GunSpec

How a paper is made

From a question to a published report: the data it is fixed to, the methods it may use, what is checked before it can be published, and what happens when it changes.

From question to paper

  1. A question. A paper starts from one question the catalogue can answer, stated narrowly enough that a reader can tell whether the answer holds.
  2. The data, fixed. The paper names the catalogue data it was computed on. The catalogue is corrected as it is checked, so the figures belong to that data and the paper says which it was.
  3. The methods. A paper computes its figures with the calculations on the Methods tab, each a page with its equations, the published figures it was fitted to and its limits, and links each one it uses.
  4. The requests. Each figure comes from a public API request, and the paper lists every request in full. Charts in a paper are drawn from the catalogue when the page is served, not pasted in as pictures.
  5. Writing and review. The paper is written by named authors with their affiliations, and states its review status. Publishing it on the research site is not a review, and the status says so until a venue has accepted it.
  6. Publication. Once published, a paper is on the research site, in its feed and sitemap, and in the API within a minute, with no release. A paper can also be scheduled for a later time.

What is checked before publication

A paper cannot be published until it passes the same checks a blog post does, held to a report's length. A draft is exempt, so work in progress can be saved.

  • It has an abstract, at least one named author and a body.
  • Every API endpoint the text names exists in the API, so a reader is never sent to a request that fails.
  • Every link to a page on the GunSpec website points at a page that exists.
  • Every chart can be drawn from the catalogue.
  • No figure or quotation is still marked for checking.
  • It runs to between 300 and 10,000 words, abstract included.

After publication

  • An edit after publication shows as a revised date under the title, beside the date the paper was first published.
  • A paper can be withdrawn by archiving it, which takes it off the research site, out of the feed and out of the API.