University Research Magazine Association Conference 2009

1. University Research
Magazine Association
Conference 2009
College Station, TX
May 26 - May 29, 2009

2. Presented to the HSC Communications Council
Thursday, June 11, 2009
1:00 PM
via TTVN
from
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry

3. Presenter:
Art Upton, Webmaster
Baylor College of Dentistry
aupton@bcd.tamhsc.edu

4. Conference 2009
Choosing the cover story - Frank Stephenson, Florida State
Life after your magazine is killed - Conrad Storad, Arizona State
Setting up and running a research blog - Emily Carlson/NIH
Why it’s hard to get your institution’s name into print if the media write the
story - Deborah Illman, University of Washington
Editing health and medical stories - Barbara Gastel/Texas A&M
Writing for print and for the Web: old skills, new skills - Dale Rice, Texas A&M
Communicating research with social media - Max Malloy, Texas A&M AgriLife
Program
Moving the story from idea to print - Jason Smith, et al., UNC

5. “The Medium is the Message”
Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media,1964
• Key Question: How best integrate
Print/Web media -- TODAY
• Communicators: Must understand both
• To choose which Medium (Print or Web)
is appropriate for the Message

6. Print -vs- Web Communications
Network/Web Considerations
• A Network is a vehicle for machine
communication via wire/wireless
connections
• A Web is a vehicle for human
communication via machine network
connections

7. Print -vs- Web Communications
Network/Web Considerations
• Print: Choose printer based upon needs of the publication;
Web: Choose Managed Hosting of Infrastructure,
Platform, Software based upon the needs of the
Web
• Without these choices, publishers (Print or Web) are restricted.
• A University network is necessarily secured and restricted, being
multi-purpose and multi-user based.
• External publishing needs must be considered differently.

8. Managed Hosting
The “as a Service” Model
Infrastructure Platform Software
IaaS PaaS SaaS
• Hardware • L-inux • CMS
• Connectivity • A-pache • Blogs
• Bandwidth • M-ySQL • Social Network
• Security • P-latform • Other ...

9. Is it difficult, or expensive?
From: University Web Developer’s Digest (cuwebd.ning.org)
“It isn't very difficult to redirect a sub domain of your
university domain to an external hosting account supporting
(LAMP) where you can install (SaaS). It's totally transparent
for the end user and can provide you flexibility for just $5 to
$10 per month for the hosting account.
Karine JOLY
http://higheredexperts.com
http://collegewebeditor.com

10. Communicators & Web publishers should
always have this option.

11. Life after your magazine is killed
• Conrad Storad, Arizona State University
• His answer: Go write children’s books!
• In spite of his cynicism, the ASU example of
integration is not bad. Too bad the pub got axed.
Sorry, Conrad.
• http://asunews.asu.edu/

13. Setting up and running a research blog
• Emily Carlson, NIH Webmaster
of blog: “The Feedback Loop”
• Blog -- https://loop.nigms.nih.gov/
• Key points:
✓ A blog is NOT a “deliverable”
✓ Management is more like opening a store than delivering a product
✓ How to manage posts & comments in a workflow -- Analog:
Letters to the Editor
✓ The Feedback Loop model: 5 authors/24 hour turnaround time for
responses

15. Writing for print and for the Web: old skills, new skills
• Dale Rice, TAMU
• Teaches Political Blogging
• Key points:
✓ Write for “scanning”
✓ Break text visually (paragraphs/headings, etc.)
✓ Creative use of “Flip Videos”
✓ Consider a link to an interview audio
✓ Use Links well -- make documents “meta-docs”

16. Communicating Research with Social Media
• Max Malloy, AgriLife Webmaster
• “Work the Web”
• Key points:
✓ Facebook/Twitter, currently on top
✓ Others (e.g. MySpace) on the wane
✓ Need a strategy in order to insure currency of information
✓ important freedom to move with theAlum Association) give
Independence of AgriLife (and A&M
technology

18. Best Example:
• Symmetry Magazine (DOD - SLAC/Fermi)
• Magazine -- 6x/year
• Web -- Published in alternate months
‣ Features -- fixed between issues;
‣ Includes downloadable for print;
‣ News block changes daily.
‣ http://symmetrymagazine.org

20. Some Numbers:

21. What to do:
1. Don’t Panic: Get the Facts about existing publications;
2. Do some homework: Ask readers and target audiences
about their preferences; CASE has survey materials
3. Learn more: Determine possible cost-saving options for
mission-critical print publications;
4. Explore: Different electronic options for other print
publications;
5. Decide & Share: Share it with stakeholders, target
audiences, and readers.

22. Conclusion
• State of the Media:
‣ Print: wane, due to costs;
On the
‣ Web: rise, due to Big-Bang-for-Bucks.
On the
‣ Best interests Integrate the two media for the
best
practice:
of the institution.

23. More on my blog
http://webcomm.bcd.tamhsc.edu/sphpblog/

24. Slides can be found at
www.slideshare.net/arthurupton
http://webcomm.bcd.tamhsc.edu/sphpblog/