Editing Website

Editing the CWS website

Introduction

This is a primer on editing the Center for Watershed Sciences website, https://watershed.ucdavis.edu

Everyone affiliated with the Center – graduate students, visiting scholars, researchers, faculty and staff – is responsible for posting and updating their Bio and Biblio, as shown in Part I.

Bio: Your biographical summary, professional face photo and personal profile

photo, contact information and affiliations and position.

Biblio: Publications you have authored.

This guide does not cover the Center’s associated websites, including those on education (courses and resources), informatics and modeling (e.g., PISCES) and other projects (e.g., Sierra Meadows).

Website Management

We use an open-source Content Management System called Drupal to create, edit and otherwise manage website content. The software is community supported, with multiple contributors and third-party add-ons.

Finding Help

The Center’s Web Team of specialists continuously monitor and improve website performance, navigation, appearance and content. They welcome your suggestions and respond to any technical problems you might experience.

Website support: Email Web Team, cws-it@ucdavis.edu

Requests for updates, additions and corrections on content outside your Bio and Biblio and clarifications should be directed to Ann Willis

Website content: Email Ann Willis, awillis@ucdavis.edu

First-Time Users

To add or change anything on the website you need a user account. The Web Team normally creates one for you when you join the Center. If you do not yet have a user account, please notify the Team in an email that includes your UC Davis Kerberos ID (but not your password!) and any project web pages you expect to edit. The Team will notify you when your user account is active, usually within a day of your request.

Making Changes on Website

In creating your user account, the Web Team assigns you certain editing permissions, depending on your needs.

Those designated an Authenticated User can add and update content on their Bio and Biblio.

To create or edit a project web page you must be designated a Content Manager and an administrator or member of the group responsible for the content on that page.

To become a Content Manager and a Group Administrator of a project page, contact the Web Team.

The Group Administrator – typically the researcher who runs the project day-to-day – can delegate editing responsibilities to others working on the same project by adding them as a Group Member. Group membership is limited to individuals with user accounts on the website.

Part I: Create a Bio and Biblio

Log into website

  • Click Log In button in website’s footer.
  • Enter your UC Davis Kerberos ID and password.

Once you’re logged in, black and dark gray editing toolbars will appear above the web pages.

Access Your Bio Page

Click My account in website’s footer.

Edit Your Bio Page

Click Edit tab below your name. Fill required fields.

Bio Box

  • If you’re copying and pasting text from another file, such as Microsoft Word, paste it first in Notepad or an Apple text editor. This will remove underlying code that can distort formatting and even prevent the page from displaying.
  • Keep the default settings for formats.
  • Note that you can link text using the icon.

Images

  • Professional photo: This is your face shot (no shades or hat) that appears on the website’s People pages.
  • Bio photo: If you want your Bio page photo to be different than your professional photo, upload it here. Otherwise your professional photos will automatically appear here.
  • Photos should be sized 400×400 pixels for optimal resolution.

Publications

  • Mouse over Publications on webpage menu bar and click Authors.
  • If you see articles under your name that do not appear under the Publications tab of your Bio page, please notify the Web Team. [Typos and alternative names (Lund, J. vs. Lund, J.R.) can prevent Drupal from making the link.]
  • To add or edit a publication, click Add Content on the dark gray toolbar above web page, and then click Biblio.
  • Note that you can use BibTex to populate your list of publications.

Other text fields

  • If your Positions/Roles do not appear in the pull-down window of choices, please notify the Web Team. Likewise for Affiliations.
  • Contact Information: Note that the email address you provided in setting up your user account automatically appears in the upper right of your Bio page. The Center’s address is “One Shields Avenue | Davis, CA 95616”. You can add your desk and/or cell phone number.

Part II: Create, Edit and List Project Web Pages

You can create and edit project web pages once the Web Team has assigned you the proper editing permissions.

Create Your Project Web Page

  • Click Add Content on the dark gray toolbar above web page.
  • Click Project.
  • Complete required fields.

Entering Project Contact, Collaborators, Sponsors and Publications

Entries in these fields will not stick unless they already exist in the website’s Drupal database. You’ll know whether your entry is in the database if it appears in a drop-down window as you type it. If this doesn’t happen, you’ll need to add the name or publication to the database.

Adding a name or publication to the Drupal database

  • Project contact or collaborator: ask Web Team to create a user account for that researcher.
    • The project contact is the researcher who runs the project day-to-day; this researcher is not necessarily the principal investigator.
    • Collaborators are other researchers, students and staff substantially involved in the project.  When added as a collaborator the project will be listed in the project section of individual collaborator pages.  The project contact should add themselves as a collaborator in order for the project to be listed in their individual project page.
  • Sponsors: Go to Add Content>Partners. Complete all fields.
    • Sponsors are agencies, foundations and other entities funding the project.
  • Publications: Go to Add Content>Biblio (See Publications above)
  • Change order in list of names or publications
    • Drag and drop field box using the move icon

Writing a Description

  • This is not a scientific abstract but a jargon-free summary for the general public. Who is doing what and why? Why should we care?
  • Same formatting rules apply as for Bio box (above).

Embed a Video in Description

To post a brief video (<3 minutes) on a project web page, copy file to Ann Willis, awillis@ucdavis.edu

Save a Draft of Your Project Page

  • Click Publishing options in bottom left corner and uncheck Published.
  • Click Save button in bottom left corner.

Return to Your Draft Project Page

If you need to leave the website midway through editing your project page, you can return later, so long as you have saved a draft. To return to your draft:

  • Click Find Content on editing toolbar above web page to open chronological directory of website content, which starts with the latest entry.
  • If your draft is old, filter by Status (not published) and Type (project) to speed search.

Go Live

  • If you’re ready to go public with your project web page, hit Save and check Published in Publishing options.

List an Existing Project Page to Your Personal Page

  • Request the Project Contact or an admin add you as a project collaborator in order for the project to be listed in your individual project page.

Primary Category

Website Maintenance