Online Final Reports

CeRDI developed a web-based digital repository for the Grains Research and Development Corporation's final reports dating back to the early 1990s. The Online Final Reports project used innovative knowledge management approaches to transform these reports into a consistent and accessible format. The project supports greater access to research outputs and greater uptake of research findings across the grains industry.

Background

At the completion of a project supported by investments from the Grains Research and Development Corporation a final report summarising the overall findings of the project is required to be submitted. CeRDI developed the Online Final Reports Publishing System to standardise the reports into a consistent and accessible format, review and approve the content, and publish the reports online.

Outcomes

The Online Final Reports project ensures growers and advisers have greater access to and can make use of Grains Research and Development Corporation supported research outputs. The Online Final Reports Publishing System provided the Grains Research and Development Corporation with the checks and balances required to populate their internal and external repositories.

Technical Features

Report content has been indexed to ensure the search function is efficient and effective, and enables users to filter by region, browsed by GRDC theme and agro-economic zone, limit the search to specific fields and order results by relevance. 

Other features include the ability to: 

• Setup different user access levels, from read-only access to full editing and publishing rights. 
• Automate notifications. 
• Generate user analytics and customised reporting. 
• Share published reports. 
• Publish project summaries. 
• Embed context-sensitive help and tools. 
• Add multiple geospatial locations to a report. 

An API for the public module has been developed to allow other systems to more easily integrate with the Online Final Reports Publishing System. 

Approach

The Online Final Reports Publishing System was designed to reflect established editing and review workflows, and to ensure a single point of truth for final report information. A workflow was developed to standardise the reports into a consistent and accessible format, review and approve the content, and publish the reports online.