Collecting FAQ/Knowledgebase Information
Whether you work in a library, legal institution, corporate office, or just with your own personal information you have probably researched answers to the same question or subject over and over again, and wished you had a handy way to save it and find it again later. Now there is a quick and easy way to collect information and research about specific questions or topics so that you can quickly access them at anytime in the future. Try our new FAQ/Knowledgebase template today.
With askSam and this new template you can...
Ÿ Store all your research and questions in one location
Ÿ Track other information like date submitted, submitted by, researched by, notes and more
Ÿ Attach files to FAQs - ie. Word docs, PDF, images, spreadsheets, etc.
Ÿ Locate knowledgebase items by any word or phrase for easy recall
Ÿ Search your knowledgebase by specific areas like date, submitted by, etc.
Ÿ Easily print, export, or email knowledgebase items.
Ÿ Create custom reports to summarize and organize your knowledgebase information
Here's how...
Creating a FAQ/Knowledgebase Database
The first step is to create a database to store your information. You can organize your commonly asked questions in multiple databases or you can put them all into one database. To simplify this step we have provided you with a FAQ\Knowledgebase Template. Click here to download the template to get started.
Note: When the template download prompts you to OPEN or SAVE choose SAVE. The select the askSam TEMPLATES folder as the download location. As a default this folder is installed to \PROGRAM FILES\ASKSAM\ASKSAM\5\TEMPLATES.
Once you have the template downloaded to the TEMPLATES folder follow these steps to create your FAQ\Knowledgebase
1. Choose FILE -> NEW
2. Click on the FAQ - KNOWLEDGEBASE template
3. Choose the CREATE button
4. Choose a location and name for your new file
5. Choose SAVE
6. You will then see the Knowledgebase Main Menu
Adding Document to Your FAQ/Knowledgebase
Once you have created the file everything you need is already available for you. However, all askSam templates are completely customizable. You can add, remove, re-order or change the fonts, colors and point size of any fields in the database. For more information on editing entry forms please see Chapter 4 of the askSam User's Guide.
To add an FAQ item to your database simply click the "Add A Knowledgebase Item Link". The Knowledgebase entry screen will appear. Type in your information into the proper fields. The QUESTION and RESPONSE field will hold as much text as needed. Use the TAB key to move from field to field.
Note: You can also choose DOCUMENT -> ADD DEFAULT ENTRY FORM, press F5 or CTRL+A or click the
 icon in the toolbar
Using Your FAQ/Knowledgebase
Once you have added your commonly asked questions and responses you can search them at any time. There are three ways to search your data.
1. The Search Line
To use the Search Line simply press <ESC>, type in a word or phrase and press <ENTER>. The results of your search will automatically appear in the Search Results Window at the bottom of the screen.
2. Pre-defined Searches
We have included with this template several pre-defined searches. To use a pre-defined search simply click on the search in the SEARCH BY section of the main menu (Subject | Category | Submitted By | Researched By) or choose ACTIONS -> STORED SEARCHES. Each search will prompt you for the information to enter and then perform the search for you. For example the SEARCH BY RESEARCHED BY option will allow you to enter a persons name and a word or phrase to find all articles researched by a certain person.
3. Detailed Search (Custom Search)
To create your own more detailed or complex searched choose ACTIONS -> SEARCH. Use the search dialog box to build your own searches.
Note: For more information on Searching in askSam see Chapter 8 of the askSam Users Guide.
Click here to download the FAQ/Knowledgebase Template.
I hope you enjoy using this new template.
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