Changing the way we review document drafts: is online a better way?

The typical process for reviewing documents under development involves printing, binding, and distributing hardcopy drafts to a review team. This hardcopy review process poses certain ineffiencies. Reviewing document drafts online can improve the review process, saving paper, labor, time, and money. However, simply going online doesn´t necessarily result in an eflicient process. The right online tool must be used. To determine which tool is best, one must determine the criteria that must be met to improve the process. Then, the available tools must be analyzed to see if one meets all the criteria. The authors look at several tools for improving the documentation review process. They share their criteria, their findings from their available tools analysis, and their decision to create their own web-based online review tool. The authors then review the benefits of their new review tool.