FAQ

What does A.nnotate do?

A.nnotate is an online web service which lets you attach private or shared notes to documents using a web browser. You can use it individually to store and index documents, or within a group to collect or provide detailed feedback on a draft. More uses... including peer review, web sticky notes, document approval / sign-off, and text comments.

Do I need to download or install anything?

No - it runs entirely within the web browser so there is nothing extra to install. The current version requires Firefox (Windows / Mac OSX, Linux), Internet Explorer 7 or IE6 (Windows) or Safari (Mac OSX / Windows). People can review documents online without needing to start Word or any plugins like Adobe Reader or Flash.

Can I try it out?

Yes - just register or upload a document using the form on the A.nnotate home page

What can I annotate?

You can annotate documents and snapshots of webpages. Documents can be uploaded or emailed as attachments. Accepted document formats include PDF, Microsoft Word (.doc), Excel (.xls), Powerpoint (.ppt) and OpenOffice text and presentation formats. Document files are converted on our server to PDF and then into a format suitable for online annotation. Uploading PDFs is recommended as it will preserve exact layout and fonts, but other document formats will also work well. For web pages you can enter the URL and a.nnotate will make an annotatable copy in your private account space. Alternatively, you can add a button to your browser to take a snapshot of any web page with a couple of clicks (see the Help page once you've registered for details).

How much does it cost?

See the price list for the various hosted options. A FREE light user subscription is available for people who just need to annotate a few documents a month.

You can also run your own A.nnotate server on your intranet - see Standalone server installation page.

Can I add a.nnotate capability to my blog / web site?

Yes - it is easy to add an 'annotate this page' button like the one below to your own web page or blog. You can add this button to your web pages completely free of charge. See detailed instructions and sample HTML.

The button above allows your readers to make their own private notes on a personal snapshot of your pages. It is also possible to use A.nnotate to manage detailed public discussion / feedback on your web pages, e.g. the button below:-

Once you have registered, go to your account page for details. It includes a customized fragment of HTML that you can insert in your web pages to enable snapshotting and subsequent annotation. This is a good way to get feedback or corrections on your own website or on documents in your content management system.

Can we run our own a.nnotate server?

Yes, the system is available for licensing for unlimited use. We can configure a dedicated server for your organization, or you can install it in-house (on an intranet for example). More information on standalone A.nnotate servers

Do you offer educational discounts?

We are currently offering a version of the A.nnotate server for local installation by universities / colleges at a substantial discount; find out more

Can we use A.nnotate for online peer review?

A.nnotate is ideal for making academic peer review easier for journal editors, publishers, authors and reviewers - find out more about using A.nnotate for peer review. Researchers may also be interested in using A.nnotate for discussing articles online, e.g. as part of a journal club.

I have another question...

Please contact us.