Running head: LAB 1 – JOURNALHUB PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Lab 1 – JournalHub Product Description
Adam Lawson
Old Dominion University
CS411
Janet Brunelle
February 7, 2016
Version 1
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LAB 1 – JOURNALHUB PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Table of Contents
1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………3
2 Product Description…………………………………………………………………………4
2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities……………………………………………4
2.2 Major Components (Hardware/Software)…………………………………………4
3 Identification of Case Study…………………………………………………………………5
4 Product Prototype Description………………………………………………………………5
4.1 Prototype Architecture (Hardware/Software)……………………………………..6
4.2 Prototype Features and Capabilities……………………………………………….6
4.3 Prototype Development Challenges……………………………………………….7
Glossary………………………………………………………………………………………..8
References……………………………………………………………………………………..9
Figures and Tables
Figure 1………………………………………………………………………………………..5
Table 1………………………………………………………………………………………...6
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LAB 1 – JOURNALHUB PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
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Lab 1 - JournalHub Product Description
Introduction
As people go about their lives, they rely on media in all its forms to stay informed of
current events and topics of interest. In particular, newspaper organizations provide critical,
time-sensitive content to readers both online and in print. To carry out this mission, these
organizations, such as the Virginian Pilot, rely on their reporters to find relevant information and
compile it into useful, comprehensive stories within tight deadlines. Unfortunately, the current
systems for managing existing and upcoming content are inadequate, potentially requiring the
staff to sift through obnoxious amounts of irrelevant data. Worse, the information is rarely in the
same location and is often spread amongst disparate management systems.
Without a centralized, coordinating tool to store, review, and retrieve relevant stories and
information, the process as it stands is wasteful in both time and energy. Most organizations
acknowledge that proper management of resources is important for maximizing their potential
(Semore, 2014). Despite this, over 35% of businesses lack a central project information
repository, costing additional time and money (Burger, 2014). The solution for many
organizations is a normal Content Management System, or CMS. The solution for news
organizations is JournalHub.
News organizations need an intuitive, and comprehensive tool for their work. One from
which accessing and searching old stories or checking to see what stories are active and where is
just a few clicks away, whether via a computer or mobile device. JournalHub will meet this
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specification and more, providing a centralized, all-in-one interface for stories old and new,
complete with tracking information and notifications.
2 Product Description
2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities
There are a number of existing CMS available. What makes JournalHub unique is that it
is designed from the ground up as a coordinating platform for news organizations using a backend CMS. It includes numerous features tailored for this task, including slugs, news-relevant
notifications, and sections. By approaching the problems from the specific vantage point of news
media, JournalHub will be able to keep track of and display critical journalism-specific
information while eliminating anything unnecessary for the production of quality news content.
Critically, all important elements of stories will be organized and accessed via JournalHub,
whether it be on the web or on a compatible mobile device. JournalHub will have support for
notifications about deadlines, requests, edits, or other critical dates, and provide a simple, clean
interface for access.
2.2 Major Components (Hardware/Software)
JournalHub will require several hardware and software components to function. These
include an accessible database as well as a web server. The web interface will be programmed in
PHP, while the database will make use of MySQL to store the relevant information about the
stories. JournalHub will also make use of open-source CMS software for actual file management.
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Figure 1. JournalHub Major Component Diagram.
3 Identification of Case Study
JournalHub will be relevant for any and all modern news organizations seeking a more
cohesive experience in regards to stories and content. With more and more people now seeking
fast, responsive information about current events and topics online, the pace of reporting has
increased. To keep up with the demands of the modern consumer, news organizations must
publish timely, correct new stories as they break. In order to help meet these needs of the modern
newsroom, a more effective interface for content must be available. JournalHub will fulfill this
requirement and ease the creation of new content while allowing staff to stay fully informed.
4 Product Prototype Description
The prototype for JournalHub will demonstrate the user’s ability to quickly and
efficiently find, add, and manage news content.
LAB 1 – JOURNALHUB PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
4.1 Prototype Architecture (Hardware/Software)
Structurally the JournalHub prototype will be similar to the final product, with a few
distinct differences. The prototype will be based on Feng Office, making use of a MySQL
relational database.
4.2 Prototype Features and Capabilities
The prototype will demonstrate the functionality of JournalHub from both a traditional
web browser as well as an Android device.
Table 1. Prototype vs RWP Comparison
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As seen in Table 1, the majority of JournalHub’s features will be present in the prototype.
Notable exceptions are the integration of existing CMS and databases, which will not be present
in the prototype due to the scope of the task and the access required to do so. Additionally, the
budgeting system will be list-based instead of graphical, and the prototype may not be
compatible with all browsers or iOS devices. A user of the prototype will be able to access prebuilt story information via search, create a new story with multiple files, be notified of relevant
changes, and budget stories as authorized. By keeping the interface simple and uncluttered, the
prototype, like the RWP, will be fast and easy to use, managing all news content seamlessly.
4.3 Prototype Development Challenges
There will be challenges that must be overcome to successfully complete the JournalHub
prototype. Foremost amongst these, the design team has little experience with mobile app
development, a critical component in demonstrating JournalHub’s efficacy for on-the-go
reporting. This may be mitigated by research as well as consulting others who are more familiar
with these devices. Failing this, open-source app software may need to be used to resolve the
issue.
Another potential challenge is found in making sure all the separate functional
components come together and interact properly. Since the components will be designed by
different individuals within the team, disparities may arise between implementations. To mitigate
this, completed components should be clearly labelled and proper commenting should be used
where applicable. By staying in close communication, team members will understand how each
component works, minimizing the risk of incompatibility.
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Glossary
Content Management System (CMS): Software that implements publishing, editing and modifying
functions for various types of content
Database: A structured set of data stored by a computer that can be accessed from another machine
MySQL: An open-source database management system
PHP: An open-source scripting language commonly used for web development, since it may be
embedded in HTML
Feng Office: A free, open-source project management tool
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References
Burger, R. (2014, July 7). 14 Surprising Project Management Statistics. Retrieved October 21,
2015, from http://blog.capterra.com/surprising-project-management-statistics
Puscasu, A. (2015, April 26). Project Management Statistics. Retrieved October 21, 2015, from
http://apepm.co.uk/project-management-statistics/
Semore, B. (2014, October 20). Project Management Success: Part 1, Know Your Stakeholders –
Pinnacle. Retrieved October 21, 2015, from http://pbsnow.com/pinnacle-point/projectmanagement-success-know-your-stakeholders/