{"id":415,"date":"2017-08-03T16:38:55","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T16:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/?p=415"},"modified":"2020-05-19T11:56:48","modified_gmt":"2020-05-19T11:56:48","slug":"what-is-core-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/blog\/2017\/08\/what-is-core-content\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Core Content?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whenever I introduce myself as EMBL\u2019s Core Content Manager, I inevitably have to explain what core content is. The short answer is that it\u2019s long-lasting content, that we can use in many ways, including to support the more news-y stories we tell. But what does that mean, exactly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How long should core content last?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with the \u2018long-lasting\u2019. How long is long? In my mind, I\u2019ve been aiming for five years. This is an arbitrary number, but seems like a good place to start for EMBL. EMBL runs on 5-year programmes, and most people are limited to a maximum of 9 years working here. With this constant turnover, a lot can change in a short period. Creating a piece of content now and expecting it to still be usable and relevant in 10 years\u2019 time \u2013 when virtually everyone it relates to has left, and at least one new programme has been implemented \u2013 smacks of wishful thinking. Over five years, there\u2019s enough stability \u2013 even at EMBL \u2013 for a well-crafted piece of content to retain its usefulness. Of course, this will vary from topic to topic \u2013 and not always in predictable ways. An explainer of EMBL\u2019s 5-year programme and associated budget<\/a> will probably still be valid in 10 or even 15 years\u2019 time \u2013 unless the process is changed, in which case the text will become instantly obsolete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General principles that support multiple stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Core content\u2019s long life shouldn\u2019t be a life of isolation. The idea is that this content \u2013 also called evergreen content \u2013 should be foundational material. It should clarify, provide context, or otherwise support future stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So core content deals in general principles. Specific discoveries can serve as excellent examples to illustrate a broader rule or show how we built up our understanding of a concept over time. But the more a piece focuses on them, the less re-usable it will be, and the fewer stories it can support. Take this article on Hiroki Asari\u2019s work on vision<\/a>. It touches on some general principles, like the concept of the retina as processor, not just film. And it explains techniques like calcium imaging. But it\u2019s so centred on Asari\u2019s interests and work that it\u2019s hard to see the text being used as supporting material for any stories that don\u2019t involve the Asari lab. This text on how Theodore Alexandrov uses maths to map molecules<\/a> is slightly broader. Even though it wasn\u2019t envisioned as a supporting piece, it could conceivably be used to provide context for a news story on metabolomics or to illustrate how mathematicians can help tackle biological questions. This story in Quanta<\/em> about the geometry of viruses<\/a> paints an even broader picture. I could see this supporting a report on a new discovery of how a particular virus assembles, or a piece on the history of the study of viruses, or on geometry and its applications, or on how mathematicians can work in biology, \u2026 or even on synthetic biology or new types of vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So a feature article can act as core content that other stories can link to or sit alongside. Shorter explainer texts or definitions can make useful \u2018boxes\u2019 to drop in every time you talk about a topic. For instance, this explainer on tissue biology<\/a> gave some useful background information when EMBL announced a new site dedicated to that field. And as the scientists move into the new site and we start talking about their work, we\u2019ll be able to provide that context again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repurposable content tells more stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If a piece of core content is repurposable, it can also be used to tell<\/em> several different stories. When we created this infographic, we thought of it as a pizza base that you can put different toppings on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"structural
An infographic on structural biology \u2013 or a pizza base waiting for toppings. Credit: Tobias W\u00fcstefeld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We used it in the Annual Report to show how EMBL supports the whole process of determining a protein\u2019s structure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"structural
With some added labels, the same infographic now shows how EMBL supports scientists throughout every step of the process. Credit: Tobias W\u00fcstefeld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If we change the text, this can become an explanation of how X-ray crystallography works. We can take the image of the computers and use it in a slide about the relevant software and databases developed and managed by EMBL scientists. Or someone else might find it useful to talk about something we haven\u2019t yet thought of!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another, related way of extending content\u2019s lifespan is the \u2018mix-and-match\u2019 approach. This entails creating snippets of content that can be used individually or stitched together in different ways. It works very well for some of the institutional content we produce, for instance. We have a general \u2018boilerplate text\u2019 to describe EMBL. But if we\u2019re telling Italian journalists about a discovery from EMBL Rome, it\u2019s useful to be able to add on a little paragraph about that site in particular: a site boilerplate with specifics about research interests, what the site offers to scientists worldwide, what neighbours its scientists collaborate with on campus. That site boilerplate can also be used for recruitment purposes, but in those instances what you need to combine it with is a little paragraph extolling the virtues of its location: the vibrant university town, mountain air or seaside views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This modular approach to content is also something that we\u2019ve started to think of in the context of video. The result of our first attempt will be online soon \u2013 keep an eye out for it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making content future-proof<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So how do you create content that will retain its usefulness against a backdrop of change? I\u2019m still figuring this out, but based on my experience over the past year, a few things seem to help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Make it modular<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    See above. This also helps with number 4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Avoid news pegs, be careful with pop culture references<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      It\u2019d be a waste for your excellent explanation of gene editing to be rendered useless because no-one knows that song anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Embrace approximation<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        If you say \u2018more than 20\u2019, you won\u2019t have to update when 22 changes to 23, or 23 changes to 25, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. Make it as easy as possible to update<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          If paragraphs in a text don\u2019t reference what came before, they can be replaced (or eliminated) much more easily. The same is true for elements in an image: right at the start of your project, think about what elements you may want to easily replace in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. Anticipate future needs<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            I don\u2019t know what stories EMBL will be publishing in five years\u2019 time. But if I\u2019m familiar with the institute\u2019s strategy and our communication priorities, and have a feel for the upcoming trends in the field, I can predict topics that we\u2019re likely to be touching on again and again. Armed with that knowledge, I can assess how useful a particular piece of content may be in the long run. After all, core content can only support future stories if those stories get told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Managing core content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            So what do I do as EMBL\u2019s Core Content Manager? Well, I\u2019m tackling some practical challenges, like how to store content in a way that everyone in our team \u2013 writers, designers, social media managers and more, split across two countries \u2013 can easily find what they need. Or how to keep track of where a piece of content is used, so that it can be updated if necessary. I\u2019m developing a strategy to ensure that our core content is aligned with EMBL\u2019s goals and needs. And of course, I\u2019ve started producing long-lasting, repurposable content. This means I\u2019m exploring all sorts of different formats \u2013 from texts to infographics to animations \u2013 and how each can best be used to help tell EMBL\u2019s stories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Whenever I introduce myself as EMBL\u2019s Core Content Manager, I inevitably have to explain what core content is. The short answer is that it\u2019s long-lasting content, that we can use in many ways, including to support the more news-y stories we tell. But what does that mean, exactly?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[480,477],"embl_taxonomy":[],"class_list":["post-415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-core-content","tag-our-work"],"acf":[],"embl_taxonomy_terms":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.svg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=415"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":586,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415\/revisions\/586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=415"},{"taxonomy":"embl_taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/embl_taxonomy?post=415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}