1. Automated
Workflow at the
AJR
An “off-the-shelf”
implementation of
production automation
Becky Haines
bhaines@acr-arrs.org

2. The American Journal of
Roentgenology (AJR)
 Published continuously since 1906
 Published by the American Roentgen Ray
Society (founded in 1895)
 Self-published since the 1980s
 Online with HighWire since 2000; back
issues to 1965

3. American Roentgen Ray
Society
 $10 million organization
 About ½ of the budget is Publications
related
 20,000+ current members; 24,000+
current readers
 Educational focus (Annual Meeting, e.g.)
 Recently partnered/merged with American
College of Radiology

4. The American Journal of
Roentgenology (AJR)
 Largely proffered papers
 ca. 2,000 submission per year
 Multiple article types; largest category >1,000
are original research papers
 Double-blinded peer review
 ca. 3,600 reviews per year
 CME for review offered

5. The American Journal of
Roentgenology (AJR)
 Tiered editorial structure
 EIC
 12 Section Editors
 50+ Assistant Editors
 Super Reviewers (pool of ca. 100)
 1,600 Reviewers

6. American Roentgen Ray Society
Publications Department
 AJR (300+ page monthly)
 AJR Integrative Imaging (80-page educational
quarterly)
 JACR (uses EM via Elsevier)
 1 monthly CME subscription product for technologists
 Two 32-page magazines print and digital (1 monthly
and 1 quarterly)
 1 monthly e-newsletter
 Two 300+-page book projects annually
 Assorted books, monographs, and other projects

7. Publications Department Services
 Product development
 Copy editing and proofreading
 Page layout and graphic design
 Project management from author to
delivery

8. Publications Department Staffing
 Scholarly Editorial
 1 manager, 2 peer review, 1 production
coordination/tracking, 5 FT copyeditors, 3 to 5 PT
freelancers
 Magazine Editorial
 1 manager; 1 production manager, 1 editorial
manager (TK), 2 writers
 Production
 1 manager, 2 production/graphic artists, 1 project
manager, 1 production assistant (TK)

9. Automated Workflow
 Launched with Rapid Review in 2002
 Re-launched with Editorial Manager and
Prepress/Production Manager in 2007
 Aries products selected specifically because of
PM and enhanced references
 Configurability of the system was major selling
point
 Semi-automated workflow
 EM/PM (xStyles for references)
 DJS Edit Express

10. Automated Workflow
 Staffed and Administered by Production Coordinator
 Administration rights shared among management team
 Used for AJR; separate site for AJRII
 Configurable to accommodate articles with distinct
workflows like CME
 24/7 and seldom offline (even when we’re tired and
would like it to be)
 Other projects run through AJR site
 Categorical Course
 A2D
 Other book projects

11. Automated Workflow--The Good
 Role and queue based
 Easy use of offsite freelancers
 One team member is in South Africa
 Accurate tracking and reporting
 Deadline monitoring
 Document repository
 Task and file interaction between departments
 Information sharing and research projects
 Modularization speeds production but still provides
dashboard view

12. Automated Workflow—
The Not So Good
 24/7 MEANS 24/7
 Reporting is rudimentary
 Flag system can be overwhelming if you get a bit
too “flag happy”
 If not used correctly can create mayhem—close
those tasks darn it!
 It’s not easy to get rid of someone in the system
(see bullet above…sigh!)
 More options add to greater complexity; i.e.,
configurability can = confusion for a small shop

13. Highly Configurable

14. AJR Automated Workflow
from Start to Finish
Galley layout
MS prep post-acceptance Copy editing
A E P (includes image prep)
Correction check Front end corrections Front end proofing
E P E
Galleys mail to author Compile Page layout
A E P
Back end proofing and Pages mail to author
To notebook/press
P E page compile A and SE
A = Admin; E = Editorial; P = Production

15. Assign Translation Task to DJS
 Automated outside vendor task
 First step in our automated manuscript
process
 Applies style and format macros
 Checks callouts and manuscript items
 Generates a styled Word document and
tables
 Formats and validates references

16. Assign file prep and contact sheet
tasks to staff
 Allows multiple
staffers to work
on article
preparation
sequentially or
concurrently
 Distributes
clerical or
technical tasks
appropriately
 Files accessed
as needed

17. Assign layout task and files

18. View Individual’s Task Assignments
 Monitor
workload
 Reassign
tasks
 Proxy and
complete

19. Assign Galley Mailing to author

20. Sharing files and reducing
processing time
 Author replies are uploaded
 Copy editors have access to all files
 While proofreading, copy editors can check
for author and section editor replies
 Allows for compression of multiple tasks into
one
 Speeds production and minimizes task
reassignment

21. Confession re Post-Production
Tasks
 PM offers
post-
production
data
collection
 We haven’t
found the
time to do it
yet, but it’s
on our list

22. Flags and More Flags

23. Other Projects—Categorical
Course

24. Other Projects—Categorical
Course

25. Other Projects—Categorical
Course

26. Other Projects—A2D

27. Other Projects—A2D

28. Other Projects—A2D

30. Two Sites—AJRII Pros
 Keeps divergent workflows
truly separate
 Keeps statistics cleaner and
easier to monitor
 Keeps EICs out of each
others’ business
 Makes it easier to get a
snapshot of each journal’s
work
 Keeps smaller journal from
getting “lost” in bigger
journal workflow

31. Two Sites—AJRII Cons
 Can be
overlooked in
daily work on
more frequent
publication
 Workflows
become so
divergent the 2nd
site may not be
updated promptly
when changes
made

32. Automated Workflow Musts
 Volume = cost effective
 Know your process
 Staff resource
 Fearlessness

33. Things we didn’t think about when
we started
 Numbering scheme
 Hard coded names and contacts in letters
 That we’d still cling to paper folders
 That we’d be able to respond to requests for change so
quickly
 The system would allow us to understand our entire
process better
 Individual or modular tasks are apparent to all
 Transparency in process encourages responsibility and
accountability
 The system ties a bow on the package that everyone wants

34. Go For It, If…
 You have enough volume
 You have enough complexity (and who doesn’t
these days!)
 You have geographically distributed staff,
authors, or vendors (and if you don’t, you
should)
 You want to take control of your processes
 You do your own editing and page layout or
want to

35. And Even If…
 You don’t have an XML-based workflow
 You don’t use a structured pagination tool
 You send files to HighWire and they send
them out to be formatted for their DTD
 You think you are behind the technology 8
ball

36. Automated Workflow is for you:
 If you want to gain better control of your process
and recognize improvements in:
 Time to publication--we can publish in as little as 3
weeks if necessary
 File retrieval—no more warehouse or musty file
folders
 Improve intra- and inter-team communication—notes,
notes, and more notes
 Minimize errors—flags can save you
 Learn more about your process so you can keep
improving it