WEB-BASED ANNOTATION AND COLLABORATION: Electronic Document Annotation Using a Standards-compliant Web Browser

摘要

The Internet provides a powerful medium for communication and collaboration through web-based applications. However, most web-based annotation and collaboration applications require additional software, such as applets, plug-ins, and extensions, in order to work correctly with the web browsers typically found on today's computers. This in combination with the ever-growing number of file formats poses an obstacle to the wide-scale deployment of annotation and collaboration systems across the heterogeneous networks common in the academic and corporate worlds. In order to address these issues, a web-based system was developed that allows for freeform (handwritten) and typed annotation of over twenty common file formats via a standards-compliant web browser without the need of additional software. The system also provides a multi-tiered security architecture that allows authors control over who has access to read and annotate their documents. While initially designed for use in academia, flexibility within the system allows it to be used for many annotation and collaborative tasks such as distance-learning, collaborative projects, online discussion and bulletin boards, graphical wikis, and electronic grading. The open-source nature of the system provides the opportunity for its continued development and extension.