1. 

Introduction 

This manual is designed to give members information concerning the operation of the Data Processing & Publications Department (DP&PD). It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to data processing and publications operations. Many details of daily operation are beyond the scope of this manual. For information about the operations of the department not contained in this manual, ask the Administrator of DP&PD. 

2. 

Purpose of the Data Processing Department 

The department’s main purpose is to provide services to translators.  Our mission is to provide technical capabilities that would otherwise be impractical for individual translators to maintain. We also provide services in support of the branch administration. 

3. 

The Users of the Department 

The primary users of the Data Processing Department are PBT members. 

Occasionally, the branch administration may allow others to use services of the department. Most often these other users will be translators from other mission organizations. Other missions may also be allowed to use our services for purposes approved by the administration. When approved, we may also help other organizations, businesses, and individuals.  Being helpful when services are scarce is a valuable part of our community image. 

4. 

Determination of Work Priorities 

The data processing staff will handle projects in order of their priority. Some flexibility must be allowed in deciding which project to start next, because some jobs cannot be performed simultaneously with others. The priority list must be viewed as a guideline rather than an absolute rule.  If the priority system is too rigid, it actually reduces the amount of work that can be accomplished.  Nevertheless, we must use some method to describe the way in which decisions are made about what job to work on next, especially when there are many jobs waiting to be started. 

The following list of priorities will be the guideline for deciding what jobs get the most time and attention to push them to completion. 

1. Member newsletters. 

2. Preparation of vernacular scripture or portions of scripture for publication or village testing. 

3. Linguistic projects for academic presentation. This would include technical papers or other material written for academic purposes or publication. 

4. Preparation of other materials for village use by translators, their appointed helpers, or church leadership for use in worship, education or training. 

5. Linguistic or other projects directly related to translation or language learning activities. This includes dictionaries, interlinear texts, concordances, tables and other linguistic tools. It would also include technical papers prepared for the purpose of obtaining approval at specified points in the translation process, such as a paper to be presented to an orthography committee. 

6. PBT finance department operations. 

7. PBT critical administrative projects. These are time-critical administrative projects which have a high priority set by administrative action. 

8. Other member projects. This is all other non-linguistic and non-newsletter member projects. 

9. PBT non-critical administrative projects. These are administrative projects which are not time-critical or have been assigned a low priority. 

10. Any non-member or non-PBT use. 

The use of our services by non-PBT members or organizations is usually given a lower priority than any other PBT project or PBT member project.  

Exceptions to this general rule will have to be considered on a case-by-case basis, in the light of agreements that we may have with other mission organizations, and in consultation with the member or administrator affected, the ADLA, the ADSS, and the Administrator of DP&PD. 

An example of such an exception might be a time critical administrative project being given a higher priority, after consultation, than a project for a PBT translator’s program. 

Translators and literacy workers must discuss any linguistic or translation projects to be handled by the DP&PD with the ADLA. Projects such as newsletters or mailing lists do not need to be cleared by the ADLA. 

If work is sent in to the computer room from the bush, it will be placed in the job queue in its appropriate position according to its priority (assuming that, if it requires endorsement by the ADLA, this has been done). As soon as the work is completed, it will be placed in the member’s box in the administrative office to be sent on the next available transportation, unless other arrangements have been made. If the finished job is to be held in town, the computer room needs to be notified of that. If you want a progress report or a time estimate for the job, either check personally with the computer room or ask the radio operator to relay the request. 

If you want progress reports, you must ask for them. The department does not automatically make progress reports as stages of work are completed. 

Certain jobs will require spending time in town.  The DP&PD Administrator will work with the job requester to estimate the amount of town time required to complete the job. It up to the job requester to make sure that their town time has properly scheduled with the ADLA, the ADSS, and the Administrator of DP&PD. This scheduling must be done AT LEAST three months in advance of the work period. 

NOTE:  Normally much of the scheduling for the year is done during or immediately after the AGM.  The ADLA informs DP&PD at that time of the publishing needs for the year.  Those members who are ‘early birds’ will get pretty much whatever they want as far as their preferred time is concerned. 

5. 

Submission of Job Requests 

All requests for work in DP&DP must be submitted on the proper form.  No job will be started until the appropriate form is received. 

There are three different forms. 

1. Newsletter Job Request Form - to be used only for newsletters. 

2. Publishing Job Request Form - to be used for any publication work that is NOT a newsletter. 

3. General Data Processing Job Request Form - to be used for anything not covered by the above forms. 

Members should make sure that they have an adequate supply of these forms in the village.  Radio requests will be handled by the radio operator soliciting the information and filling out the correct form. 

6. 

Data Entry 

Members are generally responsible for their own data entry. Whenever possible members or their co-translators will do the data entry themselves. There are three major reasons for this. (1) The computer room is not sufficiently staffed to do all of the data entry required.  (2) To remain proficient, you must practice; the best way to practice is by doing something useful (that is, by entering your own data). (3) Whenever someone else enters linguistic data for a translator, the translator has missed another chance to become more familiar with the data. 

Situations do arise, however, in which it is detrimental to the progress of a program to stick with the general rule given above.  If the ADLA agrees that data entry needs to be handled by the department, he will assist the department in ‘recruiting’ a volunteer to handle the work. 

7. 

Data Processing Charges 

No charges are made to members for equipment time. 

Charges may be made for equipment use to non-members. 

Charges will be made to both members and non-members to cover materials and budgeted maintenance costs. For instance: 

Per sheet charges for copy machines 

Per sheet charges for printouts 

Per label charges for mailing labels 

Per diskette charges for diskettes used for member backup of projects done in town. 

Per stencil charges for electronically produced stencils 

Charges will also be made for special items ordered for members, if the items are for personal use or if the items have not been approved for use by and payment by the group. 

8. 

Standardization 

No data processing operation can function efficiently if every job is different. Likewise, no data processing operation which is intelligently managed is so rigidly standardized that every user is forced to fit into exactly the same mold. The most difficult task of a manager of a data processing operation such as ours is to determine how rigid standards must be to allow an efficient flow of work without alienating users by stifling their creativity and ingenuity concerning the ways in which they want to represent their data.  The problem is that designing new (and sometimes fascinating) ways of representing or organizing data consumes vast amounts of resources. It would be nice if everyone could do their own thing as far as handling the linguistic data is concerned, but that is completely impractical if the advantages of using computers as linguistic tools are to be realized. 

The Data Processing & Publications Department will publish documents for each major program or system of programs. These documents will describe standards for data organization and entry. This will produce several important advantages: 

1. Users will be able to easily recognize and utilize each other’s data. Since the output of programs will have a similar or identical format, interchange of information will be facilitated. 

2. It will be easier to train people to enter data and to use programs.  This not only includes computer room staff and translators, but also indigenous workers. 

3. Systems will be constantly refined and optimized.  If all translators’ data is organized differently and we use different procedures and programs to process it, nothing will ever get better than it was when we started.  If we use standards intelligently, then all of our systems will constantly be refined. 

4. The efficiency of the entire operation is enhanced.  Designing ‘tricks’ for non-standard operations is basically counter-productive.  Spending an equal amount of time developing and implementing intelligent standards benefits both the user and the staff. 

9. 

Ownership of Data 

All data that is non-personal in nature is the property of Pioneer Bible Translators. When a member leaves on furlough, he must leave with the Administration copies of all data pertaining to his work. If a member leaves the field permanently, he must surrender all data pertaining to his work. (See Sections 11.1. & 11.2.) 

10. 

Equipment Recommendations 

The department keeps up-to-date recommendations for equipment and software.  Members should consult the Administrator before making any significant purchase. 

We have working knowledge of just about any software or equipment you might need.  The difference between brands, however, is often very significant.  Please check before purchasing.  We can supply information that may save you money and problems.  We will recommend that you purchase equipment and software that we already support. 

In general we recommend that, whenever possible, desktop computers be purchased instead of laptops because we can easily repair desktops and it is easier to add special equipment to them.  If you purchase a desktop computer from the department, you might save money and you will be able to get it repaired. 

11. 

Responsibility for Backup of Data 

11.1. 

What is to be backed up? 

Central to the issue of backups is the policy that all non-personal (See Section 9.) data is ultimately the property of Pioneer Bible Translators. If a member leaves the field or resigns from PBT, copies of the data must remain with DP&PD. 

11.2. 

Mandatory Backups 

All data which is not personal in nature must be backed up by the department. This includes (but is not limited to) the following: 

Translated texts
Vernacular texts
Linguistic papers
Shoebox files
Dictionaries
Literacy materials
Anthropology papers
Notes 

Backups will be made of draft material as well as finished works. 

The member is responsible for making backups at his location and sending them to town.  If it is deemed necessary by the department to make a further off-site backup, it will be done by the department. 

Members will be charged for the diskettes or CD-ROMs used for mandatory backups. 

11.3. 

Optional Backups 

There are many kinds of personal data which members may wish to backup. Mailing lists, programs, letters, journals, spreadsheets, etc. are likely possibilities for archiving. 

The department will make space available for the storage of personal backups but will assume no responsibility for making, maintaining or protecting such backups—that remains the responsibility of each member. 

11.4. 

Location of Backed Up Materials. 

PBT data will be backed up in three locations:  In the computer room, off-site in Madang, and in the U.S. 

11.5. 

Access to Backed Up Data. 

Data maintained by the DP&PD is considered semi-privileged. Access to the data is limited to the ADLA, the translator who contributed the data, and those to whom the translator grants written permission to access the data. The DP&PD personnel also may access the data when necessary to perform data processing related functions at the request of the ADLA or translator. 

11.5.1. 

Access to Data While Member is out of PNG 

When leaving PNG, the member should inform DP&PD if any special arrangements are desired to allow others access to their data.  Otherwise it will be necessary to obtain permission from the member before granting access to anyone not mentioned in the paragraph above. 

11.5.2. 

Access to “Finished Work” 

“Finished work,” that is, work which has reached a point of completion in the opinion of the ADLA will no longer be subject to restricted access. 

11.6. 

Frequency of and Means of Obtaining Backups. 

11.6.1. 

The Member’s Responsibility 

In the bush, work should be backed up daily.  At least two copies of all data should exist (it would be wiser to maintain three copies).  Remember, you will never have a hard disk go bad until you fail to backup data that you can’t afford to lose! 

11.6.2. 

The Data Processing Department’s Responsibility. 

The DP&PD is charged with the responsibility of safegarding the data members supply for backup.  However, we can’t protect what we don’t receive. Due to the realities of flight schedules, a reasonable goal would be to obtain monthly backups of changed data—that is, data which has been added or altered since the previous backup. 

Some member’s data will, unfortunately, not be obtainable even on a monthly basis.  In these cases, backups will be obtained as often as possible.  For members in this situation, the DP&PD suggests even greater care in making your own backup copies. (As in Section 11.6.1.) 

Our current methods of backup are: 

1. Diskettes or CDs made in the bush and sent to town 

2. All machines in the office are automatically backed up daily on a dedicated hard disk in the office. 

3. Translators' machines connected to the network while in town should always be backed up on the dedicated drive just before leaving to return to the bush. (Ask to have each of your laptops backed up each time you come to town.) 

4. On Friday of each week the dedicated backup disk is copied to a portable device which is stored off-site. 

11.7. 

Labeling of Backup Diskettes or CDs 

The Data Processing Department records the following information on the backup disks: 

1. Name Of Member/Project 

2. Other Descriptive Info 

3. Date Of The Backup 

4. Number Of Disks Used For Backup (i.e. 1 of 3) 

5. Format Of Disk (Files, MS Backup, ZIP, etc.) 

6. Location Of Backup (Office, Off-site, US) 

12. 

Use of Your Artwork by Others 

Standard artwork for scripture is kept in the department. We have blanket permission for most of the popular artists. 

The ADLA is responsible for the maintenance of a system by which Artist’s Releases are kept on file, for images produced by indigenous artists.  The DP&PD will not allow you to use any images from someone else’s publication, unless you can demonstrate that you have obtained permission. Furthermore, the ADLA will ascertain that you have made appropriate arrangements with indigenous artists, in writing, to prevent any claims of misuse by PBT. 

See the appropriate ADLA documentation for details of the administration of the Artist’s Release system. 

13. 

Services Offered 

Automated analysis of vocal data (CECIL or Speech Tools) 

Publication of technical papers 

Publication of literacy materials 

Publication of scripture 

Training in computer and software use 

Procurement of hardware and software 

Limited repair service 

Publication of newsletters 

Printing of mailing lists and labels 

Data analysis, formatting, etc. within the scope of available software 

Provide workstation(s) for translator use when in town 

Maintain copying facilities 

Copying of CD-ROMS (Audio and Data) 

Whatever you need (never hurts to ask) 

14. 

Computer Training 

Training is available on two levels: 

1. Informal, one-on-one training is available as needed; 

2. Periodic computer workshops can be conducted as the need arises.  Workshops may be general and introductory in nature or specialized to meet specific, targeted needs. 

15. 

Storage of Items in the Computer Room 

A very limited amount of storage space is available in the Computer Room.  The use of this space must be limited to items requiring a controlled environment. Types of items that might be considered for storage might be: cameras, video cameras, other sensitive electronic equipment (not stereos or cassette players), floppy diskettes, computers, and other items on a case-by-case basis. 

We need to have a few rules for this storage, so that we can maximize its usefulness. 

• Clearly mark anything you store with your standard two or three letter team identifier on several sides, so that the staff can easily identify to whom it belongs. 
• Get permission from the administrator (or the ADSS or Director, if the administrator is not present) BEFORE you store anything. (An obvious exception is if you have already been given a space for diskettes, for instance, and you simply want to put another box of diskettes there, or some similar-sized item.) 
• Keep all of the items belonging to you together. 
• When you come to town, check through the items you have stored to make sure you are not hogging a valuable resource. 
• Understand that the staff can’t take responsibility for anything you store in the computer room.  This especially applies to expensive items.  You leave your gear at your own risk.