ISAAC Publications Policy
Use of ISAAC Questionnaires by non-ISAAC Investigators
The ISAAC English Language questionnaires and manuals are freely available for non-ISAAC investigators to download and use. However, these must be appropriately referenced in the methodology and the terms ‘ISAAC’ or ‘International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood’ must not be used in the title of any subsequent publications. It must be made clear to journal editors and readers that your research is not part of the ISAAC collaboration. This will avoid any unnecessary confusion between an ISAAC and non-ISAAC study. Please see below under ‘OTHER Non-ISAAC Publications’ for more details.
Use of ISAAC Translations by non-ISAAC Investigators
The ISAAC International Data Centre (IIDC) is not authorised to release any translation of the ISAAC questionnaire to non-ISAAC investigators. These are the intellectual property of those that undertook the translation. Further enquiries about the use of a translation made from the English version of the ISAAC questionnaire should be made to the appropriate Regional Coordinator who may or may not approve the use of these for non-ISAAC research. The Regional Coordinators can be found on this website under "Home > About > People and Committees > Regional Coordinators".
A list of Languages ISAAC questionnaires have been translated into can be viewed in our resources section. ISAAC Translations
ISAAC Publications
The ISAAC programme publishes studies which have followed the protocols and processes of the ISAAC Steering Committee and which have met the criteria set by the ISAAC Steering Committee. These centres are registered ISAAC centres and have had their data checked and included by the ISAAC International Data Centre. Investigators on such studies may use the term ISAAC in the title of their publications, because they have the approval of the ISAAC Steering Committee and were part of the ISAAC Phase One, Two or Three studies.
Publication of ISAAC Data
Each ISAAC collaborating centre owns its own data.
Comparisons of 2 or more ISAAC studies within a country need to be approved by the ISAAC National Coordinator for that country.
Comparisons of 2 or more ISAAC countries within a region need to be approved by the ISAAC Regional Coordinator for that region.
Comparisons of 2 or more ISAAC regions need to be approved by the ISAAC Steering Committee.
The ISAAC Steering Committee is agreeable to other non-ISAAC investigators using the ISAAC tools and methodology. These are available from the website, and in the case of the core questionnaires, in the ISAAC Phase Three Manual. However, non-ISAAC investigators are not entitled to call their study an ISAAC study and ‘ISAAC’ or ‘International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood’ must not appear in the title of the publication. Acknowledgement should be made in the methods section of publications of the ISAAC instruments used and these should be referenced appropriately. For example, one of the following methods papers:
Asher MI, Keil U, Anderson HR, Beasley R, Crane J, Martinez F, Mitchell EA, Pearce N, Sibbald B, Stewart AW, Strachan D, Weiland SK, Williams HC. International study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC): rationale and methods. Eur Respir J 1995; 8: 483-91.
Weiland SK, Björkstén B, Brunekreef B, Cookson WO, von Mutius E, Strachan DP, and the ISAAC Phase Two Study Group. Phase II of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC II): rationale and methods. Eur Respir J 2004; 24(3): 406-12.
Ellwood P, Asher MI, Beasley R, Clayton TO, Stewart AW, and the ISAAC Steering Committee. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC): Phase Three rationale and methods. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2005; 9(1): 10-6.
Non-ISAAC researchers using ISAAC material for presentationsAny researcher that is not an ISAAC Principal Investigator or colleague can use ISAAC material for their presentations as long as they make it explicitly clear that this material is the intellectual property of ISAAC and not their own data.
For further clarification of these matters please contact Philippa Ellwood (p.ellwood@auckland.ac.nz).
Innes Asher
ISAAC Chair
Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health
Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
Fax: + 64 373 7602
Tel: +64 373 7599 ext 86454
Email: mi.asher@auckland.ac.nz
