Transcript Electronic Publications

Tutorial
Designing and Publishing
Interactive Electronic
Publications in the World Wide
Web
Instructor
Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD
Center for Biomedical Informatics
State University of Campinas
Brazil
[email protected]
http://nibgw.unicamp.br/~sabbatin
Educational Objectives
• Recognize the main issues and techniques
involved in electronic publication of medical
journals and magazines on the World Wide Web
• Propose the design, architecture and philosophy of
a simple interactive publication
• Discuss the main issues related to implementation,
maintenance and indexing of an on-line
publication
• Address with confidence problems such as
copyright, funding, etc.
Content
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What is electronic publishing
Electronic publishing on the Internet
The World Wide Web
The HTML language
Developing an on-line journal
Tools for publication development
Publishing on the server
Promoting and indexing the publication
Protecting your publication
Basic References
• Electronic Publishing Unleashed
Stanek, WR, Purcell, L et al.
Sams Publishing, 1995
• This slide show available on:
www.webpraxis.com/courses/epubs/slides
• Home page of the course:
www.webpraxis.com/courses/epubs/
What is Electronic Publishing ?
(or: bits vs. atoms)
• Electronic publishing is a technology to distribute
information in a form that it can be accessed and
viewed by a computer
• Electronic publishing uses digital media and
resources to acquire, store and transmit
information from computer to computer
• Electronic publishing extends in several ways the
concept and resources of conventional, printed
media
Types of Electronic Publications
• On removable media
Diskette, CD-ROM, videodisk, DVD, etc.
• On computer networks
– Networks of restricted access (e.g., intranets)
– Global networks (e.g., Internet)
• Hybrid
– CD-ROMs updated by network
– Network backed-up by CD-ROM
Types of On-Line Publications
• Email technology
Publications via distribution lists or newsgroups
(broadcasting)
• FTP technology
Publications via file transfer (FTP)
• WWW pull technology
Publications via GOPHER or HTTP protocols
• WWW push technology
Publications via webcasting
The Object of This Course
• Email technology
Publications via distribution lists or newsgroups
(broadcasting)
• FTP technology
Publications via file transfer (FTP)
• WWW pull technology
Publications via HTTP protocol (a.k.a. the WWW)
• WWW push technology
Publications via webcasting
A Typical WWW-based Journal
A paper
Table of Contents
Advantages of the Internet
For the Publisher
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Large potential audience, universal availability
Availability for all hardware/software platforms
Low setup investment and production cost
Elimination of replication and mailing costs
New forms of presentation (audio, video, interaction)
Integration with other WWW documents and sites and
easy electronic indexing
• Reduction of publication delay, electronic submission
• Extensive statistical data on access
Advantages of the Internet
For the Reader
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Low cost of access
Instantaneous and global availability
Richer information content than in other media
Easy downloading and printing
Information is more up-to-date
Information is easy to find via search engines
Interconnectedness of information on the Web
Interactive dialogue with authors and publishers
Disadvantages of the Internet
• Unlimited copying is easy, difficult situation for
copyright protection
• Prevailing “everything-is-for-free” culture,
difficult situation regarding revenue collection
• Concerns about security issues
• Slow connections (“bandwidth”) is an obstacle for
larger and more complex multimedia projects
• Increasingly difficulties in obtaining visibility, due
to the huge amount of sites and information.
Some Academic
On-Line
Publishing
Projects
HighWire Press
Stanford
Some Academic
On-Line
Publishing
Projects (2)
E*pub Project
Campinas
Some Academic
On-Line
Publishing
Projects (3)
BioLine
England and
Campinas
Part One
The Technology
What is the WWW ?
• It’s a service available through the Internet which
allows the transmission and rendering of
multimedia documents
• It uses a special protocol named HTTP (HyperText
Transfer Protocol)
• It uses a set of network addresses named URL
(Uniform Resource Locator)
What is a protocol ?
• It is a convention or language which allows the
communication between any two computers
through a network
• The main protocol used by Internet is TCP/IP
(Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
• There are many other protocols running under
TCP/IP. Examples:
– SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
– FTP: File Transfer Protocol
Address format for the WWW:
Uniform Resource Locator
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visible/sample.htm
Protocol
Host
Directory
File
The Client-Server Architecture
Client
Computer which
receives data
network
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Server
Computer which
sends data
The Pull Technology
Client
Internet
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Client software:
HTTP
Netscape, Internet Explorer
(browser)
Server
Server software:
WWW Server
WWW Client Software (Browser)
The Pull Technology
A HTTP Transaction (1)
Client
http://www.nih.nlm.gov/visible/sample.htm
Internet
I
Server
www.nlm.nih.gov
Finding
Connecting
Requesting
HTTP
Client software:
Netscape, Internet Explorer
Server software:
WWW Server
The Pull Technology
A HTTP Transaction (2)
Client
Http://www.nih.nlm.gov/visible/sample.htm
Internet
I
Confirming
Transferring
Closing
HTTP
Client software:
Netscape, Internet Explorer
Server
www.nlm.nih.gov
sample.htm
logo.gif
return.gif
Server software:
WWW Server
The Crux of On-Line Publishing
• Text and images must be displayed with
typographic quality and high resolution inline graphics and images
• To reduce transmission time, the HTTP
protocol downloads from the server a much
smaller page specification script in ASCII
• The browser renders the page with basis on
this script
How HTTP Works
Client
Http://www.nih.nlm.gov/visible/sample.htm
sample.htm
logo.gif
return.gif
Client software
browser
Rendering by the browser
<HTML>
<BODY BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF>
<IMG SRC=“logo.gif” ALIGN=left>
<H1>The Visible Human Project</H1>
<HR>
<IMG SRC=“return.gif” ALIGN=left>
National Library of Medicine
Script in HTML
Interconnecting Documents
• Since a publication must be subdivided
logically into separate pieces of
information, there should be a way of
connecting them together, so as to permit
navigation
• This is accomplished by means of hypertext
(images or text which represents links to
other images or text)
What is Hypertext ?
<HTML>
<BODY BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF>
<IMG SRC=“logo.gif” ALIGN=left>
<H1>The Visible Human Project</H1>
<HR>
<IMG SRC=“return.gif” ALIGN=left>
National Library of Medicine
<P><A HREF=“imagem.htm”>Amostras</A>
<P><A HREF=“http://www.who.ch”>WHO</A>
amostra.htm
<HTML>
<BODY BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF>
<IMG SRC=“logo.gif” ALIGN=left>
<H1>Visible Human: Amostras</H1>
<BR>
Nesta página você poderá achar algumas
amostras de imagens geradas pelo Projeto
“Ser Humano Visível” em três dimensões.
imagem.htm
What is HTML ?
• It’s a language for the specification of documents
(HyperText Mark-up Language)
• It specifies for the browser what are the elements
of a page (text, images, etc.) and where and how
they should be rendered
• A text file .HTM contains embedded mark-up
commands and tags, enclosed by < and >
• The browser interprets these tags and commands
and renders the page
The Elements of HTML
• Tags for document definition:
title, head, body, etc.
• Tags for text definition:
paragraphs, color, size, font, emphasis, etc.
• Tags for placing images, sounds and movies
• Tags for defining hyperlinks
• Tags for defining tables, forms, frames, etc.
Standard Data Formats
Format
Displayed by
Type
ASCII
Browser
TXT
HTML
HyperText Markup Language
Browser
HTM
SGML
Standard Generalized
Markup Language
Helper Application
SGM
PostScript
Helper Application
PSP
PDF
Portable Data Format
Helper Application
PDF
RTF
Rich Text Format
Helper Application
RTF
Example of Data Format: ASCII
Example of Data Format: PDF
Setting Up Helper Applications
Adobe PDF
Advantages
• It is a very compact and fast page description
language
• Total control over page formating (much better
than HTML and even SGML)
• A PDF file can be automatically produced by
PageMaker
• Off-line and on-line viewer is the same (Acrobat),
with many additional functions
• Public domain viewer and plug-in
• Publication-quality hardcopy
Adobe PDF
Disadvantages
• User must know where to get and how to install
the Acrobat plug-in
• The entire paper is stored into a non-compressed,
large single file
• Rendering must wait for complete downloading
• Text words are not indexed by search engines
Adobe PDF
Conclusions
• PDF is an efficient method to deliver
publication quality papers with all
typographic and graphic capabilities of
PageMaker
• It is easy on the producer but hard on the
user
• Probably the best way is to offer both
versions on-line: HTML and PDF
What Is SGML
• It is a generalized document mark-up
language, much more powerful than HTML
• HTML is a subset of SGML
• It requires a special browser or a plug-in for
existent HTML browsers
• Difficult to use and to define, but very
interesting to define publication elements
• Still not much used
Other Portable Formats
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Microsoft Windows HELP
Word Perfect Envoy
Farallon Replica
Common Ground
Folio VIEWS
Macromedia Shockwave
Microsoft Word
Interactive Multimedia: ShockWave
Interactive Multimedia: ShockWave Flash
Streaming Media
Client
Server
Continuous playing
of audio
or video packets
Sends audio or
video files using small
serial packets of data
Plug-Ins for Videos (2)
RealAudio/RealVideo Player
Example: A
PDF/HTML
Journal
Home Page
Example: A
PDF/HTML
Journal
(2)
Table of Contents
Example: A
PDF/HTML
Journal
(3)
HTML Full Paper
Example: A
PDF/HTML
Journal
(4)
HTML Abstract
Example: A PDF/HTML Journal (5)
PDF Full Paper
The Push Technology
Client
Client software:
PointCast, BackWeb, etc
or plug-in for browser
Internet
I
Server
Server software:
WWW Push Server
(e.g., NetCaster, Castanet)
The Push Technology
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Plain old push: the common email (SMTP)
Enhanced email: HTML visualization
Multimedia Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)
Browser add-ons: Netscape NetCaster, Internet
Explorer Webchannels, etc.
• Special clients: BackWeb, PointCast, etc.
Push Technology: PointCast
PointCast Channel Customization
PointCast: Active Screen Saver
CGI Programming
Client
Server
HTTPD
HTML
HTTP
CGI-BIN
Common Gateway Interface
A means of executing server-side programs (located
in CGI-BIN) and communicating with the HTTP server
Common CGI Tasks in an
Electronic Publication
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Automatic response to email and form submission
Generation of customized pages (on-the-fly)
Access to internal search engines
Control of login and password access
Access to and maintenance of databases
Page counter operation
Control of click-throughs (ex., advertisement
statistics)
• Operation of on-line chats, list subscription, etc.
JAVA Programming
Client
Server
HTML
HTTPD
HTTP
JAVA
JAVA
JAVA Applets
A small program written in JAVA is downloaded with the
requested page and executes on the client
Common JAVA Tasks in an
Electronic Publication
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Marquees, animated banners and graphics
“Intelligent” sensitive maps
Server-side forms processing
Field validation in forms
Interactive questionnaires and quizzes
Web-based chats
Hybrid Approaches
• Main publication is HTTP-based, abstracts
and announcements are send via email or
webcasting
• Main publication is FTP-based, abstracts
and announcements are posted on a website
or sent via email, newsgroup or webcasting
• Main publication is email, newsgroup or
webcasting-based, a website posts pointers
and updates.
Example of the Hybrid Approach
Johns Hopkins InteliHealth
Email
notice
Direct Call to
InteliHealth’s
Web Paper
Part Two
Publishing on the
Internet
The Internet and Publishing
An imaginative leap necessary to understand the implications
of publishing on the Internet requires the appreciation that:
 it's immediate
 it's global
 it's interactive
 it's dynamic
 it's multimedia.
Going Digital on the Net
Types of Publications
• Restricted on-line version of printed
journals
• Full text on-line version of printed journals
• Exclusively on-line journals
Going Digital on the Net
Restricted on-line version of printed journals
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Cover, information and table of contents
Idem, plus abstracts
Idem, plus selected papers
Almost always free access
Acts as “net presence” or advertisement for
the printed version
Going Digital on the Net
Full text on-line version of printed journals
• Cover, information, table of contents
• Full text papers
• Partial, full or extended version of the
printed form
• Free or paid access
• May act as advertisement or be a fullfledged endeavor of its own
Going Digital on the Net
Exclusively on-line journals
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Table of contents, abstracts/full text papers
Use of true multimedia, interactivity
Periodical or continuous flow
Free or paid access
Acceptance, implementation problems
Problems of Exclusively
On-Line Journals
• Good quality authors are hard to find, give
preference to printed journals
• The medium is too young, not well established
• Doubts and distrust of the scientific establishment:
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Copyright protection
Data protection
Long term stability of the medium
Peer review issues
Author recognition
Indexing
Revenue Alternatives
• Totally free and unrestricted access
• Free access via a registration, passwordprotected mechanism
• Revenue derived from direct and indirect
sponsors or paid advertisement
• Monthly or annual paid subscription
• Individual paper charges
Steps for Publishing a Journal on
the Internet
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Organizing Ideas
Developing the Project
Designing the Publication
Testing the Publication
Promoting the Publication
Maintaining the Publication
Steps in the Project
• Development Process
• Composition Process
• Publishing Process
Steps in the Project
1. The Development Process
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Planning and requirements phase
Rapid prototyping phase
Specification phase
Design phase
Implementation phase
The Development Process
Planning: The Five Questions
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Why ?
What ?
Where ?
When ?
How ?
The Development Process
Planning
• Why ?
Aims of the publication, what for and for whom.
• What ?
Medium and format, kind of publication
• Where ?
Location of publication, distributor
• When ?
Initial date of publication, deadlines, periodicity
• How ?
Requirements and needs, staff, budget, etc.
Development Process
Publication Requirements
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Purpose
Scope
Audience
Duration of development, deadlines
Project size
Project budget
Example: Intermedic Journal
Example: Requirements for
Intermedic Journal (1)
• Purpose: a bimonthly on-line and printed journal
on the applications and uses of Internet in
Medicine and Health
• Scope: medium-sized project with a broad focus
on technology and its applications, for nonspecialists
• Audience: Internet users mainly from the health
community (professionals and students)
Example: Requirements for
Intermedic Journal (2)
• Duration: no more than 3 months for development.
Deadline: second week of May 1997.
• Project size: bimonthly edition with no more than
6-7 sections and no more than 40 pages in length.
Printed version with 20 pages.
• Project budget: On-line and printed version:
$10,000/edition, not including printing and
distribution
Immediate Needs for Starting a
Publication
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Working capital
Time investment
Hardware for development
Disk space on development hardware
Software tools for development
On-line resources
Staff
Example for Immediate Needs
Intermedic Journal
• Working capital: none (university salary)
• Time investment: 15-20 hours/week
• Hardware: Pentium PC 166 MHz MMX, 32 Mb
RAM, 2.1 Gb disk, 17” SVGA monitor, CD-ROM
recorder. Color page scanner
• Software: Windows’95, Netscape 3 Gold, FlexEd
Editor, PaintShop Pro, WS FTP, PageMaker 6.0
• Staff: senior editor, associate editor, data entry
clerk, web designer, translator
Long Term Needs for Starting a
Publication
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Web hosting
Editorial board
Sponsors and/or advertisers
Authors and free lancers
Revenue and budget allocation
Software and on-line resources for
promotion
Example of Long Term Needs
Intermedic Journal (1)
• Web hosting: the university’s WWW server. No
charge
• Editorial board: invited, representative, national
and international experts in Internet applications
• Sponsor: exclusive advertisement and distribution
arrangement with a pharmaceutical company
(printed and on-line)
• Authors: several contacted, including editorial
board. Initially, no free lancers or paid authors
Example of Long Term Needs
Intermedic Journal (2)
• Revenue: free distribution and access (no
subscription charges)
• Budget: 70 % for editorial staff and authors, 30 %
for ancillary expenses.
• Promotion: Automated promotion tool (Spider) for
250 general directories and search engines,
manual labor for specialized directories and email
lists.
Dos and Don’ts in Electronic
Publishing
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Don’t expect the project to flow effortlessly
Don’t expect first efforts to be perfect
Do expect to make multiple drafts
Do expect to revise, edit and proof
Do expect to reach a point where further
improvement is not cost-effective
Development Process
Rapid Prototyping
• Define the overall structure of the publication
– Sections
– Directories
– Simple navigation flow
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Implement rapidly a working skeleton in HTML
Text only, simple hyperlink structure, sham text
Necessary to figure out the real needs and tools
Springboard to think and to expand to later stages
Demonstration purposes
A Rapid Prototype
Development Process
Specification
Based on the prototype and its evaluation, the aim of
this phase is to define in more detail:
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Layout
Publication components
Indexes, auxiliary pages, search, archiving
Fixed columnists
Production cycle
Production tools
Example of Specification
Intermedic Journal (1)
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no frames
all-in-one-page articles
single column layout
header and footer navigation banners using
buttons
linear and non-linear navigation
general home page
separate table of contents for each issue
directory hierarchy
Directory Hierarchy
Root
Issue
Section
Fixed
Features
Article
Publication Structure
Root Directory Sections
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Home page
The publishers
What is the magazine
Editorial board
Instruction for authors
Search page
Cummulative index
Help
Credits
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Catalog of links
Glossary
Guestbook
Email contact
Publisher icon
Sponsor’s icon
Awards
What’s new
Copyright notice
Publication Structure:
The Home Page
• It’s the magazine’s cover and first page of
Web access
• Displays the magazine’s graphical logo
• Has links to the permanent sections at root
level and to the present and past issues
• Identifies the publisher, sponsors,
supporting organizations, awards, etc.
• Changes occasionally (or rarely).
Publication Structure:
Permanent Information
• The Publishers
Identifies and describes the organization responsible for
the publication, other projects, links, etc.
• The Publication
Describes the aims, structure, sections, copyrights, etc.
• The Editorial Board
Names, functions, CVs, photos, links, email, etc.
• Help
How to use the publication, buttons, navigation, etc.
• Instructions for Authors
Publication Structure:
Access Sections
• Present and Past Issues
Text or graphics links navigating to the table of
contents of the issues
• Cummulative Index
Contains text links to all past articles, categorized
into sections. If large enough, may be subdivided
into separate, logically-organized pages
• Search Page
Gives access to a local search engine using
keywords. It may include Internet search engines.
Publication Structure:
Contact Information
• Guestbook
Provides an on-line form for the reader’s
registration, sending comments and questions, etc.
• Email contact
Links to the browser’s email facility with a
predetermined address for contact with the editor
• Sponsors/Advertisers
Logos and links to the publication sponsors
• Publisher/Organization
Logos and links
Publication Structure
Ancillary Information
• Web access statistics and counter
• Glossary of terms used in the publication
• Catalog of relevant links to similar resources on
the Internet
• What’s New in the magazine:
A date-stamped list of additions and modifications
• Awards and recognition received by the magazine:
Logos and links, bragpage, reader’s comments,
etc.
Publication Structure
Table of Contents
Steps in the Project
Design
Home Page
Design (1)
Home Page
Design (2)
Table of
Contents
Design (1)
Paper
Design
Linking Citations to MEDLINE
Text
reference
Citation list
MEDLINE
record
How to Link to PubMed (2)
On-line forms for
finding the UID of
a citation
How to Link to PubMed (3)
Link Statement: Boolean Searh
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/PubMed/wgetcit?journal=
Mol.+Gen.+Mikrobiol.+Virusol.&volume=12&page=19&author=
Cherepanov+PA&display=citation&format=html
Link Statement: Specific Unique Identifier (UID)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&
form=6&uid=88055872&dopt=r
Steps in Project Development
The Composition Process
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Outlining
Researching
Composing
Evaluating
Revising
Proofing
HTML Composing Tools
• WYSIWYG editors (e.g.: Netscape,
FrontPage)
• HTML source editors (e.g.: FlexEd,
HotDog, HotMetal)
• Use of templates
• Use of style sheets
WYSIWYG Editor
HTML Source Editor
Composing Methods
• Composition in a word processing software,
followed by manual HTML conversion or
via RTF
• Automatic HTML conversion (Example:
MS Internet Assistant for MS Office
software, PageMaker 6/7)
• Direct composition or cut/paste into a
HTML or WYSIWYG editor
Utility Software
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HTML validators and fixers
Batch file search and replace
File size reduction tools
Link diagnostics
Database to HTML converters
Color selection wizards
Date stampers
Spelling and grammar checkers
Batch File Modification
FILEMOD
HTML Color Wizard
Internet Software Sites for the
Web Developer
• Tucows
www.tucows.com
• Microsoft Site Builder Home Page
www.microsoft.com/sitebuilder/
Image Management Tools
• Static image creation and editing
Adobe PhotoShop, MS Image Composer,
PaintShop Pro, CorelDraw, Corel PhotoPaint
• Animated GIFs
GIF Construction Set, Image Composer
• Image format conversion
Aardvark, PaintShop Pro
• Map editor
• Animation and videoclip creation and editing
Adobe PhotoShop
Paint Shop Pro
Paint Shop Image Browser
Map Edit
GIF Animation
Sound Wave Edit
A Multimedia Publishing Station
• Pentium PC 233 or Macintosh with 32 Mb RAM
and a 17” SVGA color monitor
• Fast Internet connectivity
• Complete multimedia capability
CD-ROM, loudspeakers, microphone, etc.
• Medium resolution digital camera
• Medium resolution color page scanner with
transparency kit
• DAT tape recorder and SuperVHS VCT
• CD-ROM recorder or ZIPdrive
Steps in Project Development
The Publishing Process
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Revision
Linking-Editing
Master Copy Testing
Uploading
Server Copy Testing
Correction and Refinement
The Uploading Process
Password
Access
Development
Workstation
Master Copy
WWW Server
FTP
Server Copy
• Dedicated FTP Software
• Netscape Publication Mechanism
• MS FrontPage Publication
WS FTP for Windows 95
WS FTP for Windows 95
Netscape Editor Publishing
In-Line Image Management
• No in-line images, text link to full image
• Full in-line images
• Thumbnail images, with link to full images
Image Management: Text Link
Main text with
text link
Separate HTML with
image
Image Management: Full In-Line
Image Management: Thumbnail
Main text with
“thumbnail” image
Separate HTML with
larger image
In-Line Image Management
A Comparison
• No in-line images, text link to full image
– Easy to program
– Faster downloadings
– Layout too plain
• Full in-line images
– Professional layout, nearer to original
– Slower downloadings
• Thumbnail images, with link to full images
– Best compromise
Movie Player Plug-Ins
Apple QuickTime
Windows Media Player
Audio Player Plug-Ins
Audio Formats
• WAV
All digitized sound in a single file, must wait until
it comes entirely in order to start play. Does not
need a special plug-in, very easy to produce
• RealAudio
So-called streaming audio, it plays as it comes
from the server. High degree of compression.
Needs special server and plug-in
Steps in Project Development
Navigation Testing
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Internal page navigation
Page turning mechanisms
Index components
Search components
Multimedia components
External links
Other cross references and links
Testing Page-Turning
Components
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Previous chapter/section
Next chapter/section
First page/home page
Previous page
Next page
Last page
Return to page
Navigation Testing
Methodologies
• Automatic Testing
Software for testing broken links and links to local
files (Ex.: FrontPage, HTML PowerTools,
LnkTst). Outputs error reports.
• Manual Testing
Necessary to see whether links go to the proper
reference. Use a systematic approach.
• Field Testing
Reports of broken links by users
On-Site Navigation Testing
• Navigation and links must be always tested twice:
first in the local master copy, after the product is
finished; and later in the server where the
publication is stored.
• Use a systematic and rapid approach to correct
link errors and republish the corresponding file.
Use a checklist derived from automated and
manual testing
• Maintain master copy/server copy synchronization
Steps in Project Development
Field Testing
• Survey/Questionnaire
Aim: To obtain a view of the audience’s opinion.
Methods: On-site/separte email or form-based
survey
• Direct Observation
Aim: To show how users actually are using the
publication.
Methods: Out-loud navigation, test script,
automatic logging analysis, post-test interview
On-Line Reader’s Form
Steps in Project Development
Field Testing (2)
• Reading Tests
Aim: to assess how well users understand the
publications contents
Methods: On-line quizzes, spontaneous opinion
• Specialized Reviews
Aim: to find out what professional critics think of
the publication
Methods: Published reviews, induction.
Usability Testing
• Users are able to find a specific section or paper
within a given time
• Users are able to find specific information within a
given time
• Users are able to navigate or to return to given set
points, without getting lost
• Users are able to decide to follow a link or not,
with basis on context information
• Users are able to understand the navigation
resources without reading the help facility
The Ergonomy of a Publication (1)
• First and foremost, consider the psychology
of the reader
• Some psychological factors in the success
of an electronic publication are:
• consistency
• familiarity
• closure
• where the reader is, where he is headed
• how much is left before finishing
• easy and fun to use
The Ergonomy of a Publication (2)
• The visual design should be uncluttered,
attractive and simple
• Maintain consistency of backgrounds,
buttons, layout and fonts throughout
• Maintain consistency of navigation
• Always show where the reader is
• Avoid using animations and blinking
• Avoid using too many links
The Ergonomy of a Publication (3)
• Avoid (ab)using frames and columns
• Use white background and sharpcontrasting font colors, when possible
• Avoid using fancy fonts
• Reduce the overall upload size of a page as
much as possible
• Avoid too many graphics
• Do not segment the information too much
How to Make the Readers
Always Come Back
• Allow on-line user registration and use the
database for email announcements
• Offer automatic registration to page-change notice
services
• In case the publication is periodical, maintain
strict adherence to easy-to-remember publication
dates
• Also, announce in a issue the date of the next issue
• In case the publication is continuous, update in on
an easy-to-remember weekday
Advertisement
• Must be adapted to the peculiarities of the
medium
• Prevalent forms are clickable banners and
logos
• Page-long and conspicuous ads are
considered distasteful and less tolerated
• Ad rates vary a lot and depend on the traffic
and the importance of the publication
Sponsor’s
home page
Hyperlinked
advertisement
Product
Information
New Features of On-Line
Advertisement
• Links to the advertiser’s site
• Animated advertisements (GIFs, AVIs)
• Functional advertisements
Search boxes, clickable maps, etc.
• Randomized ad rotation
• Keyword- or section-bound advertisement
• Banner exchange
• Click-through rates can be documented
Part Three
Indexing and Promoting
the Publication
Indexing an On-line Journal
• Automatic indexing in Web Search
mechanisms
– No need to submit, but it is desirable to
expedite the process
– All pages in the site are indexed with all text
words, images and links
– Inefficient, free text based search
– No hierarchical categorization of subjects
Promotion
• The Internet is an entirely different world
from that of printed publications; therefore
it requires specialized strategies in tactics in
promoting, marketing and selling a new
journal
• Systematic promotion techniques are
mandatory and require specialized
knowledge and software or services
Promoting the Journal
• Alias lists and emailing lists
• Announcement to other specialized publications
(printed or on-line) and sites
• Announcement to “what’s new” lists and sites
• Submission to on-line search mechanisms, generic
and specialized directories
• Use of promotion engines and services (hundreds
of directories and search engines simultaneously)
• Strategies for visibility and maintenance
Examples of Generic Web Search
Engines
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Altavista
Lycos
WebCrawler
HotBot
Excite
InfoSeek
MetaCrawler
http://www.altavista.digital.com
http://www.lycos.com
http://www.webcrawl.com
http://www.hotbot.com
http://www.excite.com
http://www.infoseek.com
http://www.metacrawl.com
Indexing an On-line Journal
• Submission of entries into on-line
directories
–
–
–
–
–
Form-based entry of data
Inclusion is not automatic
Link is categorized into a preset tree of subjects
Subpages are not indexed automatically
There are generic and specialized directories in
many domains of knowledge
Examples of Web Directories
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Yahoo!
EINet Galaxy
Yellow Pages
HealthAtoZ
Achoo
MW Search
MedHunt
MedWeb
http://www.yahoo.com
http://www.einet.com
http://www.riders.com
http://www.healthatoz.com
http://www.achoo.com
http://www.mwsearch.com
http://www.hon.ch/medhunt
http://www.gen.emory.edu
Reference
• Sabbatini, RME
Finding Medical Information on the Internet
Intermedic, 1(1), 1997
http://www.epub.org.br/intermedic/n0101
Example of Promotion Software
One-time
description record
List of sites to
submit