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A lot has happened with the EDIS Editor in the last six months. Several revisions and refinements have been made, and it is really starting to catch on. The Editor has already been distributed to 24 sites and UF/IFAS IT has been working most closely with the departments of Entomology, Soil and Water Science, Agronomy, Family, Youth and Consumer Sciences and Environmental Horticulture along with the Herbarium and the Quincy and Lake Alfred ARECs.

Half-day training sessions will begin January 28th and continue on February 11th and 25th. This course will become part of the regular repertoire of classes offered by the IT Help Desk.

Background

Authors are faced with constantly shifting conditions. New discoveries and changes in regulations can seriously effect existing publications. In the past, updating these publications and getting the new information to the public was often a time-consuming procedure. The process was further complicated by the large number of publications, and the many authors and departments involved. This has now changed.

A new EDIS Editor that enables authors and editors to update these documents at their desks and directly enter them into the EDIS database was developed. It may also be used to create original publications.

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Unlike conventional word processors and other web development tools, the EDIS Editor works directly on-line. All information, which can include text, figures, photographs, tables, decision tools, and a virtually limitless collection of customized components, is stored directly in an IFAS-wide database archive on the Internet. There is no tedious tagging of files or knowledge of languages such as HTML required. In fact, there are no files to worry about at all since all information content is stored safely and securely inside the database management system. All information is entered using high-level graphical tools that are easy to learn (see figure).

Text editing of the body of the document is done in the right window. The html version of the document can be previewed at any time.

The ability for co-authors and others working on the same publication or project to work together is enhanced through a facility known as "GroupWare". Because all elements of the project are stored in IFAS-wide databases that can be accessed over the Internet, they can be easily shared among the project team. For example, two authors working at different IFAS RECs can access the materials and make changes. When they are ready, the GroupWare facility automatically notifies reviewers and department chairmen that the publication is ready for review. Once approval has been given by the department chair, the publication is made available to the general public. This will streamline the current publication transmittal process, making it faster and more efficient.

Although the new EDIS editor incorporates the same features usually associated with conventional word processors, it goes beyond word processors into the realm of knowledge management. Although the new EDIS editor can automatically generate camera-ready print as well as Web pages and CD-ROM, the goal is to move beyond the conventional printed publication, and maximize the effectiveness of the collection of extension information by using electronic media to create, organize, retrieve, and present information.