STM Publisher offers improved customer experience and reduces turnaround time with Intelligent Content Technology

When ScholarOne a provider of Web-based workflow solutions to scholarly societies, sought to improve customer experience and reduce turnaround time, it selected Intelligent Content Technology. A pilot project with one of its customers revealed that it was possible to improve the customer experience and reduce turn-around time, at the same time.One of the primary key success factors–the Intelligent Content Technology.

Business Situation

ScholarOne provides web-based submission and peer review workflow solutions for scholarly publishers of journals, meeting abstracts, and conference proceedings. Researchers around the world use ScholarOne web-based system for submission of their manuscripts for publication in various scholarly journals. The prestigious journals have their professional publication guidelines and requirements. ScholarOne offers information solutions to its customers in every stage of the process.

While the time from acceptance to publishing is usually several weeks to months, ScholarOne publishes a First Edition of the accepted articles for online access only. Researchers and Journal Publishers expected the First Edition to be published within a short period of time from acceptance, and follow professional publication styles as much as possible. At the same time, authors needed improved experience in collaborating on documents during the publication process.

Solution

After extensive research, ScholarOne sought to use XML to meet both its objectives – the publishing of First Edition and to improve the customer experience. While the use of XML in publishing processes is common, it is often used toward the end of the process when the content is finalized. Using XML for process improvement wasn’t easy, and ScholarOne decided to commence a Pilot project with one of its customers.

In the Pilot project, ScholarOne sought to automate the identification of metadata from the submitted manuscript. Correct identification of metadata could reduce the submission process from filling out seven-pages of information to simply confirming that the system identified metadata was correct (or correcting it if it wasn’t correct).Secondly, ScholarOne looked for a technology that could identify where the manuscript deviated from the publisher’s guidelines.

They found both the features in the Intelligent Content Plug-In product. Intelligent Content Plug-In could automate the analysis of submitted documents, and add XML markup based on an XML Schema developed for the journal. During XML markup, the Intelligent Content Plug-In also identifies parts of the document that deviate from the journal styles. After extensive analysis, ScholarOne selected the Intelligent Content Plug-In for the pilot project. The project team developed an XML Schema and configured icPlugIn for automated analysis of submitted manuscripts.

Benefits

ScholarOne reported improved communication with customers, and reduced turnaround time for publishing of the First Edition.

About this Case Study

Publication History

First Publication: September 2008