Content Management Systems: Who Makes the

Rules?Jill Katte, Duke University

David Mitchell, Wyeth VaccinesNHPRC Electronic Records Research

Fellowship

October 2006

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Why this idea?Why this idea?

• Managing the Digital University Desktop data

• Websites as containers of archival content

(see Pearce-Moses presentation, 2004)

• Duke University CMS initiatives

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Assumptions and parameters:

• Assumption: webmasters and archivists may be missing opportunities to collaborate

• Parameter: focus on website content management, not learning management

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Research questions:

• How are our peer institutions using website CMS? • How will a CMS affect information management at

Duke and elsewhere?• Do content managers follow official policies for

archiving “expired” web records?• Is long-term preservation a concern for CMS

administrators?• What CMS tools could be used to identify archival

content and transfer it to an archival repository?

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Project Goals:

• Identify opportunities/obstacles in collaboration between archivists & web content managers

• Conduct small pilot program in preserving CMS content in archival repository

• Raise awareness of archives/preservation concerns to CMS administrators

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Scope and methodology:

• Duke’s peer institutions: “doctoral/research universities, extensive”

• Brief initial survey of archivists and webmasters to identify web CMS users, ER policies, interview volunteers

• In-depth telephone interviews

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Initial Survey Questions:

1. Does your institution use a content management system (CMS) to manage its Web site(s)?

2. Which CMS does your institution use (or plan to use) to manage website content? (Please list all, including home-grown systems)  

3. Does your institution have a policy for preserving website content?

4. Would you be willing to discuss the use of CMS in greater detail as part of this research project? (if yes, enter email address)

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Initial web-based survey:

95 total respondents = 65 webmasters30 archivists

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Q1. Does your institution use a content management system (CMS) to manage its Web site(s)?

39% = Yes28% = No, but we plan to use14% = No, do not use, do not plan to 0% = Previously used, but abandoned19% = Don’t know

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Q2. Which CMS does your institution use (or plan to use) to manage website content?

Top three responses:1. Home-grown systems2. CommonSpot3. Collage, RedDot, Stellent

  Home-grown CommonSpot Collage RedDot CMS Stellent

Approximate Cost ? Starts at$19,000 Starts at $10,000 Starts at $55,000 ?

Audit Trail ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Content Approval ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Granular Privileges ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Versioning ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Zip Archives ? No ? ? Yes

Static Content Export ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Content Scheduling ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Content Staging ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Workflow Engine ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Metadata ? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Document Management ? Yes No Costs Extra Yes

Data from CMSmatrix.org

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Q3. Does your institution have a policy for preserving website content?

18% = Yes61% = No21% = Don’t know

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Initial Survey Summary:

• Web CMS becoming more widely adopted• Home-grown systems prevalent• Most products advertise versioning,

metadata, workflow management, of some kind

• Web records policies either don’t exist, or are not well-known

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

In-depth phone interviews:

Five sections1. Planning and decision-making2. Implementation and workflow3. Web electronic records policies4. Archiving website content5. Collaboration

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Interview Results and Conclusions

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Sections 1-2: Planning & Implementation

Most web CMS…• In use for less than 1 year – implementation

phase varies• Offers workflow management tools, but not

being fully implemented• Collects metadata about content, but not

much beyond standard file maintenance info

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Section 3: Web Electronic Records Policies

• Most interviewed do consider at least part of website to be an “official university record”

• About half interviewed had electronic records management policy

• Most said web content was not included in those policies

• Most had no metadata guidelines for electronic records

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Section 4: Archiving

Do content managers follow official policies for archiving “expired” web records?

• No formal policies• Content owners decide• Not saving versions• Decision making is widely distributed

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Section 4: Archiving

Preparedness

• 10 of 15 are totally unprepared or unprepared to archive website content

• 7 are totally unprepared or unprepared to retrieve and reconstruct archived website content

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Section 5: Collaboration

Collaboration on policy setting

• 11 of 15 experienced no or very little collaboration between webmasters and archivists/records managers

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Section 5: Collaboration

Collaboration with other campus units regarding guidelines for archiving or setting expiration dates

8 of 15 said “no” (but 5 of 15 said “yes”)

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Sections 4-5: Archiving & Collaboration

Hindrances?

• No direction/communication about policy

• Lack of interest• No perceived need• Resource issues

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

No one makes the rules…and…

Everyone makes the rules

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Project website:

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

http://www.duke.edu/web/CMSproject

Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?Content Management Systems: Who Makes the Rules?

Questions?