Creating editorial content online

Auftraggeber: Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH

The Specialist Medical Journals editorial team at Springer Medizin Verlags GmbH, consisting of around 50 employees, continually produces book reviews and news articles to be used as "fillers" for empty spaces in specialist medical journals.

The tool allows the employees to create and manage editorial content in small batches with an online editor. Images can also be uploaded and integrated into the editorial content. Suitable templates are provided for the different types of fillers, such as boxes, book reviews, news articles, and suggested reading. A PDF in the final layout can be generated at any time at the touch of a button.

The approved content is available as a package of text content (XML) and images, or as a PDF, for issue building by the typesetters.

The tool has an additional function for content allocation. This allows the content to be assigned for optional or obligatory use in individual journals or specific books. To produce a book, the typesetters can download all the allocated content with a request via an automatic interface (REST). Once the book has been approved for printing, this interface provides information on which content was actually used. This assists with planning future issues.

This new tool lets the journal editors create and design fillers quickly and easily—without any of the usual layout programs. It also cuts out the time-consuming back and forth between the editorial and production editing departments, and the results are visible immediately. This hugely facilitates the work and creates flexibility. 

Dr. Frank Sommerauer, Director Editorial Processes, Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH