ANNEX II - EDITORIAL REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP57-00042A000100180017-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 13, 1998
• Sequence Number: 17
• Content Type: REPORT

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ABBE= II - EDITORIAL IMPORT
1. During FY 1950 the Editorial Branch, HIS Division, received
from contributors 398 NIS sections, and cleared to Publication Branch
311, sections. This compared with approximately 130 motions received
and 70 notions cleared to Publication Brewla in the seven months
between receipt of initial NIS contributions and the end of FY 1949.
2, The 311 sections actually processed by the Editorial Branch
during FY 1950 more on 36 individual. 11IS Areas: 40 sections on the
USSR were the largest block; next in order were 27 sections on Sweden,,
19 on Denmark,, and 1? each on Libya and Turkey. The largest total
by topic was 17 section 37's (Civil Air); next in order were 13
section 38's (Telecom unications) and 11 section 25's (Towns); there
were 9 each section 83'8 (Air Forces) and section 36's (Merchant
Marine). Individual sections ranged in size from less than 10
manuscript pages for several to over 1500 manuscript pages for the
section on Coasts and Landing Beaches for one of the four USSR regions.
Of the 311 sections sent to Publication Branch, Army contributed 38%.
State 27%. Air Force 13%, CIA Map Division 11%, Navy 11%.
3. Incoming and outgoing flow of material during F! 1950,
monthly, is shown by graph (DI. Sections cleared to the Publication
Branch included some material received during the preceding fiscal
year, and did not include roughly 50 sections received during n 1950
but at the out of the year not returned from contributor revision, in
various stages of editorial processing, or awaiting processing.
Including 29 sections awaiting contributor re-working (after editorial
work at least equivalent to average completed processing),, the
Editorial Branch completed an average of approximately 28 sections
per month. This was an average of slightly more than one section per
working day, and approximately 3 sections par month per editor on
duty. Editorial completions in March were abnormally high because
of moving a number of motions previously largely edited but held for
various reasons. Completions for the last six months'of IT 1950 gave
a practical indication of editorial capability under present conditions
of around 35 notions per month. The comparison of the 1950 incoming
and outgoing flow with a 40-per-month line (graph D) indicates the
considerable improvement which will be required to most the projected
IT 1951 schedule of approximately 40 sections per mouth.
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4, The basic PY 1950 pattern of NIS contributions is indicated
by the following recapitulation of sections paroaessed by the
Editorial Branch:
Sections % of
Catego17 of Ida ai Total
I Requiring only reasonable 105 31~i
editii and liaison with
contributors
IT Requiring ox,nded Editorial
check z g plus extensive
coordination with contributors
and major cumulative delay
(Including 10 Sections awaiting
contributor re-working following
initial editing)
III Returned to contributors as
requiring major re-working, or
requiring an equivalent extent
of joint correction and
re-working (Including 19 sections
awaiting contributor re-working
following initial editing)
149
25%
340 100%
5, The distribution of the saw categories, in terms of the four
agencies of primary responsibility and CIA Map Divieiong wa &
Sections
Pry
Asir
135
State
92
CIA
36
Air Force;
38
Wavy
22
340
C a t e g o r y
I
IT
III
40
55
40
25
39
28
24
12
0
8
21
9
8
22
9
105
149
86
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6, Of the 311 sections cleared to the Publication Branch, ]rasa
than 35% were adequate, with reasonable editing, to net first-phase
minimum NIS requirements. The relative term "reasonable" does not
imply that sections in Category I generally met longer-term NIS
qualitative standards in presentation and partioulariy substance.
The results of Categories II and III processing were similarly
relative in view of the practical limitations on the Improvement
possible without seriously delaying NIS production.
7. The above qualitative evaluation and processing aspects were
generally comparable to FY 1949 experience, although qualitative
evaluation was somewhat more lenient on the initial contributions
processed during FY 1949. There was improvement in eons types of
material during FY 1950, not only in reduced errors but in substance
and presentation. This was counter-balanced, however, by at best
nominal improvement in other types of material, particularly for
Chapter III (Transportation and Telecammumications), and by qualitative
deficiencies in types of material received in quantity for the first
time in FY 1950, notably for Chapters IV (Sociological), V (Political),
and VI (Economic). Qualitative category distribution of sections
approved for publication, indicates some improvement in category
relationships over the course of FY 1950.
8. As in 1949, deficiencies in material were only nominally
chargeable to contributor unfamiliarity with NIS format and general
content concepts. No sections were returned to contributors on the
basis of writing style or failure to conform in detail to the NIS
outlline. No sections were classified in.Categoriee II or III on the
basis of mutual rearrangement of material, or when contributors took
the initiative for revision.
9. Continuing experience from receipt of the initial NIS
contributions, the 1950 deficiency which was principals pervasive,
and vaaooeptab3,lr time-consuming for both the Editorial Branch and
contributors, was elementary and essentially careless errors in
text, tabular data, and graphic material. Mater of these were
significant. Others were of a type which, while not necessarily
of individual significant magnitude, were cumulatively capable of
jeopardizing general credibility of NIS material. Editorial
detection of such deficiencies in litre-by-line examination uhioh
proved to be the only adequate procedure for the bulk of contributions,
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and the Editorial Branch and contributor time consumed in
correction -- with such time rising in geometrical proportion to
cumulative time-lag after material left the original authors -- not
only seriously delayed over-all movement of NIS material to Publi-
cation Branch but precluded more fundamental improvement in the
substance and adequacy of the NIS.
10. Mother continued deficiency was excessive contributor
reliance on relatively old material, much of which had previously
been published. Frequently no reference was made to more recently
available issues of official yearbooks or similar material used as
principal sources. There was an evident related tendency to accord
priority to material because it wan "intelligence", even if fragmentary
and uneooxdinated, without making reasonable and constructive use of
comeraial sources such as well-established trade journals. Appropriate
use of the latter often would have given a more professional level
of treatment to NIS contributions than ones which have boon prepared
by non-technical authors. There was limited evidence of information
from World War 11 experience, Service reports, photography, and
historical material. With a few and encouraging exceptions, this
was particularly noticeable with respect to photography. There was
a pervasive contributor tendency to use existing tabular and graphic
matt rial without appropriate adaptation for the WIS. There was a
general predilection to use large and elaborate maps ubich detracted
from graphic value. Chapters IV (Sociological) and V (Political)
material presented editorial difficulties in obtaining less emotional
phraseology rnd more objectivity and perspective in presentation.
In certain Chapter III (Transportation and Telecoommwunications)
sections, Editorial Branch has had to guard consistently against a
tendency toward too brief and generalized treatment even when
considerable data were available to the contributor.
11. While the Editorial Branch is not sufficiently informed to
determine the factors responsible for deficiencies in contributions,
such factors have been indicated in processing of the material and
working-level conferences with author and coordinating personnel.
Working-level personnel have almost unanimously cited as a prime
factor unrealistic assigned production schedules and insistence on
their being met. On the basis of the effective manpower and the
inherent difficulty in preparing basic intelligence material, the
initial production schedules were highly unrealistic and in any
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event must have largely precluded even nominal additional research
to incorporate more recent and more comprehensive data. Even so,
Editorial Branch saw many instances where, in terms of total time
involved in a contribution, a negligible additional amount of time
would have considerably improved photographic material. There were
other instances where prelini1riary reference to trade-joirnals or
comparable types of available well-organized presentations would
actually have saved time and produced better HIS material. There
was indication that, on the one hand, certain material requiring
relatively mature author experience and capability had been
prepared by around GS-7 level personnel, ti:*ithout effective subsequent
review. Certain other material appeared, on the other hand, to have
been prepared by more mature authors, but not subjected to lower-
echelon detailed examination which Editorial Branch was forced to
perform. When Editorial Branch found many significant errors in
one section, the originating office stated that relatively inexperienced
personnel had prepared the material. The section, however, had been
forwarded without appropriate additional review provisions, and
without informing the Editorial Branch of the situation. Generally
speaking, by more or less recognized defalt Editorial Branch was
delegated detailed checking and substantive responsibilities of NIS
author and coordinator echelons.
12. Contributor as well as editorial problems were increased by
the above circumstances. In many cases the process of correcting
errors and deficiencies some time after author completion, involving
identification of and efforts to re-obtain original source materials,
undoubtedly required more contributor man-hours than the time
necessary for adequate original preparation. These multiple problems
affected all contributors to varying extents, but converged on the
Editorial Branch. Experience demonstrated that, even with the
Category I contributions, it was necessary for the Editorial Branch
to make line-by-line and item--by-item check of submitted material..
In most cases, significant factual inconsistencies and errors were
not obvious from the mass of material concerned, and required at
least summary cross-check with other r1IS or other material. Experience
further showed that nearly comparable checking was required on
re-submitted Categories II and III material. An estimated 400
editorial hours were required to demonstrate the deficiencies which
led the agency concerned to recommend complete revision of one major
section after the section presumably had been once revised. A;number
of re-submissions were returned to contributors a second time. It
was consistent editorial policy to avoid the extensive re-writing of
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material which would haute been the moss ezpsditious means of raising
the qualitative level of material. The alternative procedure of
providing detailed guidance but not dim3niahing the responsibility
of the contributors for actually preparing acceptable material vas
more throe.aoneuming and demanding of Editorial Branch manpower but
was in the long-range interest of fundamental improvement in basic
intenigencs. Within the limitations on time dosed by the
necessity for getting material into published form, editorial
personnel not only conferred with contributors on individual sections
but participated in a series of more generalised conferences with
author and coordinator personnel which proved effective in resolving
detailed problem and concurrently in developing practical working-
level understanding of NIS concepts.
13. Contributor-coordinator-Editorial. Branch relationship has
been generally good and, in view of the extent and nature of the
problems cited above, remarkably so. Although there have been
Instances of initial contributor misunderstanding of necessarily
brief and non-exhaustive editorial comments on submitted material,
there has been general acceptance of this procedure. Various
contributors have recently shown initiative in developing imparove-
ments, notably in obtaining excellent photography for certain NIS
sections.
U. Incorporating BON reoamomsadations has continued to present
major and shifting problems. BGN working-level personnel have shown
willing cooperation in developing practical solutions, however, and
the problems should not get out of hand.
15. GPO aspects, as channeled through Publication Breneb, hays
sham gradual improvement. General pressure on Editorial Branch has
resulted in GPO receiving copy deficient in consistency and not as
clean as it should be. On-the other hand, GPO proof-reading has
varied considerably in adequacy, and NIS appearance has suffered
from GPO lack of adaptability in male-Rip. In response to consistent
pressure, it now appecrs that GPO has adopted procedures which
should produce better multi"photograph insert pages.
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