FAQ Version: 3.0
Date: 29 November 1994
This document will be updated every month until January of 1995, and quarterly thereafter. The document may be downloaded from the AIP File Server (ftp://ftp.aip.org/aplonline) in a variety of formats, including ASCII, WordPerfect 5.2, WordPerfect 6.0, Word, and HTML. Please send additional questions to: aplonline@aip.org.
A. IBM-compatible PC's, Apple Macintosh systems, Unix Workstations, or X-terminals can be used for subscriber access to APL Online. Refer to the answers that follow for specific details of minimum configuration and required software.
Q. What are the minimum requirements for an IBM-compatible PC connection to APL Online ?
A. The PC must be capable of running Windows 3.1 or greater in enhanced mode. This means that the processor must be at least an 80386. 80486 or Pentium systems will generally provide better performance. The minimum system memory requirement is 8MB. 10 - 15 MB of hard disk space is required. A VGA or greater display is required. (256 color) SVGA or greater is recommended. The system date must be correctly set. Arial, Times New Roman, and Symbol True Type fonts must be installed and enabled. The system must include either a network interface card (if connection is to be via the Internet) or a 9600 bps or greater modem (if access is to be via a telecommunications network such as Compuserve or the OCLC network). Additional software will be required to support Internet access. See the telecommunications section for details.
Q. What are the minimum hardware requirements for Macintosh access?
A. A Mac II fx or greater (including Quadra, Performa, Powerbook, and PowerPC product lines), running Mac operating system 7 or greater. The system must include either an Ethernet card providing direct TCP/IP Internet access, or a 9600 bps or greater modem (if access is to be via a telecommunications network such as Compuserve or the OCLC network).
Q. What are the minimum systems requirements for Unix workstations?
A. Any Unix workstation capable of running NCSA Mosaic can be used. The workstation must have access to the Internet.
Q. What are the requirements for an X-terminal?
A. Any X-terminal capable of running NCSA Mosaic can be used. The X-terminal must have access to the Internet.
Q. If I don't have a system capable of supporting the requirements listed above, can I still subscribe to APL Online?
A. Yes. If your system supports telnet access, you can connect to EJO-ASCII, which provides ASCII-only access to APL Online. Of course, this access will not allow viewing of special characters, equations, tables, or figures.
A. The system must include software capable of executing the TCP/IP protocol used by the Internet. For windows PC, a "Winsock-compliant .DLL" file is also required. This software is shipped with nearly every TCP/IP software package. The software must be compatible with Microsoft's version 1.1 of the Windows Sockets standard. The following TCP/IP packages have been tested with Guidon 3.0 and deemed acceptable by OCLC for use:
A. For Guidon users, no additional software is necessary. If the modem is being used for a dial-up Internet connection, appropriate TCP/IP software is required. This software is available from most Internet service providers. This software must support either the Serial Link Interface Protocol (SLIP) or Point-to-Point-Protocol (PPP). Every Internet service provider will have details about what is required.
Q. I want to establish a home Internet connection. Who should I contact?
A. A variety of Internet service providers can offer this service. Included among them are Performance Systems International (800-774-3031), O'Reilly & Associates (800-777-9638), Netcom (800-501-8649), and others. The cost for this service will typically be $25-$30 per month after initial purchase and installation fees of $100-$200. The subscriber must also pay the cost of the telephone call to the Internet service provider, which will be a local call in most metropolitan areas.
Q. Will there be a European server as well as a U.S. server?
A. There will only be a U.S. server initially. It may be possible to improve performance from Europe by connecting through OCLC's United Kingdom server. This option is being investigated.
Q. My Internet connection is behind a "firewall." Will this be a problem for connecting to APL Online?
A. If you are using the Mosaic interface, and can now connect to Web servers outside of your own institution, you should be able to connect to APL Online without difficulty.
A. When APL Online is initially released in January of 1995, only Windows PCs will be able to use Guidon. A Macintosh version will be available by August of 1995. There are no plans for a Unix version at this time.
Q. If I can't use Guidon on my Mac, can I still subscribe to APL Online in January?
A. Yes. OCLC is making APL Online available for any individual with access to the NCSA Mosaic software. Versions of this software are currently available for most Windows, Macintosh, Unix Workstation, and X-terminal systems. See the Mosaic section for further details.
Q. Will there be differences between the Windows and Mac versions of Guidon?
A. Most capabilities will be the same. However, the features of Guidon were developed on the Windows platform, and there are a few things the Windows can do (e.g., open multiple windows, minimize windows, etc.) that Macs do not support.
Q. If Mosaic is available, why would I want to use Guidon?
A. While Mosaic is probably the fastest growing software application in use today, the current definition of the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) does not include support for special characters, complex equations, or tables. Guidon supports all of these elements in a much richer presentation. While all information published in each article of APL Online will be available to users of either software system, Guidon will provide superior navigation capabilities. We hope that many subscribers will try both systems, and let us know what they like best about each. User suggestions can then be employed to improve both.
Q. What documentation will be provided to APL Online subscribers?
A. Full documentation for both the Guidon and Mosaic clients will be provided. The documentation will include a getting started booklet for Guidon and Mosaic, a journal reference card for APL Online, a reference card for Guidon, a library/institution option card, and an order form for additional documentation.
. Q. Where does the Guidon software reside? Must it be installed on each user's computer? How is it updated from release to release?
A. The Guidon software resides on each user's PC. It must be executed from the individual PC, but software could be loaded from a central server. Updates to the software configuration may occur throughout the year, and will be performed directly by OCLC when a user logs on for the first time after the update has been enabled. Major software releases will occur about once per year. These upgrades will need to be applied locally to each PC (or to the central server). Users that must load the software from a central server every time they connect to APL Online may experience slower response.
A. NCSA Mosaic is available from the National Center for Supercomputer Applications and a variety of other Internet sites. Your local Internet support personnel should be able to help you obtain the software.
Q. How will the Mosaic version support special characters, math, and tables?
A. While the HTML specification (used by Mosaic) currently does not support these elements, OCLC has developed special rendering software to enable their display.These objects will be rendered as graphics. It is hoped that future versions of the HTML specification will provide greater support for these elements. Sample documents from APL Onlineare available through the AIP home page for review. The Universal Resource Locator (URL) for the homepage is http://www.aip.org/.
Q. How will the performance of the Mosaic software compare to Guidon?
A. Both should exhibit similar performance. Given identical network traffic conditions, the Guidon display will probably be somewhat faster, since smaller files need to be transferred.
Q. Is NCSA Mosaic the only software that can be used to view the HTML version of APL Online documents?
A. The software is being developed for NCSA Mosaic and is being tested with that viewer, but other HTML display software (e.g. Spyglass, etc.) will most likely function correctly.
Q. Will APL Online work in exactly the same fashion on all three Mosaic platforms (Unix/X, Macintosh, Windows)?
A. There are small differences in Mosaic functionality on each platform, but all features of APL Online will be supported on every variation.
Q. How will figures and tables be presented under Mosaic?
A. "Thumbnails" of each figure and table will appear in the text. (Thumbnails are tiny representations of each figure.) These thumbnails should be sufficient to permit a subscriber to decide if viewing of the full image is desired. All thumbnails will be GIF (Graphic Interchange Format - a standard way of representing graphics) files.
Q. How are the HTML files created?
A. OCLC has developed context-sensitive software that processes the SGML file used for the Guidon presentation and inserts the appropriate HTML tags and reference links. Whenever a special character or string of special characters is encountered, the software creates glyphs (tiny graphical representations of a single character or group of characters) that are output into the text stream at the appropriate position. All graphics and tables are rendered as thumbnails of 225-bit width. The appropriate hypertext links to the full figures and tables are inserted. The end result is a document with the same content and similar appearance to that produced for Guidon.
Q. What documentation will be provided to APL Online subscribers?
A. Full documentation for both the Guidon and Mosaic clients will be provided. The documentation will include a getting started booklet for Guidon and Mosaic, a journal reference card for APL Online, a reference card for Guidon, a library/institution option card, and an order form for additional documentation.
Q. What other software developments are required for the Mosaic version?
A. OCLC has developed an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) gateway/Z39.50 search interface, in addition to the SGML to HTML translator. The gateway server will maintain session information that is normally not kept by an HTTP server. This information will include user ID and authorization, a history of requested searches, and the status of requests made to the server by any particular user.
Q. Will the Mosaic version be developed further?
A. Yes. AIP and OCLC both believe that WorldWideWeb/HTML presentation of primary research literature will continue to flourish into the future, and may become the predominant method for conveying research results. Accordingly, the Mosaic version will continue to be enhanced. It is the only access method that will be available for Unix/X now and in the future. OCLC and AIP are committed to the enhancement of the HTML standard to permit greater functionality within research documents. HTML 2.0 will provide better support for superscripts and subscripts. Future releases of Mosaic will support objects that understand how to manipulate certain file types. In the case of APL Online, this will enable the Guidon presentation software (which is based on TeX DVI technology) to be used for document display and navigation. In another release of the HTML standard, we hope to encourage the development of "persistent toolbars," which remain on the screen as a user navigates the document. These toolbars would provide a greater degree of customization of the presentation of the information, and aid in advanced navigation techniques. As subscribers gain experience with Mosaic presentation of APL Online, we will welcome your suggestions for enhancements.
Q. What are the key differences between Guidon and Mosaic functionality?
A. It will not be possible to obtain a list of figures or a list or tables under Mosaic. (On the other hand, Mosaic supports in-line thumbnails of figures and tables - a feature not currently available in Guidon.) After viewing a figure or table, you will always be returned to the first occurrence of the figure or table reference within the text. (Guidon permits you to select which occurrence to return to.) There will be no drop-down section list for navigation in Mosaic, as is provided for Guidon. Guidon users will also have access to context-sensitive, online help.
Q. Will Mosaic users have to enter a user id and password for each connection?
A. OCLC is implementing a common gateway interface for institutional subscribers to APL Online. This will permit individuals to connect to one specific URL at the institution, from which sessions to APL Online will be controlled without the need to enter user ids and passwords.
A. The first CD-ROM will include all articles published during 1995.
Q. Will the CD-ROM work with all platforms and both user interfaces?
A. The CD-ROM will only be usable with the Guidon interface. This means that it will be limited to the Windows and Macintosh (after August of 1995) platforms.
Q. How will the CD-ROM work?
A. The Guidon software will permit the CD-ROM database to be mounted as a local database that supports all of the same functions as the electronic journals mounted on the EJO database at OCLC.
Q. Why can't I subscribe to just the CD-ROM?
A. Since APL Online is a weekly letters journal, where timely access to information is extremely important, a single, year-end CD-ROM subscription does not deliver the service that scientists require. A combined print/CD-ROM subscription is being provided for those who do not want to use the online journal for current awareness, but who are willing to use the CD-ROM as a means of being able to conserve shelf space (by recycling printed issues at the end of each year).
Q. When will the first CD-ROM be available? What will it include?
A. The first CD-ROM will appear in early 1996. It will contain all articles published during 1995.
Q. Will I be able to retain the CD-ROM if I should decide to terminate my APL Online subscription?
A. Yes. The CD-ROM is intended to provide the equivalent archival quality that would result from retaining the printed issues after cancelling a subscription.
A. Every APL Online article contains the full citation for the printed version of the article. (For the transition period, the printed article will remain the archival version.) Using standard techniques, this citation can be copied to a clipboard, and pasted directly into the paper you are preparing.
Q. How do I print articles?
A. The full articles (including figures and tables, if any) will be printed whenever an article is selected for printing using the Guidon or Mosaic print functions.
Q. Is the document printed from APL Online ASCII or image?
A. The document that is printed from APL Online using Guidon is formatted for the printer you have defined in Windows. It may be in PostScript format, HP GL, or whatever your particular printer requires. You can also download the articles, in ASCII, SGML, or Guidon format. (Guidon format allows you to view and print the article locally, without having to be connected to the central server.
Q. Are there restrictions on what can be printed?
A. All printed copies must be for personal use only. The same copyright restrictions that apply to the printed journal apply to copies of articles printed from APL Online If non-personal use copies are made, a royalty payment must be made to the Copyright Clearance Center. The appropriate CCC code is contained on the printout of each article..
Q. How will the quality of printing compare will the print version of the journal?
A. Print quality first depends on the quality of the printer available to you. Assuming that you have access to a 300 dpi (or greater) laser printer, you should not be able to detect any differences between the quality of the print journal pages and the pages you print. The only possible exception is halftones (photographs, e.g., Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) images). While the quality of the halftone portion of the reproduction will be nearly equal to the printed journal, there may be slight blurring that takes place in the legends of the figures, because of the process used to transform the figure for online reproduction.
Q. Will there be any differences in the quality of printing between Guidon and Mosaic versions?
A. The Guidon and Mosaic interfaces use 100 dpi JPEG (Joint Photo Experts Group) files for on-screen display and halftone printing. The Guidon interface uses 300 dpi TIFF files for printing line art. The Mosaic interface does not allow use of these 300 dpi files; instead, line art is printed from the 100 dpi JPEG files. Thus, print quality of the line art portion of articles will be better with Guidon. OCLC and AIP are working to improve the print quality of JPEG images.
Q. Will there be any difference between the 1994 articles and the 1995 articles?
A. For the first six months of 1994, only the text (including equations, special characters and tables) will be available. For the second half of 1994, figures will also be provided. (A few multi- part figures may be missing from some third-quarter articles.) There will be no bibliographic links available for 1994 articles.
Q. Who will maintain the official archive of APL Online?
A. AIP will archive all issues of APL Online. Duplicate archives will be established at OCLC and perhaps other sites.
A. Send your order to AIP Circulation and Fulfillment: 500 Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury, NY 11797. Upon receipt of your paid order, we will send you a Subscription Agreement. Once your signed agreement is received, OCLC will establish your account, issue a password, and send you the start-up package, which includes both user documentation and software.
Q. Why is the Subscription Agreement required?
A. This is required to protect the copyrights of the software and data. Renewals in future years will not require a new agreement.
Q. Must all users of a library subscription sign the Subscription Agreement?
A. No, only the designated institutional representative of the library needs to sign the Subscription Agreement.
Q. I have already placed my order. When will you send the Subscription Agreement?
A. Subscription Agreements will be sent out as orders are processed.
Q. How can I check the status of my order?
A. Member subscribers should contact AIP Member Services at (800) 344-6901. Institutional subscribers should call AIP Subscriber Services at (800) 344-6902, after first confirming order status with your subscription agency.
Q. Can I try APL Online before subscribing?
A. Yes. A demo disk of the Guidon version is available now via anonymous ftp from the AIP file server (ftp.aip.org). Look in the /aplonline directory. You can also download the files directly from the AIP home page. Remember, the demo disk is for Guidon only, and will only work on a Microsoft Windows system.
Q. Is there any demo for the Mosaic version?
A. Sample articles are available for review on the AIP home page. URL: (http://www.aip.org/).
Q. If I register for a single user license now, can I change it to multiple simultaneous users later?
A. Yes. The number of users can be increased at any time by paying the differential in subscription price.
A. Yes. Member subscribers may install the software on their office computer, their home computer, and their travel computer. However, the EJO software will only permit one of the systems to be logged on at a time.
Q. What are the software installation terms for Institutional subscriptions?
A. Institutional subscriptions permit the installation of software on as many computers as desired within a single campus or organization. Thus, several computers in a library, plus computers in the offices of several faculty members in multiple departments can all legally install a copy of the software. However, the number of simultaneous logins to APL Online will be governed by the number of licenses purchased by an institution. Installation of software is restricted to the licensed site only. If institutional software is loaded to a home machine, that machine must gain access to APL Online by way of the institution's network.
Q. If Institutional subscriptions permit software loading to so many workstations, what are the restrictions on multiple simultaneous access?
A. Access will be limited to the number of simultaneous users permitted under the terms of the subscription purchased by the institution. For example, if Institution A purchases a five-user subscription, the sixth individual attempting to access that particular login ID would receive a message that all logins are in use at the time. Single user, 5-user, and 10- user licenses are available.
Q. Does a multiple-user subscription mean multiple user IDs and passwords?
A. Access to APL Online comes about via an Internet connection made by the Guidon software to a particular address (the address of the APL Online journal server at OCLC). It is our intention to issue one ID and one password for institutional subscribers, and to specify how many simultaneous logins are permitted (1, 5, or 10). When one more than the permitted number of logins attempts to connect to the journal server, the user receives a message that all logins are in use, and to try again later. Access via Mosaic occurs in the same fashion.
Q. If an Institution has subscriptions to more than one EJO journal, how are the terms of use interpreted?
A. Subscribers are permitted the number of authorized logins to each journal for which a subscription exists. For example, a single user license to Electronic Letters Online and a 5-user license to APL Online would permit six patrons of a library subscription to connect to EJO. All users could simultaneously search both databases of articles, but only five could view articles in APL Online, and only one could view an article in Electronics Letters Online at any one time.
A. When renewal bills are sent out, you will be given the opportunity to convert to an online subscription, or to renew your print subscription and add an online subscription (or add a CD-ROM subscription, or even to add both).
Q. I am an American Physical Society member who subscribes to APL through the APS. My print subscription does not expire until June of 1995. How can I switch to APL Online when it becomes available in January?
A. APS member subscribers to the print version of APL will be given the opportunity to convert to online (at no charge) the last half of their subscription. A special mailing was sent in November. They will also have the opportunity to continue their print subscription and add a 6-month online subscription for a very attractive rate. In the Spring, APS members will have the opportunity to renew either online or online+print for the next fiscal year (beginning in July of 1995), and also to request the end-of-1995 CD-ROM containing all 1995 issues.
A. The Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials, the Online Journal of Knowledge Synthesis for Nursing, and Electronics Letters Online are currently published via EJO. Immunology Today will become available at the same time as APL Online. Many additional journals will soon be announced for 1995 availability.
aplonline@aip.org