Getting Started Writing for the GISCC
The NCGIA Core Curriculum in GIScience is being created, edited,
reviewed and published entirely on the WWW. It is a large project
and we have established a standard format to make it easier for all of
us to create, use and manage. The Format
Unit and first complete unit (Coordinate
Systems Overview) demonstrate the full set of standards we'll be using.
However, we know that these formatting rules may be somewhat
overwhelming for those of you who are not HTML programmers. As we
want to get as many contributions to the new Core Curriculum as possible,
we don't want this to prevent your participation. Therefore, we offer
a number of different ways you can contribute as an author:
1. If you are comfortable with HTML, or you want the challenge of learning
it
Complete instructions for preparing your unit are given in the Format
Unit. Included are instructions about the different files you
need to create, what subdirectories to use and how to index your document
so that it will be easy for us to drop your completed unit into the Core
Curriculum framework. We appreciate your efforts in this regard as
it will make it much easier for our us to get the work done quickly.
2. If you would prefer to use the outliner in your word processor
Most word processors offer excellent outlining functionality. These
are ideal environments for creating the point form structure we need for
the new Core Curriculum. You can send us your unit in your word processor
format and we will try to directly translate your outline levels to the
necessary html list levels.
3. If you just want to write text in your favorite word processor or text
editor
Make sure to format your points so that secondary points are indented further
from the left margin than primary points. Use tabs or margin indents
to set these different indent levels.
For either option 2. or 3.
Although we're not expecting you to attend to all the items in the standard
Format Unit, it does contain some information which will help you prepare
your unit. In particular, you may want to read through the following
sections in the Format Unit:
When you are finished creating your document, contact your section editor
to discuss the best way to distribute your document for review. Once
it has been reviewed and revised as needed, we'll accept it in any standard
digital format (ASCII, standard word processor format, RTF). Delivery
to NCGIA should be coordinated by your section editor.