hypertext documentation

. . . ABSTRACT

As the Internet matures, scientists are starting to realize the power of documenting their research in a hypertext enviornment. Vannevar Bush's classic 1945 paper 'As We May Think' (1), predicted the importance of hypertext documentation. As with most things truly useful, the concept linking or associating where we are (in information terms) with where we want to be is very powerful. The value of hypertext documentation is further enhanced by the ability to capture data and build the links as a project progresses. In the geosciences, the data to be captured is often pictures; including data such as satellite images, outcrop photographs, well log cross-sections, maps, seismic time-slices and sections, volume displays, etc. The form of hypertext where images, sounds, animations, as well as text are linked is often called hypermedia.

This presentation will review how interpretation of the Corpoven Arecuna 3-D Project and the South Lake Maracaibo 3-D Project have been documented using the HyperEdge hypertext documentation tool. Examples of capturing data from different platforms, different applications, and hardcopy sources will be illustrated. Linking, tours, and the importance of data classification in a hypertext environment will be demonstrated. The power of being able to walk into a conference room and give an up-to-date project review without special display presentation will be shown. In addition, the ability to do display design and preparation to ease the last minute production load on cartography will be illustrated.

The software to do this type of hypertext documentation has been given to the Bureau of Economic Geology, and is available for anyone who wants to do hypertext documentation in a UNIX environment. The software is called HyperEdge, and Dallas Dunlap, a technical assistant for the Logoven South Lake Project is the best internal expert on the use of this technology. In addition, a free browser licence will be provided to any Bureau client wishing to review hypertext documentation of their project done at the BEG.

(1) http://www.isg.sfu.ca/~duchier/misc/vbush/vbush.shtml

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