Well-Formed Document Workflow

General Overview

Scribe’s Well-Formed Document Workflow (WFDW) combines methodology and technology to enable you to produce print and electronic publications. Scribe's workflow intuitively functions within the normal editorial and production process, utilizing common software. The WFDW ensures that your publications are produced efficiently today, while unquestionably guaranteeing their future viability. The WFDW is full supported, easy-to-learn, XML workflow

Development Philosophy

The WFDW has been developed under the following principles:

  • Intuitive Reality-based Method to Publish
  • Cost Borne within Publishers’ Budget
  • Operates within Common Programs, No Special Skills
  • Does Not Require Version Consistency or Large Installations
  • Normal Part of Editorial and Production Process (Including Maintenance)
  • Support of Freelance Copyeditors and Typesetters
  • Point Document with Ability to Add Taxonomy and Metadata
  • Freestanding Modules within Digital Hub
  • True Multipurpose Publishing
  • Nimble
  • Multipurpose Publishing (Including WFDW) within Print Profit and Loss

Well-Formed Document

To be well formed, a document must have a consistent structure and adhere to the rules of the prevailing markup language. XML is based on a technical requirement of a well-formed document. The basic requirements for a well-formed document are as follows:

  • Publications Defined
  • Elements Delimited with Beginning and End Tag
  • Nesting Rules Followed

Publishing Books

Without requiring special coding, the WFDW uses the copyeditor's role of delineating structure as the basis for creating a well-formed document. Once a publication is a well-formed document, computer technology is employed to automate the movement from one format to another. Because the WFDW functions at every stage, you only have one live document stream. Thus, you never lose any alteration to the content. Publications can be altered at any stage, repurposed, or reissued. The WFDW allows for topic tags, key words, hyperlinks, cross-references, and other augmentation.

Implementation

The implementation of the WFDW starts with developing the trust and understanding of the staff. From there, we perform:

  • Staff Education (WFDW Tutorial)
  • Workflow Analysis
  • Content Analysis
  • Step-by-Step Training
  • Feedback and Support within WFDW Subscription

Support

Because staff members must implement the WFDW, and at least initially, they need help, we provide the following types of support:

  • WellFormedDocumentWorkflow.com
  • Macros, Scripts, XSL Transformations, Programs
  • Regular Review of Your Work
  • Transitional and On-going Support
  • Participation in Scribe Learning (E-mail, On-line)
  • Alerts to Updates

Developments in Progress

The WFDW is a dynamic, responsive, ever-evolving system. Some of the newly emerging pieces of the system are:

  • Web-based Digital Hub
  • XSLT Typesetter
  • Well-Formed Document Manager
  • Moving WFDW Upstream-—Developmental Editing
  • Taxonomy, Semantic Tagging, Metadata Throughout