Australia State of the Environment 2016, launched in March 2017, is the fifth national assessment of the state of Australia’s environment, which reports on the current condition of and likely outlook for our environment.
Biotext was involved throughout the development and production of this comprehensive report, which includes an examination of the drivers of environmental change; nine detailed thematic reports on atmosphere, built environment, heritage, biodiversity, land, inland water, coasts, marine environment and Antarctic environment; and an overview report.
SoE 2016 needed comprehensive editing, indexing, layout, proofreading and delivery in HTML and print. The report was to be published on an innovative new digital platform to improve user interaction with the wealth of information and data presented. For more than a year, we worked on 2200 pages, 156 interactive maps, 210 interactive graphs, 362 accessible datasets, and 72 graded report cards with 1166 graded assessments, involving 18 expert lead authors, 23 peer reviewers and more than 500 contributors.
Our project leader worked with the authors to develop the structure and flow of each report through numerous author revisions and expert reviews, with the aim of presenting clear messages as well as technical detail. Our editors then checked grammar, style, scientific accuracy, consistency and clarity of expression through several rounds of editing and proofreading.
Our data science expert worked with the department to develop a data visualisation tool for govCMS and ensure each graph was accurate and easy to understand. We delivered HTML content to ensure a smooth transition to a complex website.
Our designers developed concepts for web and print and laid out the reports for publication as accessible PDFs, including text, graphs, maps and photographs. We also developed engaging infographics to highlight key messages and concepts in the report.
It was a privilege to work on SoE 2016, and we congratulate the authors and everyone involved in a successful project.