How to Set Up a Lab Website

A lab website is a great way to communicate your research. The college offers three avenues for setting up a website:

1. a free, WordPress based platform set up by the Communications Office 2. an at-cost option set up by the CVM Continuing Education Office 3. an at-cost option developed by an outside vendor and incorporated by the university’s Office of Information Technology

Below is information on how to navigate all options.

Step One

• There are two important aspects to keep in mind with any website option: o content you include o adherence to branding • Be sure to gather your information and organize it in a way you find best represents your lab.

Information to Consider Including

• Research Emphasis • Publications • Current Projects • News, Awards, Presentations • Research team members • Opportunities • Contact information • Here is information for keeping the website on brand: https://brand.ncsu.edu/

Step Two

• Reach out to the communications office about your website needs and what you envision, including the intended audience and what you wish to communicate. • It is highly suggested that you seek guidance on the various options by scheduling a meeting with the communications team (Tom Krupa and Mike Charbonneau) • Please populate the template provided by the communications office with the information you would like to add to your website

Step Three • Once you have your content, you can decide if you want a Wordpress site or an at-cost site. • If you are going with the free in-house version, Tom Krupa ([email protected]) can take the template you filled out and set up the structure of the lab website. After that, it will be up to the lab group to maintain the website content. • If you are going with the paid version set up by the CE Office, John Cole ([email protected]) will be the point person. These sites will still be branded as NC State but are generally not going to be found searching on the main CVM site. They can be shared by the lab or listed on a profile page. The CE Office charges $100 per hour for development. • You can assign administrative privileges to the CE Office so they can set the site up for you. Whoever makes the request will be the administrator of the site, and responsible for maintaining it and providing content.

Examples:

• https://lucaslab.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • https://infectiousdiseaseresource.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • https://zooexoticcancer.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • https://buchlerlab.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • https://cvmhousesystem.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • https://cruselab.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • https://academyofeducators.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • https://meiklejohnlab.wordpress.ncsu.edu/ • Zoological Oncology and Therapeutics – Harrison Lab at NC State • Fungal Systems Biology Laboratory – Quantitative biology; evolution; cell cycle • CVM House System • CVM Swine Group • The Comparative Gastroenterology Lab – Home of the CGIBD Large Animal Models Core • Lab Animal Resources • The Mishra Lab • CVM SimLab • Comparative Behavioral Research • CVM Communication Resources – Yet another NC State website • Sheats Lab • Shellfish Pathology Program • Aquatic Animal Models of Disease – AAHD

WordPress Information

With this option, you can provide your content to the Communications Office/CE Office and they can populate the site.

Resources:

WordPress- https://wordpress.ncsu.edu/

Basics of WordPress Powerpoint - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CQAFGghzKdQOl20wR6wt5Boa- PRu2C8IWAqSFXg2OXM/edit#slide=id.g37310ddd7d_0_391

Basics of WordPress Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTEaYWICvBM&feature=youtu.be

How to Edit a Page in WordPress- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGOUHgPPAGE&app=desktop

Developer-based Option

• This is a more extensive option, with a greater range of functionality, but it also takes more time and costs more. • The developer will be the one to maintain the site, but you will need to work in conjunction with the Office of Information Technology, who has to incorporate it. • At the moment, OIT is unable to work on new requests for some time. As a result, you may want to consider going with the free or in house at cost option for the time being.

If you have any general questions on setting up a lab website, please reach out to Mike Charbonneau ([email protected])