Frequently Asked Questions

Publishing & Printing

1. How do I get a NIST publication printed?
Authors of WERB-approved NISTIRs can have their publications printed in-house using photocopy technology. There is a limit of 25,000 impressions. Contact Printing and Duplicating, 301-975-2863. This service is free of charge.

Authors of other WERB-approved technical series publications, or any publications using multicolor inks (including NISTIRs), must have their documents printed through the Government Printing Office. Documents may be submitted in hard copy or electronic media. There are no limits on pages or number of copies, but there is a charge for printing.

Publications that are not in technical series, such as flyers, brochures, announcements, pocket folders, newsletters, and programs, are printed through the Government Printing Office. These publications need approval from NIST's Public and Business Affairs Division and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Contact the Printing Specialist at 301-975-2780 for additional information.

2. Is there an online NIST writing and publishing guide?
The Information Services Division offers the NIST Technical Publishing Guide, which provides reference materials and templates for NIST authors. The online document contains instructions for formatting NIST publications and for seeking approval for manuscripts from the appropriate editorial review board (WERB, BERB, or JERB), as well as links to resources for the use of the International System of Units, statements of uncertainty, NIST publications policy, and writing style.

3. What writers guide should I use?
The answer really depends upon where you intend to publish your manuscript.

Authors of NIST publications, paper and electronic media, should refer to the online NIST Technical Publishing Guide for  NIST policy and style information.

Authors planning to submit their paper to a publication produced outside of NIST—such as a journal, book publisher, or conference proceedings—should seek that publisher’s Instructions for Authors. Most journals periodically print their author instructions in the journal. If the journal has a Web site, you may also find its guidelines there. If you are unsure whether a journal has a Web site, contact a Librarian for assistance, or call 301-975-3052.

Many conferences and book publishers will make available their manuscript preparation guidelines when a paper is accepted or invited. If the publisher does not initially offer guidelines, ask your contact person for the conference or book how they would like the manuscript prepared.

In addition to specific instructions for manuscript preparation, publications may ask authors to refer to more general style guides, such as those published by the American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, Council for Biology Editors, the University of Chicago, etc. These style guides are usually much more comprehensive than those offered by journals or other outside publications, and they should be regarded as valuable reference tools for any author preparing a manuscript for publication. The  Research Library has many of these style guides available for use by NIST researchers.  See the Online Catalog.

4. What editorial help is available for NIST authors?

To request editorial assistance, e-mail laurie.davis-covin@nist.gov, 301-975-8027.

5. How do I ensure I am using SI units and uncertainty statements correctly?

Several NIST publications are available to help NIST authors correctly use SI units and express uncertainty in their manuscripts. These publications are available for checkout from the NIST Research Library. Special Publication 811 and Technical Note 1297 may be acquired for free from the NIST Measurement Services Division, 301-975-2092.  To acquire a hard copy of Special Publication 814 or 330, contact the Metric Program office at 301-975-3690 or e-mail metric_prg@nist.gov. Online versions are noted below.

• NIST Special Publication 811, 1995 edition, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SRI) by Barry Taylor 
  
• NIST Special Publication 814, 1998 edition, Interpretation of the SI for the United States and Federal Government Metric Conversion Policy by Barry Taylor, editor. 
  
• NIST Special Publication 330, 1991 edition, The International System of Units (SI) by Barry Taylor.
  
• NIST Technical Note 1297, 1994 edition, Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results, by Barry N. Taylor and Chris E. Kuyatt.

6. How can I find out the status of my paper currently under review?

Contact Sharon Mingo, 301-975-3570 or Laurie Davis-Covin, 301-975-8027 in the Information Services Division for information regarding the status of your paper. If you have a question about the new NIST-wide NIKE system, or about the interim (revised) manuscript submission procedures, please contact Jo Ann Remshard via e-mail at joann.remshard@nist.gov.

 7. Can my new paper be "noted" by ERB?

On the decision of the Editorial Review Board Chairperson, certain manuscripts may be "noted" at a meeting of the Editorial Review Board.  They include:

• Manuscripts for the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data (JPCRD) that do not include NIST authors and that have been thoroughly reviewed during the JPCRD editorial process;
  
• Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) that have already been through the standards development cycle, reviewed, and received Secretarial approval;
  
• Prototype formats and texts for calibration and test reports that have been formally reviewed and approved by the Calibration Advisory Group (CAG);
  
• Bibliographies and indexes with no new policy considerations that are published routinely to update an established series of such publications;
  
• Short abstracts for talks or short contributions to newsletters that can be read by an Editorial Review Board member, acting as sponsor; and,
  
• Technical manuscripts, abstracts for talks, and other communications that are extracted from previously approved documents.
  
• Manuscripts published without required WERB review and approval receive a letter indicating "Published without WERB Approval."

The following are examples of notings:

• A slide presentation that accompanies an oral presentation and that comes from a previously approved manuscript.
• An abstract appearing in a proceeding that comes from a previously approved manuscript.
• A short technical abstract that comes from a previously approved manuscript.
• Any report, abstract, presentation, bibliography...that comes from a previously approved manuscript.

To request "noting" of a document, complete a manuscript review form (NIST 114), which can be found at http://nike.nist.gov. In the "Supplementary Notes" field, indicate you are making a request for NOTING and cite (if appropriate) the previously approved document by title, date of approval, and authors. Obtain the signatures of the Division Chief and Sponsor, and then send by interoffice mail to WERB, Mail Stop 2500. Please send electronically a copy of the manuscript to form114@nist.gov.

8. How do I make a NISTIR or GCR cover?

To maintain a consistent identity among NIST publications, all NIST publications including Interagency Reports (NISTIRs) and Grant/Contract Reports (GCRs) should have a similar general appearance.

Guidelines (in PDF file format) for developing covers and title pages of NISTIRs are available online

Guidelines (in PDF file format) for developing covers and title pages of GCRs are available online . You can download templates for creating your own cover. Just go to the "Document Templates and Reference Samples" section of the NIST Technical Publishing Guide and select the one you need.

9. How do I submit a manuscript to WERB for review?

For users of the Editorial Review Intranet, the ERI is no longer available. For information on interim (revised) manuscript submission procedures, go to http://nike.nist.gov to find the submission instructions, or link directly to the instructions. For help or questions, contact JoAnn.Remshard@nist.gov.

10. What is the policy on granting copyright to publishers of NIST-authored manuscripts?

The following information regarding copyright is from the NIST Administrative Manual, Subchapter 4.09.

e. Copyright Policy - Generally, official writings are in the public domain, and copyright in the United States is not available. A narrow exception to this policy exists in the case of standard reference data published under the provisions of the Standard Reference Data Act (Public Law 90-396). The Act permits NIST to copyright "standard reference data" defined as quantitative information related to a measurable physical or chemical property of a substance or a system of substances of known composition and structure.

(1) Submissions to Copyrighted Publications - When official writings, except those covered under the Standard Reference Data Act, are submitted to a non-NIST publication, a statement should be included indicating that the material is in the public domain and not subject to copyright. This caveat can be presented in a number of ways:

(a) Book chapters, papers of conference proceedings, and manuscripts submitted to non-NIST periodical publications should have the following statement at the bottom of the first page of the article: Official contribution of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; not subject to copyright in the United States. This statement may be shortened to Contribution of the National Institute of Standards and Technology if the publisher prefers.

(b) The no-copyright notice may be omitted entirely from the NIST paper if the publication in which it appears carries a statement excluding U.S. Government material from its copyright coverage and the affiliation of the NIST author is clearly shown.

Note: Questions concerning the possibility of copyrights in foreign countries should be referred to the Counsel for NIST, 301-975-2803.

If you encounter any problems with a publisher, or need any help, contact the Counsel for NIST. 

11. Do I need reprint permission to use material from a NIST publication?

In general, publications of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as publications of the Federal government, are in the public domain and not subject to copyright in the United States. Permission to reprint or copy from them is therefore not required. The original source should be credited. The credit line should include this recommended text: Reprinted courtesy of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Not copyrightable in the United States.

12. How can I create a list of approved/published publications for my Division or a particular author?

Here's how to create those lists.

1. Click on the "Search NIST Pubs" link.

2. Click on "By Author, Keyword, Series, Category, etc."

3. In the correct search window, type in the desired author's name (example: Frost, G W). Or, if you want a list of all papers in a Division, use the pull-down list to select the desired unit.

4. Select the button for "Everything (Forthcoming and Published)" and press "Submit."

This will give you a list of all approved or approved/published items in our database from FY 1998 to present. The items are chronological, so if you need only the current fiscal year you can just cut off or cross through the older items. You can also "copy" from the Web page and "paste" into a word processing document.

If you need to add the authors, return to the list on your browser. Click on a title, which will take you to a detailed screen that shows author(s), abstract, and key words. You can copy and paste the authors' names onto your word processing list. (Authors' names may not come up in the correct order, so don't be alarmed unless an author's name is missing.)

In some cases records for an author may be in our database two or more different ways (example: Frost, G W and Frost, G), so you may want to try the possible alternatives to see if you bring up additional items.

13. What is the NIST 114 form?

The NIST 114 is a manuscript review and approval form available in MS Word and PDF formats, which can be found at http://nike.nist.gov. The NIST 114 should be submitted for all materials that will be made available to the public.

14. Why do I need to submit the NIST 114 form?

The following information regarding the NIST 114 form is from the NIST Administrative Manual, Subchapter 4.09.

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4.09.03
POLICY
Before release for publication, all official and quasi-official writing must be reviewed by the Editorial Review Board as defined in Section 4.09.03. Approval is required for publication in accordance with procedures defined in Appendix H.

c. Official Writing - Official writing is defined in Department Administrative Order (DAO) 219-1 and includes any written communication that is prepared under any of the following conditions:

(1) At the direction of the official supervisor(s) of the originator;

(2) Substantially during the official working hours of the originator;

(3) With the assistance of other government employees on official duty; or

(4) With the use of government facilities or supplies.

DAO 219-1 defines quasi-official writing as any written communication in which the government has a special interest because it involves one or both of the following characteristics:

(5) Work devoted substantially to the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the Department;

(6) Work that draws substantially upon official Department of Commerce data or information that has not become part of the body of public information.
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15. What is the NIST 266 form?

Notice of Publication for all NIST Media available in MS Word and PDF formats, which can be found at http://nike.nist.gov. The NIST 266 should be submitted for all published materials.

16. Why do I need to submit the NIST 266 form?

The following information regarding the NIST 114 form is from the NIST Administrative Manual, Subchapter 4.09.

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B1c. Immediately after an article has been published, the responsible OU must submit Form NIST-266, Notice of Publication.
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Additionally, in order for the database to reflect accurate information on publications, the NIST 266 must be filled out and submitted to nist266@nist.gov. When submitting the NIST 266, send one electronic copy of the published manuscript in MS Word or PDF format to nist266@nist.gov. The NIST 266 should be completed for both NIST and non-NIST publications.

17. WERB Reader

The following information regarding the NIST 114 form is from the NIST Administrative Manual, Subchapter 4.09.

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2. The persons performing the Editorial Review Board review and approval must not be involved in the technical work, the documentation, or the related supervision.

3c. Based on established internal policy, Washington Editorial Review Board readers are normally not members of the originating division; Boulder Editorial Review Board readers normally are selected from within the originating division.

4c. At least one reader is designated for each technical manuscript that is accepted for Editorial Review Board action. More that one reader may be designated when different scientific or technical disciplines are involved in the subject (which is often the case, for example, in connection with the statistical treatment of experimental data). The suggestions of authors and managers in the originating OU are usually followed by the Editorial Review Board in the selection of readers. Technical competence in the subject and objectivity are the important factors in this connection. To ensure objectivity, readers must not have a personal interest in the publication of the manuscript. All members of the NIST professional staff are expected to accept assignments to review technical manuscripts as an integral part of their duties. Occasionally, it may be necessary or desirable to select a reader from outside of NIST to ensure adequate technical competence.
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18. WERB Sponsor

The following information regarding the WERB sponsor is from the NIST Administrative Manual, Subchapter 4.09.

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4a. The Editorial Review Board sponsor of a manuscript expedites the progress of the manuscript through Editorial Review Board review and approval, and serves as the point of contact with the Editorial Review Board for authors and readers. Sponsors present their findings and recommendations at Editorial Review Board meetings. The recommendations may include the need for additional technical review, legal review, or special management review.
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The WERB sponsor list can be found at http://nvl-i.nist.gov/nvl2.cfm?doc_id=84.

19. Submitter/Author

The submitter/author is any NIST employee who submits the NIST 114 or NIST 266 forms.

20. What are the standard disclaimers for NIST publications?

The NIST disclaimers can be found in the NIST Administrative Manual, Subchapter 4.09 (NIST Technical Communications Program).

Situations requiring disclaimers are listed below, along with the suggested wording.

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(10) Trade and Product Names - Avoid the use of trade and product names in all manuscripts (including illustrations), except where public safety or health is involved, or where mention of the name is essential to comprehension of reported results and will not result in a competitive advantage or disadvantage to a manufacturer. This NIST policy complies with the regulations of the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP). In general, use generic terminology rather than specific commercial identification.

Exceptions: If a trade or product name is considered essential for a clear understanding of the paper, mention the name in a disclaimer note (preferably a footnote), rather than in the body of the text, to help prevent its misuse. Situations that may require the use of trade or product names or other specific identification of commercial products usually involve:

(a) The need to adequately describe the experimental procedure used to determine some physical or chemical property of some material or system.

(b) A product that is an essential part of an assembly or machine and has physical dimensions or technical characteristics that must, in the event of damage or failure, be duplicated exactly in a successful replacement.

Disclaimers: In case (a) above, the manuscript ordinarily includes a disclaimer as a footnote cited at the first identification of the product, or as a footnote to the section containing it.

Example: "Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this paper in order to specify the experimental procedure adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose."

An appropriate disclaimer is also required in case (b).

(c) The need to report the information concerning commercial products, methods, processes, or organizations in connection with the performance of a mandated responsibility of NIST or a contract from another agency. In these cases, the identification of the commercial  products, processes, or organizations should usually be coded to control the distribution of that information.

Clearance: Specific clearance must be obtained from the responsible Operating Unit Director and the NIST Deputy Chief Counsel for reports that involve evaluations or assessments of performance or other information concerning identified or coded commercial products, processes, or organizations. If the reporting of such information is approved, the Operating Unit Director must sign Form NIST-114, Manuscript Review and Approval, with an appropriate notation, prior to sending the manuscript to the Editorial Review Board.
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