where xml? where does xml fit into your workflow
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Where XML? Where does XML fit into your workflow. Jabin White Exec. Director, Electronic Production Elsevier November 8, 2005 SSP Fall Seminar: Embracing Technology and Process Changes to Successfully Transform a Scholarly Publisher. Where does XML fit into your workflow?. Right here . - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Where XML?Where XML?Where does XML fit into your workflowWhere does XML fit into your workflow
Where XML?Where XML?Where does XML fit into your workflowWhere does XML fit into your workflow
Jabin WhiteJabin White
Exec. Director, Electronic ProductionExec. Director, Electronic Production
ElsevierElsevier
November 8, 2005November 8, 2005
SSP Fall Seminar: Embracing Technology and Process SSP Fall Seminar: Embracing Technology and Process Changes to Successfully Transform a Scholarly PublisherChanges to Successfully Transform a Scholarly Publisher
Jabin WhiteJabin White
Exec. Director, Electronic ProductionExec. Director, Electronic Production
ElsevierElsevier
November 8, 2005November 8, 2005
SSP Fall Seminar: Embracing Technology and Process SSP Fall Seminar: Embracing Technology and Process Changes to Successfully Transform a Scholarly PublisherChanges to Successfully Transform a Scholarly Publisher
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Where does XML fit into your workflow?Where does XML fit into your workflow?Where does XML fit into your workflow?Where does XML fit into your workflow?
Beginning of workflow
End of workflow
Right here
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Bad News, Good NewsBad News, Good NewsBad News, Good NewsBad News, Good News
• Bad News• General statements
are no more accurate (or funnier) than previous slide
• Specific inputs, outputs, and requirements of each workflow mean different XML solutions
• Good news• The answers today
are A LOT easier, and better, than 5-10 years ago
• Availability of tools, ubiquity of knowledge is a good thing
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
AgendaAgendaAgendaAgenda
• But first, an observation• Basics of an XML workflow• Where does XML fit?• Considerations for making decision• Where does XML fit at Elsevier?• Conclusions
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
But first, an observationBut first, an observationBut first, an observationBut first, an observation
• Talkin’ bout an evolution…– 1995: Should SGML be used in your
workflow?– 2000: Should SGML or XML be used in
your workflow?– 2005: Where does XML fit into your
workflow?’– 2010: ???
Basics of an XML WorkflowBasics of an XML WorkflowBasics of an XML WorkflowBasics of an XML Workflow
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Basics of an XML WorkflowBasics of an XML WorkflowBasics of an XML WorkflowBasics of an XML Workflow
• Ingredients– A Need– Tools– Some process changes
• (unless you are starting from scratch)
– Communication and patience
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Basics: A needBasics: A needBasics: A needBasics: A need
• Do you require this content to be used more than once?
• Is there intelligence that can be imbedded in the content?
• If your content is “one off” print and you are sure it will never be used again, the answer to XML may be “NO!”
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Basics: ToolsBasics: ToolsBasics: ToolsBasics: Tools
• DTDs and related technologies– Schema is an option, but DTDs are still better
for authoring• Author-submission tools, or conversion
processes• XML-aware editor(s)
– XMetal: $623; XML Spy $847; or Google “free XML editor”
– Don’t be fooled by “Save as XML”• CMS?
– Used to be a “nice to have,” but today, not so much
– Pay attention to Patti and Bob later
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
• Depending on where XML is inserted, processes may change a lot or a little
• Careful consideration should be given (and planned for) to these changes
• Don’t underestimate the human impact of these process changes
• Impact on skill sets – people who didn’t do XML before may not want to
Basics: Process ChangesBasics: Process ChangesBasics: Process ChangesBasics: Process Changes
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Basics: Patience, Young SkywalkerBasics: Patience, Young SkywalkerBasics: Patience, Young SkywalkerBasics: Patience, Young Skywalker
• Rome was not built in a day, and they didn’t even use XML!
– Or did they? <question>Et tu, Brute?</question)
• Process changes require open lines of communication, and clear mission statement from the top– XML should be a priority of the
organization, not something it does because it feels it has to (this is getting better)
Where does XML fit?Where does XML fit?Where does XML fit?Where does XML fit?
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
• Repeat caveat against generalizing• But…• In general, human beings will do
better at inserting intelligence (although Ontology vendors will argue that one); machines will be cheaper on structural, pattern-matching stuff
• That being said…
When to go to XML?When to go to XML?When to go to XML?When to go to XML?
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
The Case for Early XMLThe Case for Early XMLThe Case for Early XMLThe Case for Early XML
• Getting angle brackets in data early allows you to take advantage of other XML-based technologies earlier in the workflow
• Content and tags can be QC’d early, fewer changes toward the back end of the production cycle
• More timely delivery of files to web or elsewhere
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
The Case for Late XMLThe Case for Late XMLThe Case for Late XMLThe Case for Late XML
• Smaller impact on current workflows• Fewer process changes• Ability to focus XML tags on “E” only
content delivery• Potentially cheaper (don’t have to
buy XML tools for earlier in the workflow or “round trip” pagination),
but this one is arguable
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
The VerdictThe VerdictThe VerdictThe Verdict
• Haven’t you been paying attention???• No global answers, but a “framework” for
making your specific decision• The more costs absorbed during
“traditional” editing process, the better– If your traditional editing process can absorb all
the costs of XML, then send me a postcard, because you’ve reached Nirvana
• Ideally, your decision will be a *business* decision, not a technology decision
Considerations for Making Considerations for Making DecisionDecision
Considerations for Making Considerations for Making DecisionDecision
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Who tags?Who tags?Who tags?Who tags?
• Production has and always will drive *format* driven tagging– <Head>, <Para>, <List>, etc.– Recent trend is to outsource this
• Semantic, rich data tagging is done by subject-matter experts– This can happen early (authors) or later
(product-specific taggers), depending on your product requirements
– This is expensive, so you must have solid business reasons for doing this
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
This just in …you get what you pay forThis just in …you get what you pay forThis just in …you get what you pay forThis just in …you get what you pay for
• Cheap and easy
• Moderate and moderate
• Difficult and expensive
• Little gain, little impact
• Some gain
• Short-term costs ($$ and pain), but huge long-term benefits
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Inve
stm
ent
(tim
e an
d m
oney
)
Gain (re-use, flexibility of data)
You get what you pay forYou get what you pay forYou get what you pay forYou get what you pay for
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
• Post-print XML means no impact on current workflow
• Options are limited to “do more”• Not taking full advantage of
technology, may struggle to meet customer expectations– I call this the “Veruca Salt” effect – “But
Daddy, I want multi-purposed content now!”
Cheap and EasyCheap and EasyCheap and EasyCheap and Easy
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Difficult and ExpensiveDifficult and ExpensiveDifficult and ExpensiveDifficult and Expensive
• Up-front costs, in both time and money, can be daunting
• Transition of skill sets, watch employee morale
• Takes long-term view and patience in a short-term, sometimes ‘quarter by quarter’ world– Management wants you to press the
“XML Button” (see V. Salt reference on last slide)
Where does XML fit at Elsevier?Where does XML fit at Elsevier?Where does XML fit at Elsevier?Where does XML fit at Elsevier?
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Journals vs. BooksJournals vs. BooksJournals vs. BooksJournals vs. Books
• Journals are a known, repeatable process
• Costs to set up XML workflow can be amortized over the life of a journal
• Book people have a more “one off” mindset, so XML is more difficult– Not impossible, but more difficult– Conversations more about ROI
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Where does XML fit at Elsevier - BooksWhere does XML fit at Elsevier - BooksWhere does XML fit at Elsevier - BooksWhere does XML fit at Elsevier - Books
• Near the end of the workflow, and outsourced
• Post-print conversion still accounts for the bulk of book XML
• Projects with XML at the front are still viewed as “special”
• Bigger, non-title specific project to move to an XML-first workflow– The 80/20 rule
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Where does XML fit at Elsevier - JournalsWhere does XML fit at Elsevier - JournalsWhere does XML fit at Elsevier - JournalsWhere does XML fit at Elsevier - Journals
• At the beginning of the workflow, but outsourced
• Structural XML is done at suppliers via Elsevier XML DTD (public domain)
• Checked via Validation Tools (vTools) and submitted to central repository
• Repository feeds all outputs from that point forward (including print, all online versions, etc.)
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Capture and validate content(electronic submission, first validations on format,
peer review, acceptance by editor)
Components of the Elsevier journal workflowComponents of the Elsevier journal workflowComponents of the Elsevier journal workflowComponents of the Elsevier journal workflow
Core production processes(copyediting, tagging, images processing,
validation, issue compilation)
Prepare final e-product for distribution(e-product generation process:
input, i-conversion, downsampling, assembly, o-conversion, output)
Delivery of content and services via the web
1
2
3
4
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Journal Workflow – ProductionJournal Workflow – Production
LOGIN
MEDIACONV.
COPYEDIT
ELECTRONIC WAREHOUSE
SCANNING
CORRECT. ISSUECOMP.
ISSUECOMP.
AUTHORCORRECT.
ELECTRONICPRODUCTS
PRODUCTS:
S100 S200 S300
From this point forward, all data in XML
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
ce: Namespace = Common Element Pool
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Common Element PoolCommon Element PoolCommon Element PoolCommon Element Pool
• CEP is really SEP – Shared Element Pool
• Why have multiple content models for Author, List, Para, Reference???
CEPCEPJAJA
HS BookHS Book
eSerialeSerialMRWMRW
DrugDrug
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Article in Article in printprint presentation presentation (PDF)(PDF)Article in Article in printprint presentation presentation (PDF)(PDF)
In-depth reading, note-taking
Portable
Serendipity
Print quality /resolution
Versatility in sizes
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Article in Article in presentation presentation (ScienceDirect)(ScienceDirect)Article in Article in presentation presentation (ScienceDirect)(ScienceDirect)
Searching, browsing, scanning, surfing, glancing, verifying
Speed
Restrictive screendimensions
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
A sense of scaleA sense of scaleA sense of scaleA sense of scale• More than 7,000,000 journal articles (all in XML)
• More than 8 billion characters/bytes storage (8 terabyte)
• Books is just starting, mostly with eSerials and MRWs
• 2004 addition– 210,000 articles– 500,000,000 characters/bytes
• 2005 addition– 220,000 articles– 1,500,000,000 characters/bytes (FAT PDF and Books)
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
ConclusionsConclusionsConclusionsConclusions
• Asking where XML is right in your workflow is like asking which flavor of ice cream is best
• However, general assumptions can be made, questions asked
• Use framework to ask and answer some basic questions about your organization’s needs, and its tolerance/patience for pain
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Conclusions, Part DeuxConclusions, Part DeuxConclusions, Part DeuxConclusions, Part Deux
• Use answers to these questions to formulate your business case, ROI
• Help is available• XML is a tool, to be applied where is
best appropriate for your organization and workflow
• Editing tools, knowledge, etc. are more ubiquitous, but expectations are higher, than 10 years ago
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© Jabin White, Elsevier -- November 8, 2005
Thank youThank youThank youThank you
• Questions?Contact info: Jabin White, Elsevier1600 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 1800Philadelphia, PA [email protected]@jabin.com
Slides available at http://www.jabin.com/presentations.html