GreenFacts Digests unique Features

GreenFacts Digests are designed to help readers find the information they need in a quick and easy manner and to provide them assurance that the Digests accurately reflect the current scientific consensus on the issues covered:

Three-Level Structure - ToolBox - Other Views - Sources - Peer-Review - Copyright

GreenFacts' Three-Level Structure

GreenFacts Digests are published in several languages as questions and answers, in a proprietary user-friendly Three-Level Structure of increasing detail:

Each question is answered in Level 1 as a short summary.
These answers are developed into more details in Level 2.
Level 3 consists of the Source Document, the internationally recognized scientific consensus report which is faithfully summarized in Level 2 and further in Level 1.

In Level 1, each paragraph ends with a "More..." link, which links to more to detailed information in Level 2. Similarily, sections in Level 2 end with a "More..." link, which links to the relevant section of the Source Document Level 3. Hence, it is possible to verify the high quality of GreenFacts' summaries against the source publication. One can also move between levels by clicking on the tabs on the top of each question.

This copyrighted Three-Level Structure enables easy access between varying degrees of information. The goal is to provide a fast and easy access to credible scientific information without waisting the time and energy of the reader and to provide the guarantee that GreenFacts' summaries are faithful to their Source Document.

Three-Level Structure - ToolBox - Other Views - Sources - Peer-Review - Copyright

GreenFacts ToolBox

Additional information, such as glossary definitions, tables, and graphics, can be accessed by clicking on them. This opens up a side pop-up box, called the ToolBox. This lets the reader access the additional information whithout losing the main text.

A link that opens in the ToolBox is recognizable by its underlined greenish fonts and because when the mouse is over it, it transforms into a questionmark "?".

However, some computers are now equipped with pop-up blocking software which may prevent the ToolBox from opening at the first click. In such cases, try clicking a second time on the link; if this does not work, you may have to change the settings of your pop-up blocking software.

Three-Level Structure - ToolBox - Other Views - Sources - Peer-Review - Copyright

Other views?

GreenFacts recognizes that conflicting viewpoints are of interest, particularly in widely-discussed environment and health issues. For this reason, GreenFacts Digests provide a question referring to other views and links to other sites that challenge the consensus positions.

Readers must, however, be aware that only the information in the main part of the document has been validated by scientists; the 'Other Views' section refers to information which has usually not been submitted to similar scientific scrutiny, and thus should be used with caution.

Three-Level Structure - ToolBox - Other Views - Sources - Peer-Review - Copyright

Recognized Scientific Sources

GreenFacts Digests are faithful summaries of a Source Document, a widely recognized scientific consensus reports published by a large panel of scientists, under the authority of an authoritative international body, such as WHO, FAO, UNEP, IARC or the European Commission's scientific bodies. These reports are selected by the GreenFact Scientific Board; they provide the current state of science on the issue covered.

GreenFacts' summaries make it easy for non-specialists to understand this complex scientific information. Furthermore, readers can access in Level 3 the relevant section of the Source Document and have therefore the opportunity to check the faithfulness of the GreenFacts summaries published in Levels 2 and 1.

Three-Level Structure - ToolBox - Other Views - Sources - Peer-Review - Copyright

Peer-Review

All GreenFacts Digests are reviewed by three independent experts, under the control of the the GreenFact Scientific Board (SB). It is the SB President who gives the final authorization to publish the Digest. This ensures the faithfulness of summaries produced by GreenFacts. More...

In many instance, GreenFacts also organizes a preliminary "Stakeholder Review" by experts from environment and health associations and industry. This ensures that the GreenFacts summaries are not biased against stakeholders specific views.

Three-Level Structure - ToolBox - Other Views - Sources - Peer-Review - Copyright

Copyright

GreenFacts' publications and Three-Level Structure are copyrighted. However, our Partner organizations and Members are welcome to reproduce our summaries, as long as they follow our copyright conditions and clearly acknowledge the source. Also, parts of our summaries can be freely reproduced, under certain conditions.