Revision of Using the site from Sat, 2013-09-21 18:54

Instructions for use of GIASIPartnership Gateway: Contributors

Currently this site is in development, and Contributor rights are being issued only to the Working Group.  We hope to make the site more accessible as soon as possible.  However, even if you are not logged in as a Contributor, you can still see all of the content and make comments on the pages where this facility is available.  Your comments will be seen by the Administrator.

Contributors will see the basic content visible to anyone not logged in, but will have access to additional features on the pages and have access to controls through the Dashboard at the top of the page.

Dashboard

This shows recent and current activities on the site, including the screen names of those logged on.

Content

This screen allows the Contributor to add content to a variety of components.  The list of content types is on the left of the screen. The Content Types are as follows: Biblio (list of references); Blog Entry (every user gets a personal blogs); Event (calendar of events); Forum topic (starts a new discussion within the forum); Media gallery (upload media, or select media already uploaded to display together in a gallery); Page (basic pages for static content); Taxon description (Based on the TDWG/EoL Species Profile Model); Webform (create a new form or questionnaire accessible to users.  Submission results and statistics are recorded and accessible to privileged users); Comments (view comments on the site); Files (Other); Audio files; Images; Text; Video.

In each case editorial access is denied to all but items the Contributor has uploaded themselves, so they cannot edit or delete them.  However, Contributors can use this screen to add items of most categories.  In most cases addition can by individual item or importing files in particular formats.  The ‘Import’ screen also allows batch import.  I will provide additional help for this feature.

For those not logged in and Contributors, regular tasks will include:

1. Searching

There is a Search Box at the top right of the screen.  Radio buttons beneath it allow users to search the whole content of the site or restrict it to Taxonomy – names on the three Species Lists.  The default is Taxonomy.  If you wish to conduct a general search, select the All radio button before entering a term.  If the term is a taxonomic name that is in the Lists, it will appear in a drop-down menu beneath the Search box; select the term from this to enable the search to take place.  When the term is in the Search Box click on the Search button. 

2. Viewing Pages

Pages are accessed through the tabs along the bottom of the green header bar.  Some of these pages (The Partnership, Information services, Tools) themselves link to other pages; these are listed on the left hand side of each page located under these headings.

Links to external resources are highlighted; selecting one should cause a new window to open.

When a page is opened the search window at the top right of the screen will show a button “Page” which will be selected automatically.  Entering a term in the window and selecting the “SEARCH” button will find the term on any page on the site if it is present.  A new window on the left of the screen allows you to refine your search. 

There is an “Add new comment” link at the end of many pages.  Using this will enable you to add a comment that can be seen by others (seen by anyone logged in if you are logged in, Editors and the Administrator only if you are not), with your name as author.

3. Viewing the Species Pages

There are three sets of Species Pages: Animal Species, Plant and Fungal Species and Bacteria and Virus Species.  Each behaves in the same way. 

Any term in the lists may be found using the Search Box at the top of the screen with the Taxonomy radio button selected.  A search will open the taxon page required.

Alternatively each tree can be navigated by selecting the ‘+’ to the left of the name on the left of the screen.  Once the tree is open to the desired taxon clicking on the name will open the taxon page. 

When a taxon page is open on the main, right hand panel of the screen are a set of tabs:

Overview - Shows the name and its taxonomic status]. A block with images will also appear on this page if images have been uploaded to the site.

Descriptions – Currently this opens only one extensive block, generated from Encyclopedia of Life through use of the API on its site.  The content is what is available on EoL, which itself can come from a number of different sources.  Note that it shows the CC or other licence that applies to each element.   

Media – Images sourced from EoL

Literature – References sourced from the Literature list on the site (see below), where these are tagged with the species name. 

Maps – Currently not enabled.

Specimens – would show content only if specimen data had been uploaded to the site.

4. Viewing the Literature pages (Literature Tab)

This opens a bibliography of papers related to IAS.  The default order is by Author then Year, but the references can also be sorted by Year or Title using the top bar.  Selecting the title of a reference will open the complete record.

Contributors can add references to the Bibliography either singly or by importing a larger bibliography. 

  • From the top bar of any page select ‘Content’.
  • For adding single records, on the row ‘Biblio’ (See under ‘Files’) select ‘Add’
    • Files can be uploaded on the page that opens.
    • Records can be added if they are in RIS or BibTex format using the first two bars on the screen.
    • Records can be searched using DOI and automatically populated using the third bar on the screen
    • Records can be looked up in PubMed and imported using the fourth bar on the screen.
    • If a record is to be added manually ‘Select Record Type’ should be used to create a record with the appropriate fields.  Once the record type is identified a form will open with the relevant fields and tabs (on the left-hand side of the page) to the different field classes.  A copy of the paper can be uploaded using the ‘File Attachments’ control below the form; this copy will be accessible to site users, so caution should be taken to avoid uploading papers with copyright protection.
    • Selecting ‘Save’ will save the record.
  • For importing multiple records, on the row ‘Biblio’ (See under ‘Files’) select ‘Import’
    • Select the file type using the drop-down menu (BibTex, Endnote XML etc)
    • Browse to add the file for import
    • Select ‘Import’ at the foot of the page.
    • If a record duplicates one already in the bibliography it will not replace it, but will need to be deleted later.

5. Viewing the Media Gallery

The Media Gallery hold the images that have been uploaded to the site by users.  Currently this is just the ones for the Home page and the Partnership photograph.  Images can be downloaded (the CC licence is shown on the screen).

Contributors can add an image using the following steps:

•             From the top bar of any page select ‘Content’.

•             On the row ‘Image’ (See under ‘Files’) select ‘Add’

•             Files can be uploaded on the page that opens.

6. The Forums Tab

The Forum page is used for discussions.  Users can contribute to an existing discussion or create a new one.  Users can also set up an RSS feed to alert themselves to new posts.

7. The Events tab

Events entered onto the calendar can be seen on any of the relevant tabs. 

Contributors can add to the calendar using the following steps:

  • From the top bar of any page select ‘Content’.
  • On the row ‘Event’ select ‘Add’
  • Enter beginning and end dates
  • Include any details in the ‘Body’ field
  • Select ‘Save’ at the bottom of the page.
  • When the changes have been saved (a message will appear at the top of the page) close the editing page by the ‘X’ at the top right or by selecting ‘Home’ at the top left.

Anyone not logged in cannot make additions to the Calendar.

8. The Blog Tab

This allows Contributors to create their own blogs and publish them on the site.  To post a blog the user can use the “Create new blog entry” on the page, but this will lead to a hidden entry (visible only to the creator at the time of creation).

Alternatively, the Contributor can create and publish a Blog entry through the Content menu, and chose to publish it. 

Users not logged in cannot make additions to the Blog.

9. The News Tab

Contributors and users not logged in can add comments.  In future this page will also show RSS feeds from Partners’ web sites.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith