TC Meeting Minutes

ATTENDEES: Wendy, Oliver, Jon, Darren, Dan, Jeremy
REGRETS: Flavio

Quick recap

The team discussed the progress of their website project, with plans to proceed despite some issues and to launch by the end of the year. They also addressed issues related to a public URL and image functionality, and the interest of others in reviewing the DB generated content. Lastly, they discussed the use of existing tags for risk assessment purposes and the potential use of DDI metadata for these purposes.

Next steps

• Jon to write guidelines for reviewing the new website, focusing on navigation and overall structure.

• Dan to document ideas and recommendations for moving away from XML-specific profile validation tools towards more flexible, serialization-agnostic approaches.

• Wendy to attend a meeting in early 2025 to discuss DDI profile validation tools and potential expansion of the technical committee's work in this area. She will keep TC members informed.

Summary

Website Progress and Launch Plans

Wendy, Jon, Oliver, and Dan discussed the status of the website work. Wendy expressed uncertainty about the progress of database-driven pages, while Jon suggested they should move forward despite some issues. Jon proposed getting feedback from a limited number of people, possibly including someone from CLOSER, to identify any major navigation issues. Dan mentioned that they couldn't review the website at the moment due to lack of logins. Jon agreed to update the document outlining what they're asking people to review. The team decided to proceed with the website launch by the end of the year, with plans for further improvements in the following year.

Darren emailed during meeting that he would be working on this next week.

Wendy, Dan, Jon, and Oliver discussed issues related to a public URL and image functionality. Wendy confirmed the existence of a public URL and provided the link in the chat for Dan to access. Dan noticed that the images were not working, specifically mentioning the logo. Wendy agreed to add the URL to a document for future reference. Dan also suggested not sharing the URL in the meeting minutes for privacy reasons.

Discussing DDI Profile Validation Tool

Wendy discussed an upcoming meeting in early 2025 to discuss a DDI profile validation tool provided by CESSDA. As agreed in the past year, the DDI profile should not be part of the lifecycle standard and that it might be more beneficial to use existing tools for validation. They also discussed the need for better guidance on creating more flexible profiles in different serializations. Dan agreed to put his ideas into a more structured format to focus the discussion on what it would look like when the DDI profile is taken out of the lifecycle and put into this new format as well as role of TC in providing guidence for profiles in general and the use of standard tools for validation.

Using Tags for Risk Assessment

Wendy discussed her interaction with Jordan, a data librarian from USAID, who was seeking ways to use existing tags to identify combined identifiers for risk assessment purposes. Wendy suggested using the Data Relationship and Logical Record Descriptors to identify unique and complex identifiers. She also asked if anyone was using DDI metadata for similar purposes, to which Oliver responded that someone was doing something similar. Wendy will share the email chain so others can see if they can add to discussion or provide a contact.

Quick recap

Wendy and Jon discussed the progress of a project, including the addition of links to download packages and the need for a controlled vocabulary for topical content. They also considered the structure and management of their news section, deciding to archive old news items and focus on current issues. Lastly, they discussed the organization and management of various web pages, identifying redundant or superseded pages and planning to rename them to standardize the approach. Additionally, reviewed Codebook 2.6 PR 38 and approved for merging.

Next steps

• Darren to finish working on the auto-generated pages over the weekend.

• Wendy to rename the test products page and create a standard products page with appropriate hierarchies.

• Oliver to create yearly PDF archives for old news items and copy over the last two years of news to the new system.

• Wendy will download and validate Codebook v2.6 revision prior to merging

Summary

Webpage Progress and Controlled Vocabulary

Wendy discussed the progress of a project, mentioning that Jon had added to the executive board and Logos pages, and she had added version pages. She also mentioned the addition of links to download packages on each of the documents. Jon suggested that Darren was still working on auto-generated pages. Wendy raised a question about the examples page, which was previously a database but is now a standalone page. She suggested that the information could be retrieved from Drupal as separate pages. Oliver agreed. Wendy also mentioned the need for a controlled vocabulary for topical content and asked about the status of switching over from CVS.

News Section Management and Archiving

Oliver and Wendy discussed the structure and management of their news section. They considered two options: either creating a large PDF of their news archive from the beginning to the current point in time, or trying to import the entire thing from HTML. Wendy suggested archiving old news items by creating a PDF for set periods, such as yearly or every other year, and keeping only the current and past year's news. Oliver agreed with this approach, preferring to copy over the last two years of news items and having a yearly PDF for each as a news archive.

Focusing on Current Issues and Plans

Wendy emphasized the importance of focusing on current issues and archiving earlier news. She suggested that they should first complete their current tasks before opening up for people to view their plans. Jon, however, mentioned that he still needed to review a spreadsheet, which Wendy brought up for discussion. Jon indicated that there were a few outstanding issues on the spreadsheet, but he believed they were close to completion.

Web Page Organization and Management

Wendy and Jon discussed the organization and management of various web pages. They identified pages that were redundant, superseded, or needed to be archived, and Jon suggested that these should be dropped. Wendy mentioned that she had made a list of all the pages in Drupal, including old and ancient things, and Jon confirmed that he had gone through the list and made suggestions on how to dispose of them. They also discussed the process of renaming pages to standardize the approach. Jon mentioned that Darren was finishing off some tasks over the weekend and they could push the button next week. Wendy agreed to make sure the appropriate hierarchies were in place for the new site and to rename a specific page to align with the standard products page.

Codebook v2.6 PR 38

Dan verified that he had reviewed the changes in PR 38 and noted that they all looked good. Given the number of changes this will be a topic in the next public review in the event that any issues are found with the texting revision of descriptions.

ATTENDEES: Wendy, Oliver, Jon, Dan, Jeremy, Flavio
REGRETS: Darren

Quick recap
Wendy and Oliver discussed the status of certain resources and standards, particularly focusing on a database-generated page and its connection to the hub. They also discussed the need for restructuring their website, focusing on the main lifecycle page, and how to structure the documentation for different versions of a product. Lastly, they discussed the organization and navigation of their documentation site, agreeing on the need to avoid duplicating content and to ensure that the site is user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Next steps

• Jon to implement basic navigation on the docs.ddialliance.org site and address the case sensitivity issue in URLs.

• Wendy to provide Jon with content for product/version pages on docs.ddialliance.org, extracted from existing product pages.

• Dan to consider adding release pages for DDI Codebook to the GitHub repository, similar to what was done for Lifecycle.

• Team to clarify the purpose and content strategy for docs.ddialliance.org versus the product pages on the CMS site.

• Navigation on docs.ddialliance.org (fix case sensitive issue)

• Basic text around each product/version (Wendy send to Jon for each)

• How to get some of these pages from google, are we looking into ways to find that - this is a separate problem and has to way with the way Google picks up information

• Coordinate information on the GitHub pages to make them more comprehensible, differentiating between package of published version and development points to GitHub

Summary
Clarifying Database Status and Hub

Wendy and Oliver discussed the status of certain resources and standards, particularly focusing on a database-generated page that was moved over but its current status was unclear. Wendy suggested reaching out to Darren for clarification on the database's status and its connection to the hub. They also discussed the need for filtering by product and version in the database, and the importance of having the correct paths and links. Wendy planned to send a note to Darren to inquire about the database's status and its connection to the hub.

From Darren: I still have to wire up the dynamic pages to HubDB. Will complete over the weekend

Check on Markup examples. Check with Darren on this. Oliver will see if he can get an export
DB on Tools check with Darren that this is on his list

Website Updates and Controlled Vocabulary

Wendy discusses the website pages and suggests checking links to ensure they are not redirecting back to the DDI Alliance site. Jon volunteers to check the membership and partners pages. The controlled vocabulary page now links to the new site, but there is no way to navigate back from it. Oliver explains that updating the PDF exports from the controlled vocabulary tool would require significant changes. The group plans to revisit organizing certain sections like annual meetings and executive board listings in the future.

Website Restructuring and Navigation Issues

Wendy and Jon discussed the restructuring of their website, focusing on the main lifecycle page. Jon expressed concern about duplication and suggested moving certain content to docs.ddialliance.com. He pointed out that the current site lacks navigation and is case-sensitive, which he deemed problematic. Wendy acknowledged these issues and agreed to address them. The team also discussed the need to reduce duplication and improve the website's structure.

Version Documentation and Navigation Strategies

Wendy and Jon discuss how to structure the documentation for different versions of a product. They consider whether to have separate pages for each version or consolidate common information on a main product page. Wendy suggests keeping version-specific details like development work on individual version pages, while moving general information like licenses and future work to the main product page. Jon raises concerns about the individual version pages appearing too terse and wants to add more descriptive content. They also discuss how to handle navigation between versions and linking to downloadable packages. Additionally, they touch on documenting older, handcrafted products like DDI Codebook alongside the newer lifecycle-based releases.

Improving Documentation Site Navigation

In the meeting, the team discussed the organization and navigation of their documentation site. They agreed on the need to avoid duplicating content and to ensure that the site is user-friendly and easy to navigate. They also discussed the need for clear navigation on the Docs page and the potential for improving SEO. The team decided to create a static website as a flattened version of the existing links on the CMS. They also discussed the need to link individual product pages to the main page and to improve the site's accessibility from Google. The team agreed to continue working on these issues to improve the site's usability and navigation. We need to be able to navigation from child to parent (example: version to product) on the CMS pages as well as adding something into the html on the git hub to return to the CMS site.

ATTENDEES: Wendy, Oliver, Dan, Jeremy, Darren (Jon in follow-up meeting)

REGRETS: Flavio

Quick recap

Wendy went over the suggested changes to the Product pages and will contact Jon for additional feedback. Wendy, Darren, and Dan discussed changes to the CV and the integration of older versions into the main DDI website. They also discussed the implementation of a new feature and the ongoing CDI vote, with plans to address any feedback or new tickets. Additionally, Wendy discussed status of DDI Codebook and her plans to follow through with Adrian concerning the overall structure of the field level documentation.

Next steps

• Wendy to send the changes made to the generated sections of the web site by Jared to Oliver and Darren again.

• Darren to make final changes to the postman collection for the CV section within the next week.

• Darren to explain to Sanda how the archived versions page has been integrated into the main page.

• Jon to provide additional comments on the content distribution of product pages

• Jon to contact Darren regarding a means of verifying document links prior to web site review

• Wendy to update product level pages in HubSpot

Summary

Web site preparation for Member Review in November

Wendy went over the suggested changes in the product page and version page content. This can be put in place now and determination of what content should be in http://docs.ddialliance.org and what is held in the web page. Currently the thought is that the Product page is on the web site with links to version level content held in http://docs.ddialliance.org . This was further discussed between Wendy and Jon at a follow-up meeting (Jon was unable to attend the initial meeting due a failure to move the meeting time to adjust for Europe implementing DLT this past weekend. Note that Europe and North America will be aligned by next week. Jon will send out comment on the division of content. Jon is also going over the remaining pages in Drupal and how they should be handled.

CV Changes and Integration Updates

Wendy and Darren discussed the changes made by Sanda and the status of the CV. Darren mentioned that Sanda was not fully satisfied with the changes, but he was working on the postman collection and expected it to be ready in the next week. Wendy suggested that the final changes on the CV section could be made while people started reviewing it. They also discussed the integration of older versions of CVs (archived versions) into the main DDI website, with Darren explaining that the original page was now incorporated into the new one. Wendy agreed to send Darren the link to the archived versions page for further clarification.

DDI Lifecycle v4.0 BETA2

Cardinality changes were entered in GitHub, approved and merged into the master. BETA2 is ready for review. Dan will draft announcement with plan to release for review next Monday.

Codebook

Wendy and Dan discussed work by Adrian Dusa on the Codebook field level documentation. Wendy has reviewed and addressed an earlier concern of Dan's regarding possible loss of content. This does not seem to be the case and Dan will relook at the documentation. Wendy had some questions regarding layout discissions and will share her comments with Dan to see of they are anything more than cosmetic. Adrian is avaiable for further consultation.

ATTENDEES: Wendy, Oliver, Jon, Darren, Flavio
REGRETS: Jeremy, Dan

Quick recap

The meeting focused on addressing website and system issues, including user access complaints, project deadlines, and restructuring of product pages and documentation. The team discussed potential solutions such as cloud migration, shifting from Drupal to HubSpot, and consolidating information into more succinct formats. They also agreed on various action items, including reviewing historical files, updating internal links, and moving content between platforms to improve organization and accessibility.

Next steps

• Wendy to create and share a clear structure diagram for product pages, showing what content goes where between the main site and docs.ddialliance.org.

• Jon to review the spreadsheet of old pages Wendy will send and triage them for keeping, archiving, or removing.

• Darren to complete his assigned tasks on the content spreadsheet within the next two weeks.

• Wendy to send database content changes from Jared to both Jon and Oliver.

Summary

Addressing Group Access Complaints

Wendy discussed the increasing complaints about users' inability to access certain groups. She sought the team's opinion on whether to move the system to a cloud space, considering the potential costs and security concerns. Jon expressed skepticism about the need for a change, suggesting that the issue might be with users' ability to use the system, not the system itself. He proposed monitoring the situation rather than disrupting the current setup. Wendy agreed to close the matter for now and monitor the situation further. She will contact Jared regarding this.

Website Project Progress and Plans

Wendy, Darren, Jon, and Oliver discussed the progress and future plans for their website project. Wendy expressed concerns about the deadline for the review in November and the need to shift from Drupal to HubSpot. Darren confirmed he could complete his tasks within the next two weeks, but needed to liaise with Jared about email templates. Wendy and Darren agreed on prioritizing the database-driven pages for the review. Jon offered to update the database-driven content once the database-driven stuff was up and running. Oliver confirmed he would handle the content changes and Wendy agreed to copy Jon with the updates. The team agreed to aim for a review starting the sometime during the first week of November.

What MUST be done prior to review period?
Mail - templates - Darren will liaise with Jared
All done over the next 2 weeks
Data base driven pages
Document links in the pages (the links should just work when we move the URNs)

Generated pages
Updates since pull to database contents - send to Oliver and Jon
News section - new articles
Publications
Workshops and Webinars page - Jon
Conference pages - Wendy move as HTML (verified 2024-10-26 that this was completed in August)
Dagstuhl - Wendy move as HTML (verified 2024-10-26 that this was completed in August)

Website Management and Document Review

Wendy, Jon, and Darren discussed the management of various pages and documents on their website. They agreed to move certain pages to a standard HTML format and to review the historical files for potential archiving or removal. Wendy shared a list of pages, including older ones, and asked for a decision on their retention or disposal. Jon agreed to review the list and make recommendations. They also discussed the need for a clear criteria for handling additional pages outside of the product sections. The team decided to address these issues before the review.

Product Page Restructuring and Updates

Wendy, Jon, and Darren discussed the restructuring of their product pages. They agreed to consolidate the information into more succinct pieces, directing users to the current version and then to specific product pages for more detailed information. They also discussed the need to update internal links and the potential for some links to not work due to changes in the file structure. Darren suggested a single overview page for quick navigation to all versions, with more detailed information on product-specific pages. The team also discussed the need to move some documents and update links, with the possibility of needing to spend an afternoon checking each page.

DDI Website Product Page Issues

Jon and Darren discussed issues with the DDI website's product pages. They notice that the 3.3 version page lacks content found on the live site. Jon suggests moving that additional content from the live site to the 3.3 docs on GitHub. Wendy joins and explains there was an agreement to consolidate product information, but her audio keeps cutting out.

Product Page Restructuring and Documentation

The meeting discussed the restructuring of product pages and documentation. Jon and Wendy agreed to move most of the content of version pages to http://docs.ddialliance.org , with only essential links remaining on the current site. They also discussed the need to avoid duplicating content and updating information in multiple places. The team decided to move the publication repository from BitBucket to GitHub. Wendy committed to sending a spreadsheet detailing the changes and action items to Jon and others. The team also discussed the need for a clear structure for the new pages and the possibility of moving the CDI Repository under the DDI Alliance.

High level documents and Best Practices

Future item to review these types of documents in terms of how they can change into versioned documents where old version specific information is moved an appendix. Much of the information in these documenta apply to multiple versions. This would also improve the ability of product groups to keep these up to date.