Menzies School of Health Research - Web Application Development Corporate Portal
The Client
The Menzies School of Health Research (MSHR) is a multi-disciplinary research organisation conducting studies in infectious and chronic diseases, and community health. MSHR carries out research and education in northern and central Australia, and nearby offshore regions.
The Challenges
To prove the viability of the Oracle9iAS Portal technology for the development of a corporate web site for Research and Public Access, in conjunction with the MSHR, the NT Government and CSC.
To provide the MSHR with a web site that is an innovative, interactive framework to communicate with researchers and research participants, policy makers, services providers, students and the general community.
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The Solution
It has been developed using Oracle internet technology, specifically, Oracle9i Portal which is a component of the Oracle9i Application Server and is supported by an Oracle8i database.
Oracle9i Portal is a 100% web based (or browser based) application for the management, administration and development of web pages (no other tools are required). Users at MSHR:
- Can create and manage page structures. This determines what the web site look likes to the public viewer, what content will be seen and where the content will appear on the page;
- Create and manage content areas where URLs, text, images, documents, application components, audio, video and animations are uploaded to the database. Content is managed separately from the web page look and feel;
- Create and manage navigation structures;
- Develop and utilise application components such as calendars or charts based on real data in the underlying Oracle8i database;
- Manage users, roles and security (administrators only); and
- Integrate Oracle Portal web pages with other password-protected applications.
The MSHR web site is set up so users can login from any of the MSHR public web pages. At the bottom of the MSHR Home Page (Photo Gallery: Image 1) is a 'Staff Access' link whereby authentic users can gain entry to the Oracle Portal development and management environment.
When authentic users are logged in (Photo Gallery: Image 2), a number of options appear depending on their internal access privileges.
The authenticated user can now navigate to throughout the Portal system. There are a number of approaches to managing and editing content, however, the MSHR web site is set up to provide the simplest approach for non-technical end users.
For example, a user with access to the Skin Health content of the Infectious Diseases area of the web site simply navigates to the web page that requires management (Photo Gallery: Image 3).
The user is viewing the 'Scabies Biomedical Research Projects' content. On the RHS of the page is an 'Edit' link. Public viewers do not see this link.
When the 'Edit' link is clicked, 3 extra links become available (as shown in Photo Gallery: Image 4).
Also, other icons appear next to content that has previously been added. To add content to the web page the user clicks on the 'Add item' link whereby a 4-step wizard takes the user through the process of adding content. As already mentioned, content types that can be added are URLs, text, images, documents, audio, video and animations. All content is stored in the Oracle database. Files are stored in the database as the data type BLOB (large object). Database storage working in conjunction with the Portal web based application has a number of advantages such as:
- Content is stored and managed in a central data repository. Data and content is secure and backed up;
- Data or content can be uploaded from any machine which has a web browser and an internet connection;
- Content can be set to 'Audit' so versioning can be created and managed within the database;
- A content item can be 'checked in and out' so it can be edited solely by the user who has checked it out;
- A content item can be set to publish on a certain date and expire on a later date. Or it can publish the moment it is uploaded and never expire.
On the screen shot (Photo Gallery: Image 5) a user has already added a content item and given it the label 'Click here to see a live scabies mite'. This is a video file of a living microscopic Scabies mite in motion. Of course the screen shot cannot show it moving. This is a real example of the type content that has been uploaded by a non-technical user, given a half-day training session in content management, at MSHR.
The screen shot (Photo Gallery: Image 6) is another example on the public Galiwin'ku Healthy Lifestyle page where a user has uploaded an audio file of a song produced by 'Skinny Fish' and kids from Shepherdson CEC on Galiwin'ku.
This is the entry page to a 'private' web site viewable only by Galiwin'ku Community members and MSHR project members for the Galiwin'ku Healthy Lifestyle Project. Behind this page is a log in screen found by clicking on the graphic.
The MSHR web site development project has so far been a year-long task and will continue to grow and develop in the year 2003. The processes involved were:
- Information Gathering - interviews with major stakeholders, and appropriation of information from other sources.
- Business Analysis - documentation of user requirements and recommendations for the phased implementation of the Portal site.
Determining requirements can be explained through describing some of the functionality of, and management processes for, the MSHR web site:
- Full text search capability available 'out-of-the-box'.
- Automated 4-step content management process (adding and editing content) available 'out-of-the-box'. This is the ability to add all types of content such as URLs, text, images, audio, video and animation.
- The ability to determine whether pages and content is available for public viewing or for internal access restrictions and is available 'out-of-the-box'.
- Custom feedback form where by public users can provide comments, which are stored in the Oracle database and subsequently reported to administrators.
- Custom 'contacts' page where administrators can maintain a dynamic list of corporate contacts.
- Administration of security, planning and provision of user groups and roles, to manage the workflow processes of access, editing and adding content to the web site. Low-level users (content managers) have 'Create with approval' privileges on their content areas. A content owner is required to endorse publishing of content.
- A secure access site for the Galiwin'ku Healthy Lifestyle Project.
Many other requirements were determined as part of the business analysis process which included standards for web page elements. For example, an external hyperlink opens in a new browser window. Files display file size and file type.
- Design Specification Development - based on the business analysis, a design was produced including system architecture, web hierarchy, page components, style and content descriptions, conversion and management.
- Design Prototype Development - a proof of concept was developed in Portal and included dynamic applications for querying an external Oracle database to display staff member profiles and publication listings, and a feedback form for end user input.
- Portal Development - static content, functional components and workflow processes were put in place. Also, user training and testing was conducted.
- Deployment - the MSHR web site was launched in May 2003.
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The Technology
Oracle 8i database
Oracle Portal
Oracle 9i Application Server
The Services
Project Management
Requirements Analysis
Technical Development
User Interface Design
System Documentation
Testing
Training
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