Correcting unresolved cross-references collaboratively

[tom.kohn at kodak.com]

Are there problems in expecting several writers to work collaboratively on 
resolving cross-references in a large book?

Our project is a set of books made from topic-based, unstructured files. 
We're in final composition state.

Our publication specialist has a master frame.book file, which contains 
250+ files. On generating, she gets a listing of --say 10--  unresolved 
cross-references (UCRs), presented in the error log file as hotlinks to 
the faulty source. It's the writers' responsibility to correct the UCRs, 
at their own computers. 

(An aside: Typically, the publication specialist keeps all files open 
during this process, except for the files that were reported with UCRs. 
--Because of the time involved in closing and opening the files for the 
book.-- As the writers start their work, the publication specialist closes 
specific files that have the target references.)

Writers search for UCRs to correct in the file(s) that were listed as 
containing UCRs, since the generated error log can't be shared from one 
computer to another.  Some writers have noticed that they find additional, 
different UCRs when they do this. I'm beginning to believe that UCR 
information is written in some temp file on the user's hard drive, and 
this allows different listings of UCRs to be reported.

Any assistance or ideas out there?

Thomas G (Tom) Kohn | Technical Editor | GCG WW Versamark Engineering 
Services | 
Eastman Kodak Company | 3000 Research Blvd | Dayton, OH 45420-4003 | 
tom.kohn at kodak.com | +01 937-259-3210 Office | +01 937-271-1484 Mobile | 
+01 937-259-3784 Fax | 
www.graphics.kodak.com