These documents record the technical basis of the status reports from meetings or workshops.
Research documents are produced within two months of the last day of the meeting at which they
were considered. DFO line management is responsible for ensuring that this occurs.
The cataloguing and distribution of the Research Document series rests with the CSAS
Secretariat. The regions are responsible for providing CSAS with the final, approved document.
Given that these documents have undergone an extensive peer review, the purpose of the
internal DFO review is to ensure high quality of style, format and readership, rather than
technical accuracy. For the Maritimes Region Science Branch, the procedure for the review of
these documents is outlined in that region's Publication Policy.
If there are a significant number of clients in both language groups for a Research Document,
the document is published in bilingual format. If the majority of clients are only one language
group, then the document is published in the language of the client, not of the author. Only
the abstract is bilingual. More details on the Research Documents format can be obtained from the
Canadian Stock Assessment Secretariat.
Status Reports
Status reports summarize RAP conclusions on a particular issue. As such, they are the main
communication vehicles with clients. The three status report series are:
- Stock Status Reports - this series is used to summarize the results of the peer
reviewed stock assessments. They are produced annually for many finfish and invertebrate
stocks.
- Fisheries Status Reports - this series is used to summarize issues of a regional
fisheries or management-related nature.
- Habitat Status Reports - this series is used to document regional habitat issues.
CSAS is responsible for cataloguing the Stock Status Report series as well as placing them on
the internet. Fisheries and Habitat Status reports are catalogued by the Maritime Provinces
Regional RAP Secretariat and are made available on the intranet and internet. The approval for
all these documents is the responsibility of the meeting chair.
All regional status reports are translated and distributed to standing mailing lists by the
Maritime Provinces RAP Secretariat. Special distribution that is required from time to time by
the divisions is the responsibility of the Division Manager's office.
Proceedings
Proceedings are the official record of a RAP meeting and are produced by the meeting chair
within two months of the last day of the meeting. This can be facilitated through the assignment
of rapporteurs at the meeting.
Proceedings include the main points made, contentious issues and consensus positions where
possible on each issue. Recommended modifications to the originally tabled analysis are to be
noted. To improve readership, use of prose style rather than point form is suggested. However,
if point form is used, complete sentences are to be used rather than a "telegraphic style" with
missing nouns and verbs. The production of the document as a running commentary of the discussions
is discouraged. A list of participants, the meeting remit and schedule, a list of working papers
(along with which working papers are to be upgraded to the Research Document series), and research
recommendations are to be included as appendices. Minority reports (if any) can also be referred
to in an appendix. A format for production of Proceedings has been produced which can be used
by meeting chairs as a guideline for document production.
Proceedings are catalogued by the CSAS Secretariat. To submit a document to this series, the
chair sends it to the RAP Coordinator, who conducts an editorial review, noting any changes to
the chair. As with status reports, this review is to ensure consistent style and format. The
proceedings are then updated as required, approved by the meeting chair for public distribution,
and returned to the RAP Secretariat for processing.
This series has a limited distribution, which is left to the discretion of the meeting chair.
A copy of the document is kept in the RAP office for the historical record. Copies will be made
available from the regional RAP office upon request.
RAP Coordination Committee/Editorial Board Minutes
The RAP Secretariat maintains minutes of RAP Coordination Committee and Editorial Board meetings.
In the case of the former, they are distributed to members of the RAP Coordination Committee and
other meeting participants who are given one month to provide information on errors or omissions.
Minutes of Editorial Board meetings are provided to meeting participants as soon as possible after
completion of the board meeting, and again, one month is allowed to provide information on errors
or omissions.
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