What is Your Workbench?
Your Workbench is a new area of Nature Network which houses various modules (known as apps) that allow you to create your own lens on the scientific web. You can add new apps from a catalogue, drag and drop them to wherever on the page you want to display them, and, in future, even create your own. Workbench functions much like services such as iGoogle and Netvibes, but is specially designed for scientists.
By adding apps to your workbench, you can keep track of activity on social networks including Twitter and Facebook, get the latest content from Nature and other publishers, and put scientific tools such as the Protein Database Structure Viewer, or tools for designing PCR reactions all on one page.
Adding apps to Your Workbench
To help you get started, we have added some starter apps to your workbench. These include a People Tracker for managing your Nature Network contacts, a Nature video app and a Q&A app for accessing the new Q&A section from the Workbench. To get started exploring the available apps and adding new ones, go to your Workbench using the red tab on the top of any page.
At the top left of the Workbench is a button saying “Add App”. Clicking this button takes you to a page of all the apps available for you to add.
They are divided into two categories: those provided by NPG and those provided by external developers. All the external apps are perfectly safe and have been vouched for by NPG before being included in the App Library
To add any app, simply click on the Add button underneath the icon. When you have finished, click “Return to your workbench” on the top left hand side.
Adding an app to Your Workbench.
You can customise the display of apps on your workbench as follows:
– To move an app around, hold down the title of the app and drag it to a new position.
– To remove an app from your workbench, click the cross in the top right hand corner
– To display just the title of an app, click the down arrow and select Toggle. Repeat this to show the full app again
– To move an app to the bar at the top of your workbench, click the down arrow and select minimise. To return it to the workbench, drag and drop it back to where you would like it to appear.
Individual apps can be displayed in full, minimised or moved to the carousel at the top of the workbench
For more help on how to do all of these things, see the FAQ
Future Developments
At the moment, your Workbench is private and only you can see it. We are currently developing a workbench that you will be able to share with everyone, or just your colleagues, so that you can collaborate using the same tools.
The apps currently available are just the beginning: if there’s an app that you’d like to see, or even help to develop, please feel free to email us at network@nature.com with your suggestions. In due course, full API documentation will be published, allowing anyone with an idea to take it forward immediately. We are also keen to hear feedback: please do let us know what you think of the new Workbench and how it could be made even more useful.