Example chapter elements
Textbox example
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
- set up consistent elements in each chapter
- add content to comply with copyright and accessibility guidelines.
You can insert a textbox to display elements at the beginning of the chapter. Use the same style of textbox for each element type to ensure consistency. This is a shaded textbox. You can edit the colour of the textbox styles under Appearance – Theme options.
Accessibility of content (set to heading 2)
Heading levels (heading 3)
- Give your sections and subsections meaningful headings to organise the chapter content.
- Use heading levels in order.
- Don’t skip heading levels, as this will affect the accessibility of your content.
Heading 1 is used for the Chapter title. Heading 2 should be the used for the title of each section. Under heading 2 any paragraph headings should be 3 and so on. If you start a new section it will start again at heading 2.
Note: If you are using a Two-level table of contents structure for your book you will have to use heading 1 for each chapter section. The Two-Level TOC option is available under the Global Options Appearance settings.
Links
Our Accessibility Checklist has information on how to ensure your textbook is accessible to all. The link to the Accessibility Checklist in the previous sentence is descriptive. It lets the reader know what to expect if they click the link. Do not display the full URL or use generic text such as “click here” or “read more.”
Include the title, format and size of different content types so readers know what to expect before clicking (e.g. YouTube, 2m 35s or PDF, 150KB).
Embedding video
You can embed a video simply by adding the URL in the Visual editor. Also include a link to the video above or below the embed.
Videos in YouTube will usually include a transcript to make them accessible. Add a transcript to the chapter if one is not available with the video.
Example of an embedded video (heading 4)
How Haben Girma Became Harvard Law School’s First Deafblind Grad (YouTube, 6m39s) – this video introduces Haben Girma, who was born without hearing or vision and advocates for equal accessibility for people with disability.
Images
- Images that convey information should have alternative text (alt text) descriptions of the image’s content or function. Screen readers can read the text. Alt text should only be one or 2 sentences long.
- Graphs, charts, and maps should include contextual or supporting details in the text surrounding the image or have a long description.
- Images that are purely decorative do not need alt-text descriptions. Descriptive text is unnecessary if the image doesn’t convey contextual content information. Pressbooks will automatically add double quotation marks to an empty alt text field (“”) to give it an alt attribute.
Example image
The alt text you add depends on the purpose of the image. The alt text on this image reads – A kookaburra sits on the bare branches of a tree. The kookaburra has blue and brown feathers.
Images must also include a caption to acknowledge the creator or copyright holder.
For detailed images, use the Lightbox option to display a larger version when clicked.
Adding tables
Accessible tables must have:
- row and column headers with the correct scope
- a caption
- no merged or split cells.
The TablePress plugin allows you to add accessible tables or import files to create the table (which can save a lot of time).
An example of how to create an accessible table manually.
Copyright
It is important to acknowledge any third-party content you use in your textbook. if you use:
- Creative Commons (CC) materials, you must acknowledge the content according to the licence requirements.
- content with permission you must indicate that you have permission and acknowledge the copyright holder.
Acknowledgement format examples
The format you use in the acknowledgments may depend on the referencing style you adopt in your book.
Permission from the copyright owner to use content:
Material licensed under Creative Commons:
Note: Always link to the original content, creator and licence type for CC content.
Screenshots
Screenshots themselves aren’t copyrightable but the underlying content in the screenshot is subject to copyright. Permission is needed from the copyright owners to include screenshots in your book.
Content that would be considered significant requires permission. It may be difficult to decide what a copyright owner would consider significant.
If you want to show content from a screenshot:
- You may be able to recreate the screenshot as a table or another form, depending on the content, and add an attribution statement.
- Link to the platform instead.
- Ask for permission. Seeking permission has examples which can be adapted.
Review questions
References
Include a list of references in your chosen referencing style for any readings you quoted or paraphrased in the chapter.