United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

INTRODUCTION

Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory
P.O. Box 93478
Las Vegas NV 89193-3478

February 1991

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT PROJECT

Hypertext: A
Showcase for
Environmental
Documents

The amount of "required
reading" for those engaged in
hazardous waste site
remediation is overwhelming.
Documents pile up - often
leaving the scientist no option
but to briefly review the
abstract or the executive
summary. Fortunately, there
exists a computer software
tool, hypertext, that allows for
documentation on disk that
can provide all readers/users
with various layers of infor-
mation. The tiered knowl-
edge in hypertext makes it
ideal for experts in the field of
the publication who can scan
through the general informa-
tion and concentrate on a
particular section. It is also
suited to the novice in the
document's area who can

access highlighted areas for
in-depth definitions of unfa-
miliar terms, full-screen
presentations of tables and
figures, and references to
ancillary works.

Hypertext is an easy-to-use,
timesaving reading tool for
the overburdened scientist.
The ability to read an elec-
tronic book helps each reader
optimize the information-time
ratio.

Scientists at the EMSL-LV
have used hypertext on a
frequently used document, "A
Rationale for the Assessment
of Errors in the Sampling of
Soils" by J. Jeffrey van Ee,
Louis J. Blume, and
Thomas H. Starxs. The

original hardcopy document
is about 60 pages long, and
contains 4 figures and 8
tables. The document also
contains several formulas
that may be unfamiliar to
many users. The hypertext
version fits on a floppy disk,
keeps general information
"hidden" unless it's requested
by a novice user, and high-
lights frequently used tables
for easy access.

Hypertext can be applied to
any document that exists in
digital form. The level of
hypertext a document needs
depends on the complexity
and length of the original
document and the anticipated
expertise of the reading
audience.

THE RATIONALE
DOCUMENT

HOW HYPERTEXT
WORKS

The Rationale mentioned
above addresses the com-
plexity of the sampling and
analysis of soils for inorganic
contaminants from experi-
mental design to the final
evaluation of all generated
data. Sources of error
abound but they can be
successfully mitigated by
careful planning or isolated
by intelligent error assess-
ment. Error can be either
biased or random. Biased
error is indicative of a sys-

tematic problem that can
exist in any sector of soils
analysis, from sampling to
data analysis. The first step
in analysis of variability is to
establish a plan that will
identify errors, trace them to
the step in which they
occurred, and account for
variabilities to allow direct
corrective action to eliminate
them.

Error assessment should be
understood by the field

scientist and the analyst. To
implement the ideas in the
Rationale document and aid
scientists in the estimation
and evaluation of variability,
the EMSL-LV has developed
a computer program called
ASSESS. By applying
statistical formulas to quality
assurance data entered,
ASSESS can trace errors to
their sources and help
scientists plan future studies
that avoid the pitfalls of the
past.

Scientists at the EMSL-LV
took the disk containing the
Rationale document and
extracted sections such as
the Table of Contents, tables,
figures, and certain equations
and formulas. These sec-

tions appear separately when
selected in the new hypertext
version. Then, throughout
the document, certain words
and phrases were highlighted
so definitions can be ac-
cessed by a keystroke.

When a reader receives a
hypertext document on disk,
he or she can look at the
Table of Contents and decide
which sections to read. By
selecting, for example, the
section entitled "background",

Q255EX91

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HOW HYPERTEXT
WORKS (Continued)

BRIDGE TO ASSESS

the reader can be briefed on
the scope of the document.
A term within the Background
section, e.g., "representative"
may be highlighted. Readers

wishing the definition of
"representative" as used in
this document may get an
immediate clarification. In
traditional (linear) hardcopy

documents, a reader must
either wait for the definition to
be clarified in text or seek an
external definition through
outside reference materials.

The Rationale document is
the basis for an EMSL-LV
environmental software
program called ASSESS.
The philosophy and statistical
background in the document
is exercised practically with
ASSESS, which is also
available on disk. The
hypertext version of the
Rationale document prepares
the reader to use ASSESS

and also serves as a physical
link to the program. The last
item on the Rationale docu-
ment hypertext menu is
"ASSESS". After becoming
familiar with the concepts in
the document, the user may
select "ASSESS" to begin to
use the software.

This hypertext linkage of two
or more documents or

programs can simplify and
clarify many software applica-
tions for novice users. By
providing ASSESS users with
the technical background in
its development and Ratio-
nale document readers with a
viable program, hypertext
serves all levels of users in
error-tracing in the complex
application of soil sampling.

ADVANTAGES AND
LIMITATIONS

HARDWARE
REQUIREMENTS

Increased availability of
computer workstations and
the development of user-
friendly programs have made
hypertext an almost unquali-
fied bonus to busy readers/
users. Hypertext is easily
and effectively used for:
acronyms and abbreviations,
terms and phrases, tables
and figures, graphics, formu-
las and references.

Hardware requirements for
using this hypertext package
are:

• IBM PC (or compatible)

Advantages

•	Streamlined and non-
interruptive

•	Linkage to other hypertext
documents

•	Time-saving for expert;
instructional for novice

1.2 MB floppy disk drive,
5 1/4" (or 3 1/2" DDorHD)

Minimum graphics hard-
ware card, monochrome
display with graphics

Limitations

Availability of computer
with appropriate hardware

Some computer literacy
required

capabilities, VGA and EGA

Minimum 640 K RAM

Math coprocessor chip is
recommended but not
required

REFERENCES

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echnology "%
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support

roject

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Text, ConText, and HyperText; Writing with and for the Computer, E. Barrett, ed., The MIT
Press, 1988.

van Ee, J. J., L. J. Blume, and T. H. Starks, A Rationale for the Assessment of Errors in the
Sampling of Soils, EPA Report, EPA/600/4-90/013, May 1990.

FOR FURTHER INFORMA TION

For more details on Hypertext and the
Rationale document, contact:

Mr. J. Jeffrey van Ee
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory
P.O. Box 93478
Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478
(702) 798-2367

For information about the Technology Support
Center at EMSL-L V, contact:

Mr. Ken Brown, Manager

Technology Support Center

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory

P.O. Box 93478

Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478

(702) 798-2270

The Technology Support Center fact sheet series is developed and written by
Clare L. Gerlach, Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Company, Las Vegas.

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