PANDAS Quick Start Guide

Introduction

This Quick Start Guide provides only the basic information you will need in order to begin using the PANDORA Digital Archiving System (PANDAS). For more detailed instructions you should refer to the full PANDAS Manual.

System requirements

The only system requirements to use PANDAS are:

• Internet Explorer web browser 5.5 or above
• 64mb RAM minimum
• My Network Places (or Web Folders) enabled in Windows in order to use the WebDAV protocol

Logging On and Off

Logging on

• To use PANDAS you will require a Username and Password. This will be set initially by PANDORA administrators at the National Library of Australia.
• When you log on for the first time, you will be required to change your password by selecting My Settings from the Main Menu screen.
• Change and verify your new password in the specified fields. The password must be at least six (6) characters and include one (1) number. The password can have a maximum of 25 characters. E.g min3rva

Logging off

• The Log Off button is located at the top left hand corner of the PANDAS Title Bar. After clicking Log Off, you will be asked for to confirm that you wish to log off.

Searching

To start searching select Search from the Main Menu screen. This will open the Search PANDAS screen.

Construct your search statement by:

1. Selecting the type of record you wish to search for from the "Search" drop-down box (e.g. title, publisher, collection or indexer);
2. Selecting which data field within the record you wish to search on from the "for" drop-down box (e.g. name, PI, URL);
3. Enter the the search term(s) you wish to use in "using" text box.

Viewing records

To view a PANDAS Title record, you must first do a title search then click on a highlighted title link from the list of search results. From the Title View screen you have options to edit the record, process a gathered instance or modify the public display details.

PANDAS screens are arranged in "tabs". You may need to click on the a tab in order to see the information you want. For example, on the Title View screen to view publisher details you will need to click on the Contacts tab.

To view Publisher, Collection or Indexer records do a search on the type of record you wish to view and view the records from the results list.

Creating records

To create (i.e. register) a new record on PANDAS click the Create button which appears on the Search screen. The default record type is for Title. If you wish to create a Publisher, Collection or Indexer record, select the type you want from the drop down box before clicking the Create button.

In the create record screen fill in the editable fields and make selections from drop down boxes where applicable. For Title records there are three Tab screens in which details about the title can be recorded. Click on the Tabs and complete details as appropriate. For Title records however there are some mandatory fields that must be completed. These are: Title, Format, Status and Subject.

Click the Save button to create the new record. If creating a Title record a persistent identifer (PI) number will be assigned to the record and displayed when you have completed the registration.

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Last updated 29 April 2003