July 2018

GOODBYE, JAVA!

We are excited to announce that the non-Java version of our editing tool is now ready for use by all Manuals contributors. We first launched the non-Java version in late 2016 as an alternative for those who had technical issues with Java. At the time, it was a “light” version with basic features, but over the last year and a half we have worked to make it a very robust and user-friendly editing tool.

· You’ll no longer need to worry about updating Java in order to edit your chapters.

· You’ll be able to access the editing portal using all browsers (though Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge have some known performance issues in larger chapters).

· Our early non-Java adopters will be happy to know that you no longer need to clear your cache before logging into the portal.

To access your chapter, simply go to the portal, login, click your chapter, and choose Edit!

AUTHORS, START YOUR ENGINES

Since we instituted a bonus program for completing chapter updates as scheduled, 75 authors have achieved the $250 bonus! We hope to be awarding many more bonuses over the coming months, so start your editing!

As a reminder: For authors who have signed and returned a bonus addendum or who have a new contract with the bonus clause, we will pay you an additional $250 per chapter if the “Author” stage (which is the initial review stage) is completed within 4 weeks from the date the chapter is assigned to you (6 weeks if you have a co-author). Please email us if you’d like more information.

TRIVIA CHALLENGE

In our last issue we asked if you’d seen The Merck Manuals “in the wild.” In case you missed it, The Merck Manuals made a recent TV appearance on Jeopardy!

Here’s the $400 answer in the category “PUBMED.” We know you know the correct question!

TECH CORNER

I’ve updated my chapter. I’ve saved it. Now what?

After you complete your editing, you must forward your chapter to the next person in the editing workflow. Here’s how:

When you open your chapter within the portal, it opens in a new window—but that first window remains open in the background as you work in the editing tool (Screen 1). You complete your edits, updates, and comments, and you save your chapter (Screen 2). At this point, the chapter is still in your task list. For the next person in the workflow to receive your chapter, there is one final step you’ll have to take: forwarding the chapter. Click here to see screen shots of the entire process.

CITING THE MANUALS

Have you ever wondered how to cite your work on The Manual? It can be a little tricky, we know, because there is both a print edition and the digital Manual. Here are a couple of examples:

Citation Example:

Bolster MB, “Osteoporosis,” in The Merck Manual, edited by Porter RS, Merck & Co., Inc, 2018, pp. 323-327; also published online (last updated April 2017) at http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/musculoskeletal-and-connective-tissue-disorders/osteoporosis/osteoporosis.

Bolster MB, “Osteoporosis,” in Merck Manual Consumer Version, Merck & Co., last updated and published online December 2016 at http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/bone,-joint,-and-muscle-disorders/osteoporosis/osteoporosis.

Note: it is easy to leave out the page numbers, if you only want to cite the online version.

MILESTONES

Congratulations to Susan T. Schindler on her retirement from Merck after 28 years of service. Susan joined The Merck Manuals in 1992, and her meticulous editing and attention to detail have enhanced The Manuals. We look forward to continuing to work with Susan on certain chapters, but we’ll miss her presence in the office. We wish her a happy and fulfilling retirement!

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