Submit a research report to MOD

Athena willstores add any newly published science and technology (S&T) research reportsoutputs producedof incurrent supportand ofpast theUK Ministry of Defence (MOD) research programmes.

All reports must: 

• have an S&T focus 

• be programmetechnically intoreviewed 

• include a completed Report Documentation Page (RDP) 

• meet the Athena Collection Management Policy

Reports that don’t meet these criteria will not be added to Athena.

Before you submit your research report 

You must attach a completed RDP to the end of your report. 

The RDP has a number of fields holding information about the report, title, authors, abstract, classification and intellectual property conditions,  

This information helps Athena manage the report collectionappropriately, freeand also helps when searching for the document in the Athena report collection.

Defence Research Report Specification 

The Defence Research Report Specification document outlines requirements for the presentation, format and production of chargescientific and technical reports prepared for MOD. It provides a template report cover page, as longwell as reportsfurther meetguidance on writing abstracts and intellectual property rights statements required for MOD reports.

Defence Research Report Specification (ODT, 140 KB)

1a. Report number

Enter the full report number as it appears on the front cover or title page. 

1b. Version number

Version number of the report or enter NONE. 

2. Date of publication

Date the final version report was published in the format dd/mm/yyyy. 

3. Number of pages

Total number of pages including the RDP. 

4a. Report UK protective marking

Select the appropriate protective marking which applies to the report from the dropdown menu.

The UK protective markings are: 

• all

  Official material(Includes musta havesubset of Official-Sensitive)  

• Secret 

• Top Secret 

Unclassified, Restricted and Confidential markings can only be used where the report is prepared on behalf of an S&Tinternational focusdefence organisation and the appropriate prefix (for example, NATO) included in the marking. 

Applying too high a protective marking can: 

• inhibit access 

• all

  lead materialto mustunnecessary beand technicallyexpensive reviewedprotective controls 

• all

  impair materialthe mustefficiency includeof an organisation’s business

Applying too low a completedprotective reportmarking documentationmay pagelead (seeto below)damaging consequences for national security.

For further advice on UK protective markings please speak to your local security adviser. 

4b. Report national caveats

Enter any national caveats that apply to the report.  

National caveats can only be applied to Secret and Top Secret protectively marked documents.  

Examples of national caveats: 

• UK EYES ONLY 

• UK EYES DESCRETION 

• AUS/CAN/NZ/UK/US EYES ONLY 

ReportsFor sentfurther advice on national caveats, please speak to Athenayour local security advisor. 

4c. Report descriptor

Enter any descriptor that don’tapplies meetto thisthe criteriareport.

Descriptors willmust be used with a security classification (this is usually OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE). COMMERCIAL and PERSONAL are acceptable.  

SECRET or TOP SECRET information does not require a descriptor. 

State LIMITED CIRCULATION for sensitive information that can only be addedseen by those with a need to know. You should also mark as OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE (plus a descriptor, if appropriate), and the collection.limits in a distribution list or in a clear statement at the beginning of the report.  

Report

For documentationfurther page

5a. Title

TheEnter the complete report documentationtitle page(and subtitle, if there is one) in lowercase, not in capital letters.  

If the report covers a 2-pagespecific formperiod or requires a type indication, enter this after the title. For example, ‘Evaluating New Technologies (Interim Report)’. 

5b. Title UK protective marking

Select the protective marking that mustapplies beto attachedthe report title from the dropdown menu.  

5c. Title national caveats

Enter any national caveats that apply to the endtitle. ofTo eachmaximise report,disclosure regardlessand distribution of whetherthe title, apply the reportminimum templatecaveats , if possible (see 4b for examples). 

National caveats can only be applied to SECRET and TOP SECRET protectively marked documents.

5d. Title descriptor

Enter any descriptor that applies to the title.

Descriptors must be used with a security classification (this is usually OFFICIAL-SENISITIVE). SECRET or TOP SECRET information does not require a Defencedescriptor. 

(see Science4c for examples). 

6. Authors

Enter the surname and Technologyinitials Laboratoryof (Dstl)the template,principal MODauthor template,and industrythen templateenter orthe surname and initials of any other authors. Separate individual authors using a customer-specificsemicolon template.(;). 

7a. Abstract

The reportabstract documentationmust pagemeet isthe comprisedguidance in the ‘Defence Research Report Specification’ document.  

The abstract should be of a numbercommercially ofnon-sensitive fields.nature Thisas allowsit thewill authorbe distributed to provide a range of informationparties.

The aboutabstract should: 

• provide a brief summary of the report,scope forand example,main itsoutputs classificationof the report 

• be of high technical and itsgrammatical intellectualquality 

• use propertycolons conditionsand (suchsemi-colons as copyrightlist conditionsseparators  

• use short and whoconcise sentences 

• be between 150 to 200 words (2500 characters including spaces)  

• not include milestone or contract numbers 

• not repeat the report cantitle

7b. beAbstract releasedUK to).protective Thismarking

Select informationthe helpsprotective Athenamarking tothat manageapplies to the report appropriately.abstract Itfrom alsothe enablesdropdown effectivemenu. 

To searchmaximise disclosure and retrievaldistribution of the documentabstract, fromapply the Athenaminimum reportprotective collection.marking to the abstract if possible . 

Guidance7c. Abstract national caveats

ReadEnter thisany guidancenational beforecaveats completingthat apply to the form.abstract or enter NONE. 

• Report

  National documentationcaveats page:can guidelinesonly be applied to SECRET and TOP SECRET protectively marked documents. To maximise disclosure and distribution of the abstract, apply the minimum protective marking to the abstractpossible . 

  7d. Abstract descriptor

  Enter any national caveats that apply to the abstract or enter NONE. 

  Descriptors must be used with a security classification (this is usually OFFICIAL-SENISITIVE). SECRET or TOP SECRET information does not require a descriptor. 

  (see 4c for use (PDF,examples). 

  8. 36.1Keywords

  Provide KB,keywords 2of pages)the concepts covered in the report. These can include:

  • technologies 

  • platforms 

    Report

  • systems 

  • components 

  • processes

  Spell documentationout page:acronyms guidelinesin full (for example, write ‘Stand-off Biological Detection’ rather than ‘SOBD’). Use terms from the UK Defence Thesaurus. if possible. . 

  9. Name and address of publisher

  Enter details of the organisation preparing the report, including relevant business sector or unit, department address and postcode. 

  10. Name and address of funding source

  Enter who paid to produce the work. If the report was written specifically for usean (openinternational documentcollaboration format) (ODTforum (for example, TTCP or NATO RTO) state the forum and topic. 

  11. Funding source contract

  Enter the number of the contract that funded production of this report. 

  12. Dstl, 13.5project KB)

Enter the Dstl project number for which this report was produced.. 

Form13. Programme

• Report

  If documentationthe page (MSwork Wordis Document,part 66.4of KB)

Defence

14. researchOther report specification

Enter any other relevant report numbers (for example, order number, proposal number, deliverable item number or work item number).  

The Defence researchfunding source or collaborating organisation might also use other report specification (ODT,numbers 140you KB) outlinescan requirementsenter forin this part of the presentation,form. 

15a. formatContract andstart productiondate

Enter the start date of scientificthe andcontract technicalin reportsthe preparedformat dd/mm/yyyy 

15b. Contract end date

Enter the date the contract finished in the format dd/mm/yyyy 

16. IP Conditions for MOD.report

Select Itsthe aimIntellectual isProperty Rights condition under which the report has been produced from the dropdown menu. 

For further advice on Intellectual Property Rights, please speak to standardiseyour local IP or commercial adviser. 

17a. Patents

If a patent has been filed as a result of the formatreport select YES, or select NO if not.  

If yes, enter the application number in 17b.  

If applications for patents or registered designs have been made and contentIntellectual ofProperty allManagement reportsat suppliedDstl underhave not been informed, you must contact them in accordance with the relevant contract condition.  

For further advice on Intellectual Property Rights, please speak to MODyour local IP or commercial adviser. 

17b. Application Number

Enter the patent application number. 

18. Release Authority Role

Enter the post or role with release authority (for example, Programme Manager (PgM)) 

For more information about the RDP. Itor providesamending the RDP of a templatesubmitted report coveremail page,AthenaEnquiries@dstl.gov.uk.

Send guidanceyour onresearch report 

After completing all fields in the ReportRDP, documentationattach pageit to your report and email it to AthenaSubmissions@dstl.gov.uk (MS.

Alternatively, Wordemail Document,it 66.4over KB),the explainssecret network to AthenaSubmissions@snet.dstl.gov.uk.

Athena Collection Management Policy

Acceptable material 

Athena will accept the sectionsfollowing thatdocuments: 

• technical arefinal expectedreports  

• technical tointerim featurereports  

• technical inmilestone reports  

• technical annual or quarterly reports  

• technical progress reports  

• technical memoranda

• technical minutes 

• technical reviews 

• technology watches 

• trials reports  

• workshop reports  

• presentation slides  

• academic theses (from defence related institutions or departments)  

• Quadripartite Standardisation Agreements (QStags) 

• two-page report summaries (must have a different DIIS number to the corresponding technical/working/customer report) 

• UK MOD report,specifications 

• UK includesMOD guidancemanuals, user guides or handbooks  

• Journal of Defence Science (Defence Engineering and Science) 

• all NATO reports sent to Dstl

Material requiring further consideration 

Athena will accept the following document types on writinga abstractscase-by-case basis. They must have enough scientific or technical content and Intellectualbe Propertydefence Rightsand (IPRsecurity focused (as well as a completed RDP)): 

• technical statementsworking forpapers  

• scoping usestudies

• seminar and conference papers and posters and symposium reports (for physical posters, only A0 or below in MODsize) 

• DRIC reports.translations (not including the original foreign language material, as that would be subject to copyright) 

• Stanags or draft Stanags, which do not appear in the Stanag website  

• trials plans 

• literature searches 

• risk assessments or technical assessments 

• visit reports  

• Codes of Practice

Unacceptable material 

Athena collectionwill managementnot policyaccept the following: 

• Fordocuments morewith informationcopyright onrestrictions (sent in without accompanying consent from the typescopyright ofholder documentsfor acceptedinclusion intoin the Athenadatabase - the person sending the report collection,to pleaseDstl readmust obtain consent) 

• documents affected by the Data Protection Act 2018

  Athena

• documents collectionwith little or no scientific content  

• documents in draft form  

• agendas or minutes of meetings 

• patents  

• bid documents (for example, proposals and tender documents)

• internal project documents, for example: 

• project management policy (ODT,plans 

• trials 64.3instructions 

• trials KB).orders 

• communication strategies 

• task descriptions  

• foreign specifications 

• validation plans 

• financial milestone or progress reports  

• foreign language material  

• emails  

• non-technical memoranda  

• publication lists (catalogues, reports, lists of titles)  

• bibliographies 

• library bulletins (accessions lists, digests)  

• service publications  

• standards (includes defence standards) 

• regulations 

• protocols 

• books 

• magazines 

• copyrighted journals, defence journals and articles (with the exception of the Journal of Defence Science) 

• yearbooks  

• audit reports 

• executive summaries 

• foreign manuals, user guides or handbooks 

• video, film and audio items 

• Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG) memorandums

MoreContact informationus 

If you have any further questions about submitting a report to Athena, please email email: AthenaEnquiries@dstl.gov.uk.