About one year ago, the responsibility for coordinating the ODP/TAMU homepage was turned over to the Publications Department when ODP/TAMU management commited to the presentation of the ODP/TAMU homepage as an official publication. During the last year, department staff completed the following: streamlined the processing of new files into HTML format and improved formatting procedures for Preliminary Report, Scientific Prospectus, and Technical Note publications.
Members of each department assisted Publications in the redesign process. After the primary audience was defined (a scientist trying to get information about ODP/TAMU), it was agreed that the layout of the first page needed to be redesigned.
The requirements were: a design that downloads quickly and has an easy-to-use format that should not require users to access information via departments, but through menus that listed how to access, view, or obtain important types of information. The ODP/TAMU homepage is an evolving publication that will change as Internet publishing technology changes.
The Publications Department staff developed two prototype designs based on the input of the department representatives and members of the community. These designs were tested by the department representatives and by a focus group of scientists and non-scientists from all of the ODP member countries. A final design was refined in the summer. In October members of the Publications and Information Services Departments converted the main ODP/TAMU pages and the Publications Department pages to the new design. The next step in the ODP/TAMU WWW Project will be to reformat the remainder of the ODP/TAMU pages.
During the fall, the WWW Administrator position was advertised. Responsibilities associated with this position include: developing guidelines for ODP/TAMU's homepage (mission statement, goals, objectives, and policies); working with Publications Department staff to define design and style standards for new format; coordinating development of templates for standard page design; preparing documentation outlining standards for all ODP/TAMU WWW publications; standardizing existing material and converting it to the new format; preparing new WWW pages; coordinating work flow of new material to be designed, formatted, and edited by Publication Department staff and other departments; reviewing all material for appropriateness on ODP/TAMU's site; monitoring pages regularly; establishing a schedule for updates and removal of information; providing a help line for other departments who have formatting questions; supervising Graduate Research Assistants.
Review the new homepage design and submit feedback to:
Test CD-ROMs have been produced for the Legs 163/164 Initial Reports volumes and the Leg 151 Scientific Results volume. These volumes will be distributed in November and December, respectively.
The first Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program manuscript was published on the World Wide Web in November. The 150X Initial Reports Supplement is available for viewing in both html and Acrobat formats.
HTML file URL: http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/150x/index.htm
Acrobat URL: http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/150x/150x_1.pdf
Both formats were prepared to allow the community to explore the differences and capabilities.
The HTML file, while quick and easy to access, does not print well, and images are less than consistent. Each section requires a separate print operation, as well.
The Acrobat file, which requires the user have the Acrobat Reader, is slower to download, but prints to the capability of the user's printer. It is paginated and the entire file prints as one print job. Because the original PostScript files were available of the images (no scanning was required) it allows extraordinary close-ups.
To download a free version of the Acrobat Reader see the Adobe site. Copies of the Reader are also available as shareware on recent ODP/TAMU CD-ROMs (163 and 164 IR, and 151 SR). To download from Adobe:
http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html
[ Contents of the Semiannual Report, No. 2, June-November 1996 |
| Program Updates | New Initiatives | Project Summaries | Laboratory Working Groups |
| Panel Recommendations | Appendixes |
| Semiannual Report, No. 1, December-May 1996 ]