PUBLISHING

Database
An organized, structured collection of information:
common examples are address
books, library catalogues and retail inventories.
A database consists of entries called
‘records’ (for example, each record could
be one person’s name and address), and
these records are broken down into ‘fields’
(such as: first name, last name, street, postal
code, city, etc.). This rigorous structure
makes it easy to select specific subsets of
information from the database based on
specific search criteria (for example: select
and show all people whose last name is
Mulder and who live in Amsterdam).
Dataset
A dataset (or data set) is, as the word
suggests, a collection of data – typically,
a number of entries extracted from a
database based on specific search criteria.
For example: from an address database
of all residents of Amsterdam, one could
extract a dataset of all residents living in
a particular neighborhood, and store the
results in a new file.
Desktop Publishing (DTP)
The design of printed matter on a personal
computer using graphical What-
You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG)
software such as Adobe InDesign or
QuarkXPress. DTP software uses a graphical
user interface to visually simulate the
analog layout desks used in pre-digital
times by graphic and editorial designers.
Device
In the context of mobile computing, a device
is an electronic handheld gadget such
as a smartphone, tablet, phablet (large-screen
smartphone) or portable gaming device.
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
Technology used by publishers to restrict
the usage and copying of copyright-protected
digital materials (audio and video files,
e-books, games, etc.). The practice of adding
DRM to media is controversial, as it often
obstructs paying customers from making full
use of the digital goods they have purchased.
For example, most files with DRM cannot
be freely transferred between two devices
owned by the same user. Also, it is often not
possible to even access these files without
an active internet connection. Finally, DRM is
a major obstacle for long-term storage and
accessibility of digital media.
E
Ebook
A digital publication which can be read on
e-readers and other handheld devices, as
well as desktop computers. Unlike online
digital publications (such as news websites
and blogs), most ebooks are meant for offline
reading and individual collecting. There are
various ebook formats such as EPUB and
AZW, most of which are based on web design
technologies such as HTML and CSS.
EPUB
Acronym for Electronic Publication. An ebook
format developed by the International Digital
Publishing Forum (IDPF). EPUB is an open
standard and the most commonly used and
supported file format for electronic books.
EPUB was designed to accommodate reflowable
content. See also Reflowable.
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