Creating a Group for Editing

How to Create an 18thConnect Group for Editing a Document in Typewright

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
I. PREPARATION: IS THERE ALREADY A GROUP LIKE YOURS?
II. CREATE YOUR GROUP
III. SETTING UP A DOCUMENT FOR YOUR GROUP TO EDIT
IV. USING YOUR GROUP TO COORDINATE EDITING IN TYPEWRIGHT
V. ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR POSTS

INTRODUCTION

TypeWright, our tool for correcting the text-version of a document made up of page images, can be used for a group that wants to work together to edit a single document.  An 18thConnect Group is very helpful when using TypeWright for class projects and for collaborating on academic projects for publication.

I. PREPARATION: IS THERE ALREADY A GROUP LIKE YOURS?

A. Check the public groups

1. Click on the “Exhibits” tab.

Figure 1 The Exhibits tab and the "Show" dropdown menu

Figure 1 The Exhibits tab and the “Show” dropdown menu

2. Find the “Show” dropdown menu.

  • If this is already set to show “Groups,” then just check the list that appears.
  • If the “Show” dropdown is not already set on “Groups,” click on the dropdown list and change this to “Groups.” Now check the list that appears.
Figure 2 The "Show" dropdown menu

Figure 2 The “Show” dropdown menu

B. Check the groups established for 18thConnect Classrooms.

1. Click on the “My18th” tab.
2. Look in the right-hand column for the “My Groups” section. At the bottom of the “My Groups” section, under a list of the Groups of which you are a member, you will see two links. Click on “Browse Groups” link, and then just check the list in the pop-up box.
Figure 3 "My18th" page, with My Groups: "Create" and Browse" links highlighted

Figure 3 “My18th” page, with My Groups: “Create” and Browse” links highlighted

II. CREATE YOUR GROUP

A. The “New Group Wizard”

1. From the My18th page, look again in the right-hand column for the “My Groups” section.
2. At the bottom of the “My Groups” section, under a list of the Groups of which you are a member, you will see the two “Create” and “Browse” links.
3. Click on “Create Group” link, and the “New Group Wizard” box will pop-up. This wizard will walk you through the process of defining your new group.

 

B. “Step 1: Group Information”

Here you enter your group’s information:
Figure 4 "New Group Wizard" Step 1

Figure 4 “New Group Wizard” Step 1

1. “Title:” is a text box where you can name the group.
2. “Description:” gives you a larger text box with formatting options and the ability to link to other pages or items, where you can give more details about your group.
3. “Show Membership:” provides a drop down menu with two options for allowing the listed membership of your group to be visible on the group’s page; you can choose for the membership list to be visible “To All” visitors to the page, or you can designate that only “Admins” will see the list of your group’s members.
(Explanatory text for this section reads: “Choose whether visitors to your group will be able to see the membership list displayed at the upper-right of your group page.”)
4. “Type:” drop down with three options. Choose the option that fits your group best, using the explanatory text on the page as your guide. Your choices are:
  • “Community,” (“The 18thConnect default group type, useful for sharing objects and forum threads.”
  • “Classroom,” (Explanatory text on the page reads: “Groups for using 18thConnect in the classroom.”)
  • “Peer Reviewed.” (Explanatory text on the page reads: “Publication groups work closely with the 18thConnect staff to vet their content. If you select this option a notification will be sent to the 18thConnect staff, and someone will be in contact with you soon.”)

NOTE: All three groups have somewhat different profiles and capabilities. For simplicity, this guide describes how to use the “Community” type group for coordinating the editing of your document across a group.

5. You will find the “Cancel” and “Next” buttons at the bottom of the Wizard. Click “Next” to continue to the second step of the wizard.

 

C. “Step 2: Invite People to your group”

Here you can list the people you want to be included in your group.
Figure 5 “New Group Wizard” Step 2

Figure 5 “New Group Wizard” Step 2

1. Follow the explanatory text provided for the two text boxes on this page:
  • “There are two ways to invite people to join your group in 18thConnect: email address or username. If you know the participants’ usernames, list them in the blank below, one per line.”
  • “Don’t know any usernames? Add email addresses of users you want to invite in the blank below, one per line.”
2. You will find the “Cancel,” “Previous,” and “Create Group” buttons at the bottom of the Wizard. When you click on the “Create Group” button, your new group page appears!

 

You are now the proud administrator of a newly created 18thConnect Group!

 

III. SETTING UP A DOCUMENT FOR YOUR GROUP TO EDIT

To set up a TypeWright document for your group to edit, you can create a discussion thread with a link to your document’s home page within TypeWright. Here’s how.

A. Begin a discussion about the document you want to edit

1. In the “DISCUSSIONS” section, found in the lower right corner of the group’s page, click on the “[New Post]” link.

Figure 6 Group page for Administrators, with "Discussions" section and "[New Post] link highlighted

Figure 6 Group page for Administrators, with “Discussions” section and “[New Post] link highlighted

2. This produces the self-titled pop-up.

Figure 7 The "New Post" pop-up box

Figure 7 The “New Post” pop-up box

a. In the “Title” text box, give your post a name, possibly the name of the document. This name will appear in the list of the group’s discussions.
b. The Group’s name is associated with the post automatically.
c. The “Topic” defaults to “18th-Century Studies” or you can change to one of the other options in the drop-down menu.
d. In the larger text box, you can describe your project or give initial instructions regarding the editing, or any give other helpful information in the text box under the topic; this text box is another one that allows you to add formatting for emphasis.

 

Before you post the discussion, your next step is to attach your document to the discussion post.

 

B. Link the discussion to the document

1.To establish a link to your document, click on the “Attach an item…” link found below the text box.
Three tabs now appear under the text box. These three tabs allow you do customize your discussion – and any reply to the discussion — with links to items the person posting has collected, to exhibits created and published in 18thConnect (using the tab labeled “NINES Exhibits”), and to websites, including your document in TypeWright, via a URL.
2. To establish a link to the Document Home page within TypeWright, which is a website with its own URL, click on the “Web Item” tab. You will see three text boxes.
Figure 8 Web Item tab

Figure 8 Web Item tab

a. In the top text box labeled “Caption,” type the wording that you want to appear as the link to the document in TypeWright.
b. In the middle text box labeled “URL,” type or paste the URL copied from your Document Home website for your document.
Figure 9 URI as it appears in the address of the Document Home page

Figure 9 URI as it appears in the address of the Document Home page

You can get to the Document Home web page by clicking on the “Edit” button for that document from a search result list that includes the document.
Figure 10 The "Edit" button as it appears in the Search Results list

Figure 10 The “Edit” button as it appears in the Search Results list

Also, if you have done any correcting of the document in TypeWright, you can get to the document’s home page from a link on your “My18th”page in the “My TypeWright” section at the top of the column on the right-hand side of the page.)
 Figure 11 "My TypeWright" on the "My18th"tab

Figure 11 “My TypeWright” on the “My18th”tab

c. If you have an image you would like to use as a “Thumbnail,” the lower text box provides a place for you to associate that image with the link to your document as well.
3. You will find the “Cancel” and “Post” buttons at the bottom of the “New Post” pop-up. Click “Post” to publish your discussion and link for your group to use.

 

This post now appears in the list of “DISCUSSIONS” on your group’s page (see Figure 6), and in the list of discussions that “Show” from the “Exhibits” tab (see Figures 1 and 2).

IV. USING YOUR GROUP TO COORDINATE EDITING IN TYPEWRIGHT

You have two main options for discussing your text within your group, depending on the needs of your group.

  • If your group plans to correct several documents
    Let each text serve as the first post in its own discussion thread. To continue the discussion, your group members can simply add their comments by clicking on the “Reply” button found on this document’s discussion page. Thus, one group can edit several documents, with every document heading its own discussion.
  • If your group plans to disband after correcting only one document
    Your group can discuss each new question separately when the members create a new post for every particular question, and discuss the question with replies to that particular question’s post. This works well for groups that correct a single document within a group, because each question has its own thread.

NOTE: Whichever you choose bear in mind that all members of your group can generate new discussion posts using the “[New Post]” link. Because all members of a group can post a new discussion, a group does not always follow either of these single paths. Experience suggests that clear instructions on how to reply can help avoid confusion.

V. ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR POSTS

Here are several other ways that the administrator of your group, the members of your group, and anyone who can see your posts can interact with your posts and replies.

A. Let others see your Group’s Discussions

As an Administrator, you control who can see and who can post to your discussions, by changing the “Forum Permissions:” in the “DISCUSSION” section of your group’s page (see figure 6). The permission level you choose will apply to all the discussions started from your group page. The default is “Open Discussion,” as described below.
Click on the “[change]” link for a pop-up with “Permissions” drop down; choices (and accompanying explanatory texts) are:
  • “Open Discussion” (“Anyone can read and any 18thConnect user can respond.”)
  • “Public Discussion” (“Anyone can read, but only group members may respond.”)
  • Private discussion” (“Only group members may read and respond to private discussions.”)

NOTE: “Private Discussion” will not appear to non-members on your group’s page, but they will appear in the “Discussions” list on the “Exhibits” tab. Further, if non-members access your discussion from that list, they are still allowed to read the posts, even when you have chosen to designate a “Private Discussion.”

B. Flagging posts

If anyone viewing the discussion finds a problem with a post, they can click on the “Flag this” icon in the “Posted by” line of the post’s header. This produces a pop-up text box with the explanatory text:
“Enter a reason in the space below and click ‘Report’ to send an email to the administrators complaining about this entry.”
As the administrator, you will receive the email. See below about what actions you can take.
Figure 12 A discussion Reply with "Flag this" and "[remove]" highlighted

Figure 12 A discussion Reply with “Flag this” and “[remove]” highlighted

C. Editing your own posts and replies

Once a discussion or a reply is posted the person who posted it can edit it by clicking on the “[edit]” link in the “Posted by” line of the post header. The pop-up box has all the functionality of the original post pop-up window. No one but the original author of a post or a reply can edit that post or reply.
Figure 13 Group discussion topic with "[edit]" and "[remove]" highlighted

Figure 13 Group discussion topic with “[edit]” and “[remove]” highlighted

D. Removing posts

Remove posts and replies by clicking the “[remove]” link at the end of the “Posted by” line. Everyone can remove their own posts and replies. As Owner of the group, you can remove member posts and replies.

 

WHAT NEXT??

The 18thConnect and TypeWright teams hope this guide helps you to have an enjoyable experience using TypeWright to coordinate a group to edit one or more documents.
For any questions, or to report problems, contact Liz Grumbach, the Project Manager for 18thConnect by emailing either technologies@18thconnect.org or liz@18thconnect.org.

Happy TypeWrighting!!