Open Press Style Guide
Our Project Standards
Open Press Style Guide PDF
Open Press Publishing House Style Guide
The publishing style guide ensures uniformity in presentation across all Open Press publications. It encompasses:
- Accessibility standards
- Guidelines for handling various content types to ensure consistent functionality across all formats
- Standards for attributing text, images, and multimedia
- Structuring front and back matter
- Metadata management
General
Book Structure & Sections
Text Formatting
Media
Figure and Image Guidelines
- Figures should be numbered within each section or chapter. E.g., Figure 1.1: Image Preah Tineang Phochani Royal Palace.
- Use long descriptions for complex figures or diagrams (see also Charts and Graphs)
- Describe the image and its purpose in the surrounding text content.
- Include alt text (or long descriptions for complex images)
- Image links (e.g., using an icon for “print”) should describe the action and purpose of the icon link and never the describe the icon (e.g., not “printer icon”).
- Decorative images (images that are not relevant to the text content and used purely for interest) should have blank or empty alt text.
From an open image platform:
Figure 1.1: Preah Tineang Phochani Royal Palace. (Konsek/ Wikimedia Commons) CC BY-SA 4.0
Figure 1.2: Robert Hooke sketched the cork cells as they appeared under a simple light microscope. Hooke-microscope-cork by Robert Hooke (1635-1702) (Alejandro Porto/Wikimedia Commons). Public Domain
From an open textbook:
Figure 1.3: Human blood cell diversity. This image shows red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets. (Introductory Biology, CK-12) CK-12 License
Figure 1.4: Ribosomes are made up of a large subunit (top) and a small subunit (bottom). During protein synthesis, ribosomes assemble amino acids into proteins. (Singer 2019/LibreTexts) CC BY-SA 4.0 [Long Description]
- Include Figure number followed by colon (or period?)
- …by creator,
- …via <platform (Wikicommons, Unsplash, Pexels – images must always have an open CC or site license!)>
- … is used under <a CC … license> or <the site license> – must always be linked to the terms of use/ license information!
Examples: Figure 1.1: Preah Tineang Phochani, Royal Palace by Marcin Konsek, via Wikimedia Commons, is used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
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What is Copyright?
According to the Government of Canada (2024), copyright is a type of protection that covers “original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works that are in a fixed material form (i.e., written, recorded).”
Furthermore, the copyright owner has certain rights, including:
- “the sole right to produce or reproduce that work or a substantial part of it in any material form
- the sole right to perform that work or any substantial part of it in public
- if the work is unpublished, the right to publish it or any substantial part of it.” (Government of Canada, 2024)
In other words, the copyright owner has full control of their work and how it can be used. If others want to use their work, they have to ask for permission from the copyright holder.
For more information on Canada’s copyright laws, see the Government of Canada’s guide to copyright.
What is Creative Commons Licensing?
Although works are protected by copyright when it is created, some people choose to license their work for others to use. Licensing generally allows others to use someone’s work under specific conditions (or none at all).
Creative Commons licenses are a common way people license their work. There are a variety of licenses you can choose from, including:
What do all these abbreviations mean? Here is a breakdown according to the Creative Commons (n.d.) website:
- CC — Creative Commons — Identifies the license as a Creative Commons one.
- BY — Attribution — “Credit must be given to the creator.”
- SA — ShareAlike — “Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.”
- NC — NonCommercial — “Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.”
- ND — NoDerivatives — “No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.”
CC0 is unique from the others listed in that it allows creators give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions” (Creative Commons, n.d.).
For more information on Creative Commons licenses, see Creative Commons’ About CC Licenses page.
Copyright and Licensing Guidelines
- Decide which CC license you would like to apply to your own content. By default, the Open Press will apply a CC BY-NC-SA license to the content unless you specify otherwise.
- This license allows others to copy and redistribute your material in any format or medium, or remix, transform, and build upon the material with appropriate attribution. This license prohibits commercial use of the content (for selling or advertising purposes) and the user must distribute their own remixed or transformed content under the same license as your original content.
- Try to avoid using any content that is licensable. Use open access resources, such as CC license, public domain and open site licenses (such as Unsplash, Pexels, etc.).
- Give credit and attribution to the creators of the content you are using.
- Keep track of which materials you are using and indicate where they have been used in your content. Provide source URL directly with the content!
- For images, provide a URL that links to the webpage the image is on, not just the image file.
What is Alt Text?
Alternative text (or alt text) Alt text, also known as alternative text, is textual content linked to an image, providing identical purpose and essential information as the image itself. This ensures that in scenarios where the image isn’t accessible to the reader, such as when images are disabled in a web browser or when a screen reader is being used due to visual impairment, no information or functionality is missed. Lacking or inadequate alt text can cause frustration for visually impaired users.
Alt text guidelines
- Include simple alt text for decorative images
- Avoid “image of”, or “photo of”, etc. unless it is important to include the type of medium for the image (such as for describing a photo of a painting).
Alt text example
Caption
Figure 1.5: Two Yellow Labrador Retriever Puppies (Chevanon Photography / Pexels) Pexels license
Alt text
Two happy puppies sitting in a flower field.
What are Long Descriptions?
Long descriptions are lengthier image descriptions. They are often used for complex diagrams, charts, and figures.
Long description guidelines
- Similar to alt text, only include information that is important and relevant.
- For complex diagrams, charts and figures, include a long description link and provide information in the long description, usually found under the References section at the end of a chapter or section.
- Long descriptions for images (especially for charts, graphs, and diagrams) can be linked to from the Figure or image caption.
- E.g., Figure 1.2: Robert Hooke sketched the cork cells as they appeared under a simple light microscope. Hooke-microscope-cork by Robert Hooke (1635-1702) (Alejandro Porto/Wikimedia Commons). Public Domain [Long Description]
For more information, see W3C’s Complex Images article.
Chart and Graph Guidelines
- Avoid using only colour to differentiate between important information – use colour in combination with labels (or textures) to convey information
- Consider using alt text or long descriptions for complex charts and graphs
See Tables Tutorial Tips and Tricks from W3C WAI.
DO NOT USE TABLEPRESS – The TablePress plugin in PressBooks is not accessibility friendly; use the built-in table function in PressBooks to build your table or copy and paste the table from a Word document.
Tables are great for organizing data. However, using a screen reader to “read” a table may be very time-consuming and frustrating, as seen in the video by Dallas College, “Screen Reader Reading Tables” (1:26).
Table Guidelines
It is important to follow the accessibility guidelines for tables:
Table titles & captions
- Tables should have a numbered table title above the table. E.g., Table 1.1: Favourite Kitten Toys
- A clear title will help the reader understand what type of information will be translated for them, especially for those using a screen reader.
- All tables should have a title case caption included above the table that includes the table number and the title. (E.g., “Table 1.1 Building Accessible Tables”)
Table cells & headers
- Avoid merged cells (cells that span over two or more columns or rows) or split cells. Split the table up into separate smaller tables if necessary.
- Avoid blank cells, if possible.
- Use table headers for data tables to describe the content of the column or row.
General Format
- Align text to the left and numeric data to the right (for left to right languages) so that people using larger text sizes or smaller screens can find it.
- Give the column header the same alignment as the cells below it.
- Avoid tables nested within other tables.
- Do not use tables for layout purposes.
Other guidelines
- Consider whether the table may work as a list (may be more accessible, as lists are much easier to understand in an auditory manner when using a screen reader).
- Consider adding alt text to a table, if possible.
- Consider using a table summary for complex tables or break up into individual simple tables.
IMPORTANT: Please note that the table headers are different than Headings used in the text. Do not use headings for text in your tables.
Table Examples
Good Table
- Table number included
- Descriptive title
- Clear column and row headers
- Text is left-aligned; numbers are right-aligned
Bad Table
- No table number
- Table title is not very descriptive
- Merged cells
- Content is disjointed
Improved Bad Table
- Separate Plants and Animals into two tables (could also use lists instead)
- Add table numbers with more descriptive table titles (e.g., Table 1.2: Comparing Plant Taxonomy)
- Included clear column and row headers
Videos, whether made by you or someone else, are a useful alternative for conveying information.
Video Guidelines
In-text format
- Third-party videos (e.g., YouTube) are usually linked/ embedded, but if they are CC licensed or public domain,
- Include context information (title, date and platform) to introduce an embedded video.
- Authors may include a list of the videos in each section in the Media Attributions list. For attribution lists: Title, by author/ creator (date) <terms of our use such as permission or license, if applicable.
- Title of video in quotations.
- Time duration of video in parenthesis after title (see examples below).
- Name of creator with year of publication in parenthesis after
References & Copyright
- Reference citation included for all videos at the end of the chapter section
- If video has been created specifically for your OER content, you can add a reference to it (if it is posted on another platform like YouTube, for example, or simply introduce it (include the year it was made) and the CC license that you’d like to apply to it.
- There is no caption required under the video, but you can add the license or copyright information to the media attribution list at the end of the chapter.
Accessibility
- All videos must have Closed captioning and or transcripts.
- Include a list of videos with only auto-generated CC in the accessibility front matter section).
Video Examples
Just links
Watch ”Fluid Mosaic Model of the Cell Membrane” (1:25 min) by Wesley McCammon (2009).
Watch the following videos:
- “Insights into cell membranes via dish detergent – Ethan Perlstein” (3:49 min) by TED-Ed (2013).
- “Langmuir Blodgett animation” (45 s) by MCeep (2013).
- “*Female Friday* FIRST TIME HEARING Cranberries -Zombie |REACTION” (9:16 min) by Rob Squad Reactions (2021).
For embed-linked video
The YouTube video below, “Job Fair do’s and don’ts” (1:43) by Thompson Rivers University (2019), highlights some common tips related to job fairs and employment opportunities.
What are H5Ps?
H5Ps are interactive content that can come in a variety of forms, including:
- Interactive videos
- Course presentations
- Image pairing
- Quizzes
- and many more!
See H5P.org for all content types (Examples and Downloads).
H5P Guidelines
Here are some general guidelines for using H5Ps in your resource:
- Ensure that copyright information is included in the meta-data if you are using images! (see ecampus Ontario’s Open Library webpage: H5P: Adding metadata and copyright information)
- See also Copyright Considerations for H5P Interactives from Student Success Library and Learning Services on the CONESTOGAC.ON.CA website.
- Images used in H5P require descriptive alt text especially if the questions in your interactive H5P rely on visual cues.
- Consider the size and display of images as readers may be engaging with the content on laptops, tablets or phones.
- Think about how colour is used to convey information (e.g., consider colour blindness and contrast in a bar graph, for example)
IMPORTANT: Not all H5P content types are accessible. The developers at H5P.com maintain a list of content types and their accessible status. Please be sure to review it before deciding to use a content type.
Example H5P
(Close-Up Photography of Sleeping Tabby Cat by Ihsan Adityawarman / Pexels) Pexels license