Federica Napolitani Cheyne

My first approach with EASE was at the 7th EASE Conference in Tours, France in the year 2000, “What it means to be an editor”.  I found it a truly inspiring experience.

I still remember a session discussing the difficulties of preparing the annual subject index and another on how to create an in-house manuscript tracking system, which I managed to implement with great benefits once I got back home.

Twenty-three years passed already from that Conference and with all the technology we have now, those discussions seem prehistoric. Nevertheless, it seems to me that the profession of science editors still needs to be fully and appropriately acknowledged, especially in some contexts; while, at the same time, like many other professions nowadays, it is becoming more challenging.

Now more than ever, I think, science editors would really benefit from a transparent, open and friendly confrontation with one another, from sharing their knowledge and experience within and outside their own countries, and this is precisely where EASE should intervene: the place for science editors to meet.

Also, as vice-chair of the EASE Italian Chapter, with the help of the Association and of the Italian colleagues, I would like to work on these connections, to create a network, to improve science communication as a whole and public health in the long run.

Career summary

I have worked at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy) since 1985 in the Science Communication Service (formerly Publishing Unit).

I gained experience and knowledge through the publication of the Institute’s official journal and collaborating with other international journals, associations and projects. In 2008 I was invited to work as visiting expert in the David Lubin Memorial Library of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy, with a study and research leave from ISS.

At present my role involves the following:
• Assistant Editor and Editorial coordinator of the science journal Annali dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità
• Editor of the “Book reviews, notes and comments” section on Annali
• Editorial coordinator of the ISS series “I beni storico-scientifici dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità”
• Editor in Chief of the Journal of the European Association of Health Information and Libraries (JEAHIL);
• Member of the Advisory Editorial Board of Health Information and Library Journal (HILJ);
• Member of the Commissione di Sorveglianza sugli Archivi ISS (ISS Archives Commission);
• Member of the Italian Library Association (AIB):
• Coordinator of the ISS group for the cataloguing and management of the collection of scientific instruments owned by ISS
• Member of the Executive Board of EAHIL.

Read my CV

Conflict of Interest declaration