By-products / CD-ROM / Online

International Organization Information / Research: 2004 (Part #6)

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Yearbook Plus (CD-ROM version): The available updated information was incorporated into the Yearbook CD-ROM (8th edition) and into the current 2003 (9th edition). The production processes for the 9th edition (2003) were considerably facilitated by the experience of the 2002 (8th edition), which had required the implementation of new interface software.

As with that edition it included the 4th edition of the Who's Who in International Organizations (2003). Work, and testing, is being completed in September 2003 with a view to production in October 2003 The CD incorporates all 25,979 organization descriptions in English from the 2003–2004 book version and an additional 17,371 bodies of secondary interest. Concerns remain regarding the copy security features on this product, despite continuing discussions with SAUR.

Yearbook of International Organizations (Online version) Continuing interchange with SAUR (and through them with GALE) has resulted in many improvements in the access facilities to this version: Yearbook Online. UN agencies continue to form a significant part of the subscribers

Access to this part of the subscription. SAUR recognizes the online format to be of growing importance in comparison with the book version. As a result of agreement with SAUR, the images from the UIA's World Guide to Logotypes (1997) were included in the online organization profiles as a further means of enhancing the quality of the service.

Concern has been expressed to SAUR regarding the continuing demands on UIA staff time (in the person of Tomáš Fülöpp) in handling special connection problems of subscribers but especially adjusting the usage statistics (which may well be counter-productive to some sales), access features and user friendliness to facilitate the task of GALE sales personnel. It is clear however that many changes are appropriate in response to the increasing standardization of facilities within the wider online environment. GALE currently obtains 30 percent of its revenue from online services – possibly a future expectation in relation to UIA.

Republication of UIA historical publications Progress continues on the work (partially outsourced to Delphi in Slovakia) in processing UIA historical publications – notably with a view to its centennial celebrations.

UIA journal: All versions of the UIA periodical (La Vie Internationale, 1912- 21; Bulletin des associations internationales, 1943-44; Bulletin mensuel de l'Union des Associations Internationales, 1951-53; International Associations, 1954-76; Transnational Associations, 1977-2001) have now been scanned into image form – totalling some 35,000 pages. Note, as such they cannot be effectively used because of the size of each image file or effectively searched.

These image pages are in process of being converted into searchable text in MS Word format. The current situation with this process is as follows: -- Completed: (and transferred to Brussels): 1953-1955, 1957-2002 (and the 1910 Congress proceedings) -- Not yet completed: 1943, 1944, 1951, 1952, 1956 as well as 1912, 1913, 1914, Congress 1911, Congress 1913 The next stage is to convert these pages to PDF format (for ease of distribution under online subscription or on CD-ROM). This is in principle a low-cost, rapid process. Completed test versions are being used to refine the access process with a view to permitting access online under subscription in addition to any possible CD-ROM version. The issue will be whether to commence marketing the product in its "rough" form, with limited facilities, indexing and interlinking, or whether to improve the product to increase its attractiveness, or some combination of these two strategies (eg various versions, subsets by theme, etc). .

These tests will also make it possible for more concrete discussion of options with regard to the future of any online version of the current issues of Transnational Associations (see below), which could be integrated into the same format.

Links to individual articles in past issues of Transnational Associations will be 3 provided from the online bibliography of research papers that forms part of Volume 4 of the Yearbook. Subsequently efforts will be made to design an access procedure via subject groups independently of that provided via the online databases.

Recent discussions with SAUR had indicated some interest in marketing this facility, possibly in conjunction with online access to the Yearbook. It may prove more appropriate to allow SAUR to market the product but to treat it as a UIA product. The possibility of marketing a CD-ROM of back issues of Transnational Associations is also under consideration. The approach to be taken will be affected by the scope of any future contract for the publication of Transnational Associations (see below).

UIA Yearbooks: SAUR is now advertising an online version of the UIA's historical Annuaire de la Vie Internationale (1905-1911; 5,000 pages). These may be placed on CD-ROM in the future. Currently they are in MSWord format and merit conversion to PDF format as indicated above.

Multimedia products: As indicated previously, following the production for demonstration purposes of poster-size maps (of networks of organizations, problems, strategies, etc) generated from the online facility, further work on these products is now envisaged in relation to a new marketing approach. The main focus of such work is currently with respect to Volume 5.

These facilities could play a key part in the UIA's participation in some future international meetings. The hiring of a new part-time assistant may help to advance this possibility.

Website and database access Considerable work continues to be done to improve the look, feel, organization, navigation, currency and integration of the UIA's static and dynamic websites – notably in relation to the needs of online subscribers and the new facilities 4 (historical publications, etc). This is important in developing the image of the UIA on the web, notably as it affects UIA ability to market its publications and services.

As indicated above, the subscription online access service to the Yearbook is being positioned by SAUR as an important complement to the hardcopy and CD-ROM versions. The free databases (problems, strategies, etc) integrated with it continue to be conceived as an important marketing tool.

Unfortunately some essential work has had to be delayed because of demands on the time of Tomáš Fülöpp. This situation has now been partially alleviated by hiring a part-time person to reduce other demands on his time.

Regular update procedures have now been standardized.

Integration of content It is useful to recognize the unique degree of integration of the content of UIA information. From a technical perspective, this follows from the continuing development of software and hardware in relation to the internet, as discussed in a separate document From a content perspective however, the degree of integration can be recognized from the following table showing how many of the databases are directly or indirectly interlinked.

This integration offers, potentially, a degree of synergy between UIA information products that may increasingly constitute the principle advantage of the UIA information over other products and services. The key point here is that whilst other initiatives may be able to offer more, or even higher quality, information in certain areas – none can offer the degree of integration between them. This is notably evident in the case of the relationship between the Calendar and the Yearbook, which effectively "protect" each other's viability in the commercial market. The same is true of the relationship with the "Encyclopedia" databases (world problems, strategies, values, human development, etc).

The key question for the UIA is how to promote the relevance of this integration and synergy for users. The core argument is that in an increasingly complex society, single issue approaches to information are of limited strategic relevance when successful campaigns must seek strategic windows of opportunity that strike a balance between the interests of multiple stakeholders.

The UIA's strategy in relation to these issues is discussed elsewhere (Point #7.4)

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