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Setting Collection Periods

Declare the collection periods for upcoming source audits

Collection periods are the time frames when Source Matters surfaces the stories for your audit period. Set them in advance so that the system knows when to collect. 

Set a Collection Period

Note that only admin-level users can set collection periods. 

  1. Go to Settings > under Source auditing, select Collection period.
  2. On this page, you'll see a list of existing collection periods. Click Add a new collection period to create a new one.
  3. On this page, fill out the form to establish the time frame, categories, and methodology. 
  4. Click Save Period.
  5. Now go to the navigation bar at the top of the page and select Overview. 
  6. Using the dropdown time frame menu near the top right, you can select the new collection period you just added. 

When the collection period begins, you will see stories published added to the Categorize Sources page. Your newsroom can begin tagging sources at any time. 

Tips

Not sure what time frames to choose for your collection periods? Take a look at your goals and the questions you want Source Matters to help you answer. 

Here are some strategies to consider: 

  • Consider the workload this creates for your newsroom. Would a one-week audit be just as impactful as a one-month audit? 
  • On the other hand, the longer the collection period, the more varied the sources will likely be. Is that what is most valuable for your audit? 
  • Perhaps a regular cadence is ideal to set expectations with staff and to ensure you capture a range of sources that would be "typical" for your publication. Try a quarterly audit, such as the first month of each quarter. 
  • A two-week audit, twice a year might be the right balance for your newsroom. 
  • You might try capturing a full year of stories and sources! Set the collection period to begin January 1st and end December 31st. 
  • If you have a high-profile initiative coming up, this could be a good time for an audit to analyze your range of sources. Or it could be a time to avoid so that the staff can focus their attention on the initiative itself. For example, election time or a special report series. 
  • Experiments are encouraged. You might try a one-week audit so everyone can practice and get a feel for the data that is returned. Then, try another that is longer after that. 

Technical Considerations

If you are using RSS feeds to import your content, then the system imports those stories continuously. Only during a collection period will it surface those stories to the "Categorize Sources" page. That way, only the stories relevant to the audit are displayed to users. 

Currently, there isn't a way to modify the data within a completed collection period. For example, if you add a category, there isn't a way to update previous collection periods to add that category. However, please contact us to talk about options for handling this.