The Antarctic Journal of the United States, published by the National Science Foundation (NSF) since 1966, presents articles on antarctic science and operations, current activities, history, and other information of interest to an international audience of researchers, program managers, government officials, and the interested public. Science disciplines are geology and geo-physics, glaciology, oceanography, marine and terrestrial biology, medical sciences, climate research, atmospheric sciences, and astronomy. The Journal is issued five times each year--quarterly (March, June, September, and December) along with the annual review. For the quarterly issues about 50 percent of the articles are prepared by members of the U.S. antarctic research and support community; the remaining articles are prepared by the NSF writer/editor. The annual review issue covers preliminary research results, field investigations, and related activities; these reports are written by senior scientists, field researchers, and the managers of support activities. In 1989 NSF solicited bids through Commerce Business Daily to obtain editorial services for the Antarctic Journal of the United States. In response to this solicitation seven proposals were received and reviewed. Two of these were considered technically competitive. From this group the review panel selected Blue Pencil Group Inc. as the bidder who could provide the best technical services at a reasonable price to the government. The contract is for the 1989 review issue and for the December 1989, March 1990, and June 1990 quarterly issues, with two 1-year options to extend until July 1991. Work required for the first contract year: For all issues of the Antarctic Journal the contractor will track manuscripts, articles, and art work; communicate directly with the authors regarding editorial changes, questions on content, and art work/photographs; provide NSF with review copies of manuscripts sent to authors and copies of query letters or other requests; and incorporate altera-tions made by authors and/or NSF. The contractor will edit manu-scripts for clarity, consistency of writing style and format, proper grammar and spelling, effective and correct word usage, and effective use of figures and tables. Also, the contractor will prepare art and photos for reproduction. Although NSF's Printing Services Branch will select a contractor to prepare camera-ready copy, the editorial contractor will place all manuscripts, captions, tables, and other necessary materials on double-sided, double-density computer disks; will correct and code material for typesetting; prepare a page dummy (quarterly issues) or mark article and art placement (review issue); proofread all stages of the manuscript from first draft through blueline. Details of all work required under this contract are outlined in RFP GEO89-103. Recommendation: I recommend that Blue Pencil Group Inc. be award $27,900 for editorial services for the Antarctic Journal of the United States.
