Integrating Print and Web Documents

May 2001

In the past, there was a high level of organizational dependency on print as the primary method of disseminating research. However, there is a growing realization that Web sites can also serve as a venue for the voice of an organization by publishing its mission and vision, highlighting ongoing activities, featuring recent publications and creating online communities. With so many possible functions for an organization's Web site, it has become vital that the Web site initiative be incorporated into overall communication and dissemination strategies. One important aspect of that is creating a link between print and online documents.

Keeping print and Web documents separate

Before a link can be built, the differences between developing documents for print and the Web should be highlighted, and the need to keep print and Web documents separately understood. Below are a few points to keep in mind:

• Developing Web content using print files complicates content design and maintenance.
• When creating a Web document, content and structure is emphasized not layout.
• The Web documents have greater potential for interactivity, and potentially have a longer shelf life if they are continually updated and changed.
• Printed documents are distributed and more easily used among older generations or remote societies who lack access or Internet skills.
• Web users are looking for quick, brief information.

To post or not to post

Now that the differences are noted, a decision to convert print into Web should be made. Some important questions to take into consideration before making this decision are:

• What is the relationship between print sales and free Web content?

If publication sales do not account for a large source of revenue, giving away information freely on the Web is an excellent way of marketing the expertise of the organization. This may lead to increased visibility of the organization and increased project funding opportunities.

In other cases, sales of documents and research publications may be an important source of revenue for an organization. Such organizations often fear that making full-text documents available online will hurt their print sales. However, others have found that making documents available in full-text online actually stimulates demand for high-quality books.

Example:

Sangeeta Pandey is the Documentation Officer and Webperson at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development based in Nepal. The organization sells publications, and did not wish to post documents on the Web for fear of diminishing sales. Pandey saw the Web site as a way to promote and market research in the specialized area of mountain development. She developed an online catalogue of the organization's documents with a short abstract about each publication. Users had the option of sending in requests for the publications; currently more than 50 per cent of publication requests come from the Internet.

Example:

IISD's primary sources of revenue are core and project-specific grants. Print publication sales account for less than one per cent of its annual revenue. IISD makes all working papers, books and meeting reports freely available on its Web site. The organization's goal is to ensure that decision-makers have access to its knowledge base in whatever format they prefer. Through this process, IISD has found that each publication has a unique purchase/download profile. For example, "Indicators for Sustainable Development: Theory, Method, Applications"—a highly academic paper—has been downloaded thousands of times while only a handful of print copies have been sold. By contrast, "Locating the Energy for Change" about community level applications of appreciate inquiry methodologies has sold a proportionally large number of print copies.

• What format will benefit my target audience?

Before re-writing a document for the Web site, determine which format would be most useful to your user audience. If it is research results that you would like to share, re-writing in a style suitable for the Web may be appropriate, particularly if your target audience is more interested in the conclusions and recommendations then in the specifics of the research (such as policy-makers). However, if the end user would find the entire document more useful, it may be easier to post it directly as PDF. It is important that this be addressed in project management. Organizations should also develop a publishing policy that is consistent with their mandate.

Building the partnership

Below are some ways that an organizations print and Web documents can work together to complement one another:

• Include Web site links on printed documents (such as annual reports, newsletters, project brochures, etc.) that will highlight updated and new features.
• Establish a liaison between the research department and the Internet team. In cases where there is only one Webmaster, a more formal connection might need to be made so that as research is handed over for publications, the Webmaster is also involved. For larger organizations, this does not have to be a face-to-face relationship, but can be e-mail based. This way, ideas for promoting the printed version and the best format for the Web version can be discussed from the initial phase.
• Develop a design that incorporates the document into the overall design theme of the Web site, but also maintains the original material look and accuracy of the printed document.
• Design a post card as part of the printed marketing material that features the organization's Web site, and informs the target audience of information and services that are available on the Web site.
• Create a complimentary print and online catalogue of publications and products. The print version should have a link to the online catalogue. At the same time, the online catalogue should allow users the option of ordering a hard copy. The online catalogue can also serve as the most updated version of the organization's catalogue, and hard copy users can always access the Web site for the latest version.
• Create a print-friendly newsletter that can be posted on the Web. If you are a network, members can print the newsletter and distribute it as a hard copy without the network incurring mailing and printing costs.
• Incorporate Web management, time and resources allocated in project proposals.

Pitfalls to avoid

Avoid providing partial information on printed material with a link to the remainder on the electronic version. This may frustrate a user who is reading a print version and does not have access to the Internet.

Don't be the last to know. Remain informed as documents enter the printing stage. Demonstrate to your managers that developing Web and print documents in parallel to one another can virtually double operational costs.