The Periodic Review of Publications Process
Scholarly publications have an expiration date. While this “shelf life” varies from topic to topic, all Extension publications should be subject to regular review. This enables the author(s) to include current research, to remove or update best practices, or to determine that the entire contents is no longer worthy of circulation. This last choice may be due to several factors, including changes in social norms; changes in federal, state, and/or local regulations; or changes in the status of the subject of the publication.
With that in mind, UME Extension hopes to implement a regular practice which notifies authors and associated supervisors or other designees when a publication reaches a designated age. For example, a fact sheet that is published in 2023 might be reviewed after five years, while an Extension curriculum might need to be reviewed after only three years. This process is still under development. In the meantime, authors and group leaders should regularly examine their publications for accuracy and timeliness.
If a particular publication needs only minor changes, such as including and/or updating a best practice that does not significantly alter the findings and recommendations of the document, such updates can be handled without returning to the FastTrack system. However, if a publication requires a substantial re-writing of the content (more than 40%), then the document should be considered a new publication and should be re-submitted to FastTrack as a new publication.
Please consult this page regularly for updated information and guidelines.
We appreciate your dedication to your chosen field. Let’s work together to make your manuscripts the best publications possible. We look forward to working with you.
-The UME Publications Team