Documentation and archive
(TEMPORARY) GUIDELINE
Working Group: Breyner, Ferdi, Jumana, Sally, Ying
This is a temporary proposal on how to document and archive AC’s working process. The goal of having clear guidelines about documentation is to create a common ground for what kinds of things are important to be documented. We like to think through a common digital space with a clear archival structure that working groups can use to archive their working processes and materials. An accessible archival structure can help to make each other’s work internally transparent, make our knowledge easily transferrable to new members and smoothen the working process.
This proposal is temporary, as ideally, this archival structure would become part of the website. Until that moment comes, we like to reorganize the google drive.
Click here to access the AC Documentation & Archive at Googledrive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8pqeUYqSVX_ODdZNzd5aGotUVE
We see this drive as a pilot to exercise how to collectively document and archive. As soon as the website is up, we can learn from this process to habituate the practice.
GENERAL INFO
The capacity of Googledrive free service is very limited, so make sure that the documents you upload is not too large in terms of size and file types (see below for details).
As we agreed, the network working language is Spanish, English and French. So try to provide translations for the archive that you upload (even if it is just a summary of the document).
WHAT TO DOCUMENT
General
Photographs/Images (Jpeg. format, max. File size each: 500 kb).
You may use our AC flickr account (Yahoo ID: we@artscollaboratory, password: Artscollaboratory123) and archive the link in the folder. Heads Up: Please note there is a difference between images of your harvests/working materials and images of activities like Assemblies, Banga’s or group (selfie) pictures. Upload your working materials in your working group folders. Upload the activities images on the Flickr.
Audio (mp3 format, max file size: 4 MB)
Another option is to use your own soundcloud account (but mind you that the capacity is only limited to 3 hours for a free account).
Video
Due to the limited capacity of the google drive, we propose the following: upload your videos on your own channels, for example: youtube or vimeo. Then archive the link in the folder.
Reading material (Articles, Books, References, Models of working etc.) (In pdf.)
General AC information, including general info of all members (logos, mission statements, etcetera) and documents related to the network life (Resource map, AC Future Plan etc.)
Working groups
Meeting minutes
Meeting harvest (if it was harvested)
Process materials: sketches, diagrams, doodles, etc.
Working documents: concepts, proposals, budgets, schedules, etc.
Financial documents, in collaboration with Admin group: budgets, invoices, bank information, taxes
Activities
Lifeline Triangle
Banga
Assembly
Collaborative projects (for now Minga, Schoolaboratory & Territories)
HOW TO STORE ARCHIVE ONLINE
The documentation WG had initiated a simple and general archival structure, where each working group can adapt to fit their own working process.
Working groups are responsible for their own documentation and archiving. The documentation WG has created some basic folders for a start but all the other working groups can add more based on their specific needs.
Save all your material in the digital archive!
Digitalize whatever you can! Meaning: type out your notes, photograph your harvests, scan your diagrams.
The Map for AC Documentation & Archive @Googledrive
There are six main folders provided (see diagram in dark grey box for details), and each folder contains several subfolders depending on the complexity of the informations documented.
In the future website, it should be much easier since the different subfolders can be marked and managed by clicking certain bulletpoints.
But due to the limitation of googledrive appearance (you may get lost in different layers of folder!) we limit the maximum amount of subfolders to the third layer only (such as in the blue box related to working group documents and the red box related to activities).
NOTES
In general, to simplify the process of migrating existing documents from google drive to the website later on, make sure that each document that you uploaded has a clear heading.
For example, if you want to upload a note during one working session on Website on in Assembly 2016, during day 2 in Issykul, then put the document in the folder assembly under a title. Please also mention the language of the document:
File name: Working Session-Website-Note-Spanish- Issykul Day 2
In case you have many things to document, like a set of images that you want to upload, place them together in one folder and name it accordingly based on the name of the events-time-location, such as: Assembly 2016 Bishkek
You can name the photographs as you wish. If there are many, please make a small selection of your favourites (about 20-30) by adding a star. It’s an option in Googledrive, that you can get to by right clicking on the file.
Calm down!
We understand the detailed naming of the files can be jarring, but this is important for future use and hopefully after the website is done we can assign different archive automatically.
Guidelines – Editing of AC Documents
This document has been developed based on the experience that we (Marie-Nour, Ana, and Tony) had in editing the first version of the AC Future Plan into the second version (from Dec. 15 to Feb. 15).
It could be extended to any editing process realized for AC documents.
Note: Google doc is currently AC preferred mode of working collectively on a document, as it allows several people to work simultaneously on it while viewing live the changes that are being made.
A process should be determined to identify the editorial group for each version of the AC Future Plan.
I- Planning
1/ Delimiting the goals of the editorial project with the agreement of AC members. These goals can include, but are not limited to, simple spelling and grammar corrections as well as more substantive changes that reflect new or changed processes or dynamics in the AC ecosystem.
2/ Identifying exactly what would need to be done, i.e: the missing points that need to be developed; the paragraphs that need to be reviewed to reflect the change of tone/ the recent practices of AC, etc.
3/ Agreeing on a general timeframe.
4/ Dividing the tasks between the members of the group.
5/ Planning weekly or bi-weekly skype meeting to check on the progress, plan the next steps, and talk about the difficulties encountered.
6/ In order to keep track of the progress and the upcoming tasks, after each skype meeting a member should send by email the notes of the skype and/or a list of the upcoming tasks to do to the group.
II- Working on the document
1/ It is preferable to use the suggestion mode so that previous texts don’t disappear.
2/ In general one or more persons are solely responsible for a section, this doesn’t mean that the section can’t be reviewed by other members of the editing group. They are more than welcome and encouraged to comment on the changes, raise a question and/ or suggest edits.
3/ The person working on a section could also actively ask for help, by adding a comment and/ or bringing up the issue during a skype meeting.
4/ Every once in awhile, it is preferable to review the whole document and read the comments that are marked.
III- Incorporating comments/ accepting the changes
1/ It is better that the person in charge of a certain section is the one accepting the changes, and reviewing the comments made by the others
2/ Make sure that previous sections are not deleted before they have been included elsewhere or it appears clearly that they are not relevant anymore
IV- Highlighting unclarities
1/ If questions arise during the editorial process regarding processes, policies or principles, it is recommended to create a section or sub-section highlighting the unresolved questions and/ or future suggestions that arose during the editing process and that should to be further discussed with all of AC. These can then be addressed in the next assembly or perhaps in consultation with a working group who is familiar with the question.
V- Review and Finalizing
1/ After the bulk of the work has been done, it is recommended that the document is reviewed by members of AC (one or two people max.), outside of the Editing group, that could have a fresh perspective and give their comments. At this point in the process the task is to continue to check details such as spelling and grammar, and also to add comments regarding the organization of the document, the importance and clarity of each section, the accuracy of the incorporation of the decisions that were made prior to the edition of the document and the adherence to the original philosophical and ethical principles.
2/ After the outside review is completed, the document should be returned to the Editorial Group in order to incorporate the suggestions made in the review. It is recommended that these comments and suggestions be done in the ‘Suggesting’ mode and by using ‘comments’ in Google docs.
VI- Translation
1/ In line with our principles, AC documents should be translated as often as possible into Spanish and French.
2/ This step should happen only after the final edits have been made, in order to have a clean version and not duplicates in process.
3/ The Editorial group should suggest names for translators and supervise the process.
4/ It would be helpful to also be able to review the translations for accuracy. This could occur if some of the members of the Editorial groups are fluent, or native Spanish or French speakers or by asking other AC members to help or by contracting with outside reviewers.
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