Tools and Strategies for Content Management
Tools and Strategies for Content Management Publishers
PerspectiveJabin White, Executive Director, Electronic
Production-Health SciencesElsevierPresented by: Jabin White
([email protected])Title: Tools and Strategies for Content
ManagementPresented at: SSP Annual Meeting; Baltimore, MDDate:
April 30, 2003
AgendaIntroductionsThe Problem simple Content Management is no
longer enoughBrief history of workflow, reasons for improvementCase
StudyAnd now for the next trickConclusions
Who is Elsevier?Publish more than 1,800 journals, more than 2
million pages per yearPublishing imprints include Mosby, Saunders,
Churchill-Livingstone, BH, and more
Who am I?Started as Editorial Assistant, then Developmental
EditorLearned SGML at MosbyMoved to Williams & Wilkins in 1997,
merged with L-R in 1998 -- responsible for front-end SGML
initiativeMoved to Harcourt Health Sciences in October, 2000,
acquisition by Elsevier completed in September, 2001
The ProblemTraditional content management, by definition, is no
longer enoughMore to the point, it is:Managing content more
efficiently ($$$)Content enrichmentSetting up content for multiple
delivery streamsPreparing content to be searched/indexed more
intelligentlyAll of these have become part of the definition of
Content Management, hence the confusion
Traditional (Old) WorkflowManuscript submitted on paper
(sometimes with disk) to Editorial officePaper accepted for
publicationPaper keyed and codedArticle laid out (paginated) in
proprietary typesetting systemProofs sent to authors, proofreaders,
etc.
Traditional Workflow (contd)Changes made to pages, author
queries answeredChanges inserted into proprietary typesetting
filesFinal pages approvedPrint pages publishedTypesetting files
converted to SGMLElectronic product produced
Traditional Publishing Process
GalleysPagesManuscriptElectronic Product (repurposed from
print)XML front ends rethinking content & markup
Problems inserted
GalleysPagesManuscriptElectronic Product (repurposed from
print)XML front ends rethinking content & markupPaper
submissionsChanges made on paperChanges made to proprietary
typesetting filesChanges lost in media-neutral format(version
management issues)
Traditional Publishing Process
GalleysPagesManuscriptElectronic Product (repurposed from
print)XML front ends rethinking content & markup
Problem solved?
GalleysPagesManuscriptXML front ends rethinking content &
markupGalleysElectronic ProductX, Y and ZFinal, correctedarticles
in DB
Problem solved
GalleysPagesManuscriptXML front ends rethinking content &
markupGalleysFinal, correctedarticles in DBElectronic ProductX, Y
and Z
Major activities of the E-workflow:Websites for Electronic
submission Science Direct,MD Consult, etc. Production Editorial
offices Production suppliers
Content Management for EfficiencyExtend benefits of digital
workflow back in the process to author submissionBenefits:Seamless
movement of files in media neutral formatEnforcement of standards
begins earlyNo surprisesSpeed, speed, and more speedExamples:
ElSubmitElsevier Editorial System; Author Gateway
Efficiency at the FrontCommitted to a suite of web-based author
servicesA-Team (author support team)Goals:Better management of peer
review processProvide tools for authors to track status of their
manuscript throughout publication processDecrease transfer time
from:Author to EditorEditor to RefereeEditor to Production
Case StudySubmission and Peer Review Tools
Author GatewayOne-stop shop for authors interactions with
ElsevierDissemination of information (author guidelines, paper
tracking, marketing materials, etc.)Fantastic feedback from
marketplace
Author Gateway
Author Gateway
Author Gateway
Author Gateway
Major activities of the E-workflow:Websites for Electronic
submission Science Direct,MD Consult, etc. Production Editorial
offices Production suppliers
CAP Workflow (Computer-Aided Production)Began in 1997 with SGML
DTD, related toolsOne common global workflow, many different local
production officesAll use same tools, tracking systems, etc.All
copyediting is outsourcedSubmission systems, peer-review systems
occur before CAP
PTSIII (Production Tracking System)Completely integrated between
production offices and suppliersProvides transparent global
workflow capabilitiesOracle database with lots of XML managing
workflow triggers
CAP Workflow
LOGINMEDIACONV.COPYEDITELECTRONIC
WAREHOUSESCANNINGCORRECT.ISSUECOMP.ISSUECOMP.AUTHORCORRECT.PRINTELECTRONICPRODUCTSPRODUCTS:S100S200S300S100-unedited
manuscript; S200 edited manuscript, issue independent; S300 edited,
folioed manuscript
The EW (Electronic Warehouse)Massive storage facility in
AmsterdamOracle database with proprietary extensionsMillions of
articlesToday handles just journal articles, in the future will
handle booksHelps in production, assembly of products
End-to-end processsimple
ProductionprocessesElectronicWarehouseProductsEditorial
process
Ideal Content Management
And now for the next trick!Doing for book workflow what Elsevier
has done for journals workflowCAP workflow for books?Vast
differences in content, authoring environmentsSame principles of
consistency, enforcement, etc., can be applied, but very
carefully
Re-using what weve learnedCommon DTDs, enforced centrallyContent
Management standards enforced globallyAuthoring/editing tools that
help with standardization and enforcementKeeping in mind the
different author environmentRecognizing *when* workflows must be
flexible, and when they cannot
ConclusionsDigitization of end of workflow is assumedBusiness
case has been made for having digital files at the end of the
production cycle (this little thing called the web)How far back in
the workflow you go depends on many factors in your organization
(size, change environment, content types, etc)Its a marathon, not a
sprint!
Thank You
