
in
the
English
language.
While
the
site
focuses
on
the proper
use
of
American
English,
it
also
offers
valuable
tips
for anyone
writing
in
English.
