An emergent system for multimedial document management

The digital revolution changes our world in unprecedented manner and generates manifold challenges for humankind thereby. One of the major questions in the present time is concerned with the sustainable handling of (digital) data. Each individual produces and uses a multitude of data on a daily basis, which are assembled to meaningful information in reference to the particular context. A permanent storage of this information can be realised by means of multimedial documents. Altogether, these single activities constitute a natural cycle of collaboration, where humans capitalise on automation to create and retrieve information in relation to each other. The concrete use case to be realised within this diploma thesis includes the development of a software prototype for the acquisition and management of students- applications at the Vienna University of Technology. Several measures have to be taken into account to achieve this goal: the prototypical Student Records Manager allows to store information (documents and metadata) in student records on the one hand, and provides a user interface with three different views for the manipulation of information on the other hand. Students are enabled to upload documents and send their application in consequence. Employees of the Admission Office at the Vienna University of Technology are empowered to review these applications. Deans are set in a position to compose statements on the applications. In order to be able to meet these requirements, the Student Records Manager is built upon the open source electronic document management system Nuxeo Platform, which qualified as an adequate foundation in the course of a market sounding. Overall, the prototype is premised on a user-centred approach with selective automation support. Therefore, the main focus is directed towards an optimised integration of the strengths and weaknesses of humans and machines, that should ensure the most efficient processing of university applications for all involved participants. The concluding evaluation of the software prototype acknowledges its suitability for the acquisition and management of applications at the Vienna University of Technology. As a next step, the Student Records Manager could possibly be implemented in the designated operation environment and tested accordingly.