ASHRAE Authoring Portal authoring.ashrae.org An Online Tool for Collaborative Content Development Welcome to this introduction to the ASHRAE Authoring Portal, an optional new online tool for collaborative content development.

The ASHRAE Authoring Portal (AAP) allows multiple authors to review, revise, and edit a document together. Authors work online in real time using Microsoft Word. AAP is accessed at authoring.ashrae.org. The ASHRAE Authoring Portal represents the first iteration of something that’s been discussed for a long time: a way for members of ASHRAE TCs and other authoring groups to collaborate online in real time and to avoid having to transmit and track large, unwieldy manuscript files—and to do so in an ASHRAE-approved environment that safeguards ASHRAE’s copyright on behalf of members. The portal can be accessed at authoring.ashrae.org.

ASHRAE Authoring Portal Benefits: ASHRAE-approved, secure platform for copyrighted intellectual property (no need for a “members only” page on your TC website). Easy tracking of changes for TCs and staff. Easier handover when TC roles change. Here are some of the benefits the ASHRAE Authoring Portal can provide....

More ASHRAE Authoring Portal Benefits: No need to transmit large files by email. No more lost work from crashed hard drive, stolen PCs, corrupted files, etc. Easy for entire TC to access and review the manuscript (no more passing around flash drives). No more manuscripts that fail to get to Handbook staff. Here are more benefits...

Microsoft Internet Explorer and Edge are the only browser supported. AAP uses Microsoft SharePoint to organize content and graphic files in folders. Login access is by ASHRAE committee or authoring group using information from the membership database. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Edge are the only browser supported. The portal uses Microsoft SharePoint as a platform to organize content into publications and chapter folders for authors’ use, in an environment that’s familiar to most of us who use Windows Explorer. For access, members don’t need to create or memorize yet another username and password—they can simply use their ASHRAE member login as they would on ashrae.org or in the bookstore.

Step #1–Log in Log in–Use your ASHRAE login and password credentials to access the portal. Retrieve Password–Use the “Forgot your password?” link. Need help? Contact support@ashrae.org So, step by step, here’s how to start using ASHRAE Authoring Portal. Log in with your ASHRAE login and password. If you forget your password or need help, contact support@ashrae.org. authoring.ashrae.org

Step #2–Select Publication Select ASHRAE publication for collaboration. At present, only ASHRAE Handbook files are available. Step 2 is to select the publication you’re working on. Right now, it’s just the Handbook, but the vision is that other authoring groups in Society will be added in the not-too-distant future.

Step #3–Select Library Select the Handbook Library that you want to access. Need help? Use the Contact ASHRAE Editors link. Step 3, in the case of Handbook, you select which volume you’re working on. Right now, we only have chapter files uploaded for the 2018 Refrigeration and 2019 HVAC Applications volumes. The 2017 Fundamentals chapters are already due, so it’s too late to include them here, and the 2020 HVAC Systems and Equipment chapter base Word files are yet to be fully converted from the new 2016 Handbook files, but they’ll be added soon. If you need help, click on the Contact ASHRAE Editors link, and we’ll do our best to address any issues that come up.

Step #4–Select Chapter Folder Select chapter folder that you need to access. Chapter folders will only display if you have access rights. Need help? Use the Contact ASHRAE Editors link. Once you’ve clicked on the volume you’re working in, you should see only the chapter folder or folders that you have access rights for.

Step #5–Select Content Folder Chapter folders have two subfolders: Content folder–This folder contains master Microsoft Word files. New Material folder– Drag/drop your new files— graphics, permissions, other supporting files, etc.—into this folder. When you click on a chapter folder, it will open to show two subfolders—one for the existing chapter content and one for new material that you may want to add, such as graphics, permissions letters, supplemental material that you have the rights to. In the Content folder, only ASHRAE editors and system admins will be able to upload files. However, you will be able to add files to your New Material folder.

Step #6–Open Chapter Document Select the icon or file name to open Microsoft Word document. Inside the chapter Content folder, you’ll find a Word file of the chapter and of the Chapter Approval Checklist (both of these are the same as available on Handbook Central).

Step #7–Authoring in Microsoft Word Microsoft Word opens. All normal Word features are enabled. Track changes is turned on to identify all changes to the document. Now—to get down to doing your revisions—you use the Word file just like any other—all the normal Word features are enabled, including track changes, which will identify all changes made and by whom.

Step #7–Authoring in Microsoft Word (cont’d) While working online, you may see other authors working on the same document at the same time. And you can see who’s working on a document by clicking on the “people” icon on the bar at the bottom of the page.

Step #8–Save Changes Save–Use the button to save your edits. You will need to save the document before other coauthors can see your changes. Once you’ve finished making your changes, you’ll need to save your changes. Also, until you do this, no one else can see your changes. It will also show you the changes that any other coauthors have made since the last save.

Step #8 (cont’d)–Version History To view version history, select the “…” twice. Select Version History from the context menu. Which brings us to the Version History. This feature keeps a complete record of revisions, which can be essential for the TC’s “institutional memory” when handing off responsibilities to others or when it’s been a while since revision work. To see the Version History, click on the three little dots, the ellipsis, twice, then select Version History, which will bring up a list of changes with author identifiers and dates.

Step #9–TC Review and Approval Ideally, the TC can edit and review the revisions online in the Portal. However, if the TC must edit/review the chapter offline, you can "Download a Copy” so that you have the official Word base file for such use (e.g., projection in a meeting, posting on Basecamp). Ideally, the TC can edit and review the revisions online in the Portal. However, if the TC must edit/review the chapter offline, you can "Download a Copy” so that you have the official Word base file for such use, which might include, for example, projection in a meeting where there’s no web access, or posting on Basecamp.

Step #10–Complete Approval Checklist Fill out the Chapter Approval Checklist found in your Content folder. Need help? Use the Contact ASHRAE Editors link. Next, complete the Chapter Approval Checklist just like you’ve always done.

Step #11–Notify ASHRAE Editors Use the Contact ASHRAE Editors link to let them know your chapter content has been finalized. Then click on the Contact ASHRAE Editors link to send a message letting them know your chapter content is finalized and approved by the TC. Your Handbook Committee liaison and the editors will take it from there forward in the process.

If you have questions, please send an email to: Mark Owen, Handbook Editor (mowen@ashrae.org) or Heather Kennedy, Handbook Managing Editor (hkennedy@ashrae.org). That’s a very quick introduction to the ASHRAE Authoring Portal. If you have questions, please email Mark Owen, Handbook Editor (mowen@ashrae.org) or Heather Kennedy, Handbook Managing Editor (hkennedy@ashrae.org).