Paul Jones joined TWI in 2002 and works in the Technology Transfer Services group as a Senior Project Leader. He has responsibility for the development of TWI's website, knowledge management and technology transfer projects. Before joining TWI he worked in the energy and financial services sectors in a variety of information management roles. He gained a BA in History and a post-graduate Diploma in Archive Administration from University of Wales, Aberystwyth and has recently completed the knowledge management module of the Open University MBA.
Whatever your interest in materials joining technology, TWI's website aims to get the right information to you, at the right time, in the right form.
Paul Jones, Product Manager of the site, traces its development, describes the information available and explains how Industrial Members can get the most from the site.
1996...in the beginning
A vital element of TWI's services to Industrial Members and implicit in its mission to 'deliver world class services in materials joining technology' is the dissemination of knowledge and information. Since 1996, TWI's website has been a primary channel for this activity, providing the global Membership network with an unrivalled breadth and depth of information, accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
TWI's Internet activities began in 1996 with the launch of a news and general information site that was accessible to all. In 1999 a separate service, JoinIT, was launched in parallel, providing technical information and know-how on materials joining technologies. In 2000, the two sites were integrated to form the current site at www.twi.co.uk.
Throughout the development of the site, users have been consulted to ensure that it meets their needs. A User Panel is consulted over developments and regular surveys and various feedback mechanisms are used. Usage of the site has grown strongly, as the graph below illustrates.
Information for Industrial Members
The site serves two broad purposes. Firstly, it provides up to the minute information about TWI, its services and current activities. That is accessible to all, including non-members. Secondly, through JoinIT, it offers online technical know-how and information to which Industrial Members, by registering, get exclusive access. Therefore, the site serves the non-expert newcomer to TWI and the experienced technical specialist alike. The two aspects of the site are examined in more detail below.
TWI and its services
If you are new to TWI and the website, start at the pages accessible directly from the home page. They introduce the user to TWI and the broad range of content in the site, with links to further information and TWI staff members who can deal with your queries.
- Welding and joining technology pages allow you to browse information about TWI's capabilities in different joining processes, via Technology Files.
- Materials engineering pages inform you of TWI's expertise in a broad range of materials engineering services, such as structural integrity and corrosion.
- Industry support pages detail TWI's services applicable to the industry sectors in which Members operate
- Latest News, gives a snapshot of TWI's current activities, including links to new group sponsored and collaborative projects, details of events, workshops and meetings, and the latest editions of TWI's publications Bulletin and Connect
- Additionally, the homepage describes the benefits of industrial membership, the range of project support services available, training and certification activities, and software packages produced by TWI.
JoinIT - Technical know-how and information
JoinIT is a comprehensive online resource of know-how and information on welding and joining of engineering materials. It is accessible, via the homepage, to registered users only, with the full set of documents available exclusively to registered Industrial Member users. As well as covering the range of joining processes, JoinIT also addresses related topics such as surfacing, cutting, manufacturing technology, structural integrity, materials, standards and health and safety.
The core of JoinIT is a collection of FAQs, Knowledge Summaries, Best Practice Guides and Interactive Toolkits that form a hierarchy of increasing technical scope, written specifically for the website by TWI technical experts. The aim of the collection is to deliver TWI's information and expert knowledge in a form that meets the needs of Industrial Member users from all disciplines, industries and expertise levels. The different types of JoinIT content are described below.
- FAQs are concise answers to straightforward enquiries, containing 'nuggets' of expert insight and there are over 1000 on the site. The FAQ titled ' Which standards stipulate delay time before inspecting welds?' is a typical example.
- Knowledge Summaries are excellent introductions to the most popular joining processes, technologies and materials. There are over 240 on the site. The Knowledge Summary on Nd:YAG laser welding is a typical example.
- Best Practice Guides are in-depth guides to technologies and processes that aim to illuminate available options, capabilities and current applications. There are more than 70 on the site. The Best Practice Guide on controlling distortion in arc welding is typical, containing internal hyperlinks, illustrations and figures.
- Software toolkits are interactive online databases that support decision-making. The user enters data to assess the feasibility of available technical options for a particular application. There are 18 toolkits on the site. The Cutting Selector Toolkit, is a good example. The user inputs data on material thickness, edge preparation and production considerations, and the toolkit provides a technical and economic assessment of the suitability of particular cutting processes.
It is therefore vital that these documents keep pace with technical developments in order that they remain up to date and relevant to Members. To this end, procedures for the production and maintenance of all website content are incorporated into TWI's ISO 9001: 2000 accredited quality assurance system.
In addition to the FAQs, Knowledge Summaries, Best Practice Guides and Toolkits, there is a wealth of further technical information available in JoinIT for Industrial Members.
- Industrial Members' reports from the Core Research Programme. There are over 450 reports loaded onto the site, ranging from 1976 to the present. If the one you are looking for is not available, please email library@twi.co.uk for a copy.
- Technical articles include material written by TWI staff for conferences, journals and magazine articles. There are over 200 of these covering all aspects of materials joining technology.
- Weldasearch, TWI's database of abstracts of welding and joining articles, is accessible via the website. A new web search interface has been launched recently, providing Members with quick and accurate searching of some 200 000 entries covering publications from the last 35 years.
- Who Knows, the Industrial Members' directory of TWI expertise is available through the website. It is organised by subject, with hyperlinks to staff CVs and e-mail addresses, allowing you to make direct contact with TWI specialists.
User registration
To ensure that you get access to all the information exclusively available to Industrial Members, you need to register on the site. Click the login link in the top right hand corner of the homepage and follow the instructions on the subsequent page. Please remember to indicate your membership status on the form. Once you have registered, TWI will verify your details and you will receive a User ID and password that will give you full access to the site. Industrial Members can register as many of their staff on the site as they wish. The registration form also contains TWI's privacy statement, which sets out what personal data is collected and processed by TWI.
Finding information on the site
The site is structured to allow navigational browsing for information. This is particularly useful for people who are new to TWI and the website. The powerful search engine in the site will provide quick access to the required information for more experienced users, who have a clear idea of what they are after. You can use the search engine by typing a word or phrase into the search bar at the top of each screen. Some knowledge of search term operators, such as '&' and OR, is useful to get the most from the search engine, and these are explained in the site help file, accessible from the top right hand side of the homepage.
To build a more complex query, the advanced search function is useful. This is available by clicking on the Advanced Search button, just to the right of the search bar. Here you can select values such as content type ( eg best practice guide), author name, publication date and keywords to build up a multi-string search.
Member company Intranet pages
If you wish to broaden use of TWI's website in your company, you may like to consider making TWI an approved site accessible from your intranet. We can customise a web page for your company, free of charge, to include
- TWI's membership services information
- Key contacts at TWI for your company
- Key technical content relevant to your business, eg knowledge summaries, best practice guides and software toolkits.
Direct access like this can boost contact and collaboration between your company and TWI, enabling you to get more from Industrial Membership.
Conclusion
This article has highlighted the main features of TWI's website, but to appreciate the breadth and depth of information available, Members should go to www.twi.co.uk, register and see for themselves! It is a major resource on all aspects of TWI's business and materials joining technology generally, with new content being added each week.
Your feedback on the site is always welcome. If you require assistance using the site, have any questions or comments about the content or any other enquiry, please contact Paul Jones +44 (0) 1223 899000 or email paul.jones@twi.co.uk.
