As promised, we are adding many new features this year. Now, we are pleased to announce that we have completely redesigned the workings of the author index. This index is now in place on PEP-Web, though we need your help to complete the transition.
The author index now shows complete last and first names as published, and middle initial, rather than showing last name and initials. This means that the name, when you click on it, will produce a more specific list, separating authors who share the same last name and initials. In other words, all the authors named “Smith, J.” will no longer appear as only one entry, and a combined publication list, if their names are, for example, John Smith and Joseph Smith. Instead, they will appear as Smith, John and Smith, Joseph.
We also have a mechanism in place to consolidate names that were published in an inconsistent manner, which results in a single author’s list being split across multiple index entries. If John Q. Smith has published with and without his middle initial, then both forms will appear in the index: Smith, John and Smith, John Q. We now have a way to consolidate these easily, without changing the information on the article. But when we see John Smith and John Q. Smith have published, it’s not always clear to us that it’s the same person. So we are asking our users and more particularly, our authors, to help by reporting on a form the names that need to be consolidated or otherwise fixed.
To report a problem with the author index and indicate the fix, please click here!
Thanks for your help!