Green Book now referenced by Scopus

CIGRE main technical output is the Technical Brochures. Each of them is of high value, giving the state of the art on the topic covered as expressed by experts from diverse backgrounds covering the entire power system industry worldwide. They address a narrow scope and are published on time when the technique is progressing. This approach facilitates the composition and publication of an unbiased report with reliable content. Technical Brochures undergo a rigorous, thorough and critical peer review process to ensure their accuracy and integrity before being approved by the Study Committee Chair for publication.

In 2011, Konstantin Papailiou, incoming Chairperson of Study Committee B2 (Overhead lines), stated that after decades it was time to compile them in a comprehensive report presented in a fluid way. He proposed to the Technical Committee (TC) to publish a new media, a book of a self-contained handbook character covering the entire knowledge of the subject within power engineering. It was approved and two books were launched, one on Overhead Lines (Konstantin Papailiou - SC B2, Overhead Lines) and the second one on Cable accessories (Pierre Argaut - SC B1 Insulated Cables, first volume). They were both published as paper books in 2014 with CIGRE as publisher.

The Green Books are not just a compilation of existing CIGRE Technical Brochures into one definitive publication. In addition to structuring the book on the basis of their content depending on the subject matter, new information published in other forums or unpublished may also be included to cover the subject in a complete way. There are technical areas that move relatively fast with new information coming to the forefront outside the lifecycle of Working Groups, published in conferences, CIGRE Sessions, Symposia, Colloquia or journals such as CIGRE Science and Engineering (CSE) or others. All this information, depending on its nature, may also be included in the Green Books after peer review to provide a comprehensive view of the subject matter and be more complete. These latest technical advances approved by CIGRE are incorporated to ensure that the book is as up-to-date as possible at the time of publication. Editors checked each chapter to make sure that all the information is factually robust, consistent within the whole book and flows in a coherent way.

Rapidly, it becomes of evidence that these books were not visible enough to attract new readers as they were only visible in the CIGRE world and not available electronically. It was decided to contract with an international publisher with experience in this category of publication offering high visibility on distribution platforms, in libraries with a clear advertising strategy able to promote CIGRE in the eyes of the professional public, institutions, corporate and private members, journalists, politicians. End of 2015, Springer was chosen as our Publisher in English language. Green Books were included in the Springer’s eBook collections that are licensed to 1000s of universities, research institutions and corporations worldwide, making each Green Book available to 100,000s of readers on publication. Now we have an enormous visibility through Google, Google Book search, Amazon and other internet platforms and our books are available in electronic format as e-books and can also be downloaded chapter by chapter.

Now Green Books are CIGRE's state of the art, flagship reference publications. CIGRE aims to produce the very best, most comprehensive set of reference publications encompassing all the subjects covered by CIGRE and its Study Committees.

Nine years later, 16 Green Books have been published in English language with over 2,000 whole books sold, paper or electronic, and 440,000 individual chapter downloads. Their interest was so important that China and South Korea decided to translate some of these books in their native language and publish them as paper books only with local publishers. Six Green Books have already been translated and over 5,600 books published through this channel. If other countries are interested to translate Green Books in their domestic language and publish, they should contact the Green Book Chief Editor, presently Yves Maugain.

In 2024, Springer proposed to CIGRE to apply for having the Green Books referenced by Scopus. The Green Books are a series of handbooks with three subseries, the Major Reference Works (MRW), the Compact Studies (CS) and the Technical Brochures, from the most prestigious and visible to the less one, the choice of a sub-series depending mainly on the width of the scope and the depth of the analysis. CIGRE agreed and jointly it was decided to start with the Major Reference Works, written by the world’s foremost experts containing unbiased, digested and established knowledge, mainly the CIGRE Technical Brochures approved by the Study Committees involved and presented in an easily accessible format. To date, the topics covered by MRWs are in alphanumerical order of the Study Committees:

Transformer and Reactor Procurement, Transformer and Reactor Life Management, Switching Equipment, Accessories for HV and EHV Extruded Cables – Components (vol 1), Land and Submarine AC/DC Applications (vol 2), Overhead Lines, Substations, Flexible AC Transmission Systems, Power System Assets: Investment, Management, Methods and Practices, Power System Dynamic Modelling and Analysis in Evolving Networks.

Scopus, launched in November 2004, is a source-neutral abstract and citation database curated by independent subject matter experts who are recognized leaders in their fields.

Scopus puts powerful discovery and analytics tools in the hands of researchers, librarians, research managers and funders to promote ideas, people and institutions.

The Scopus Content Selection and Advisory Board (CSAB) is an international group of scientists, researchers and librarians who represent the major scientific disciplines. The CSAB’s primary function is to evaluate and determine which peer-reviewed titles are accepted into Scopus, and which titles are excluded. To ensure both the broadest coverage and highest quality content is included, the CSAB maintains and follows a transparent and robust selection policy.

Less than ¼ of the titles sent to Scopus for review are finally accepted for referencing.

The Scopus (CSAB) has reviewed our application and beginning of May 2025, they approved it for coverage.

Scopus informed us that the reviewer comments were as below:

• The journal consistently includes articles that are academically sound and relevant to an international academic or professional audience in the field
• The journal has clear aims and scope/journal policies that are consistent with the journal’s content.

Scopus indexing and book citations will help the experts who were involved in the book writing to be better recognized.

Our future is bright as we will launch the referencing process of the second sub-series of the Green Books, the Compact Studies soon, expecting the same success and the CIGRE Study Committees have plans to publish more than 10 new Green Books and some updates of already published books in the coming 5 years. Some of them will be translated in other languages.

Finally, I would like to thank Konstantin Papailiou, presently our President for having proposed this bright idea, all Book Editors, Chapter authors and experts in the different CIGRE Working Groups that contribute to the success of this story.