Australian National Training Authority Style Guide - Training Package Support Materials A guide for developers of ANTA managed Training Package support materials (c) Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), 2003 Level 11, AMP Place 10 Eagle Street BRISBANE QLD 4000 Phone: (07) 3246 2300 Fax: (07) 3246 2490 All rights reserved. This work has been produced initially with the assistance of funding provided by the Commonwealth Government through ANTA. This work is copyright, but permission is given to trainers and teachers to make copies by photocopying or other duplicating processes for use within their own training organisation or in a workplace where the training is being conducted. This permission does not extend to the making of copies for use outside the immediate training environment for which they are made, nor the making of copies for hire or resale to third parties. For permission outside of these guidelines, apply in writing to Australian National Training Authority. The views expressed in this version of the work do not necessarily represent the views of ANTA. Australian National Training Authority does not give warranty nor accept any liability in relation to the content of this work. The website addresses and other contact information provided in this publication were compiled in good faith and were correct at the time of printing. Published by the Australian National Training Authority First published 2003 ISBN 1 877057 30 4 Style Guide - Training Package Support Materials, A guide for developers of ANTA managed Training Package support materials Printed for the Australian National Training Authority by Flash Printing, Brisbane, Australia Contents Abbreviations and acronyms vi Preface vii 1 Introduction 1 2 General guidelines 4 2.1 Planning 4 2.1.1 Consultancy agreement 4 2.1.2 Planning the development process 5 2.1.3 Media 5 2.1.4 Structuring information 6 2.2 Consistency 7 2.2.1 Good writing 7 2.2.2 Inclusive content 9 2.3 ANTA house style 11 2.4 Editing and proofreading 18 2.4.1 Types of editing 18 2.4.2 Proofreading 19 2.4.3 Reference texts 20 2.5 Specific ANTA requirements 21 2.5.1 Logo specifications and guidelines for use 21 2.5.2 Copyright and permissions 22 2.5.3 Disclaimer 25 2.5.4 International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) 25 2.5.5 Version control 25 2.5.6 Metadata 25 2.5.7 Final report 28 3 Print-based materials 29 Overview 29 3.1 Files and software 29 3.1.1 Electronic files 29 3.1.2 Publishing software 30 3.2 Page design and layout 30 3.2.1 Templates and style settings 31 3.2.2 Illustrations and graphics 35 3.2.3 Technical specifications for graphics 35 3.2.4 Colour 36 3.3 Publication parts 37 3.3.1 Preliminary pages, or front matter 37 3.3.2 Text 42 3.3.3 Packaging 43 3.4 Delivering the product 44 3.4.1 Filenames 44 3.4.2 Publisher information 44 4 Electronic materials 45 Overview 45 Trends 45 Contractual arrangements 46 4.1 Planning 46 4.1.1 Delivery medium 46 4.1.2 Concept planning 49 4.1.3 Ongoing review 50 4.2 Interface, structure and design 50 4.2.1 Interface 50 4.2.2 Information structure 51 4.2.3 Navigation 52 4.2.4 Accessibility 53 4.2.5 Writing and editing for electronic materials 55 4.2.6 Visual design 56 4.3 Quality assurance 59 4.3.1 Testing 59 4.3.2 Technology standards 61 4.4 Handover requirements 63 4.4.1 Creation of a master version 63 5 Checklists 65 5.1 Product designer checklist 65 5.2 Graphic designer/desktop publisher checklist 66 5.3 Writer/editor checklist 67 5.4 Independent validator checklist (electronic materials) 68 5.5 Developer checklist 69 5.6 Metadata form 70 5.7 Information for publisher 71 6 Glossary 72 7 Bibliography 81 8 Index 82 Abbreviations and acronyms ANTA Australian National Training Authority AQTF Australian Quality Training Framework ATP Australian Training Products Pty Ltd DEST Department of Education, Science and Technology EdNA Education Network Australia ISBN International Standard Book Number ITAB Industry Training Advisory Body NTIS National Training Information Service NTQC National Training Quality Council RTO Registered Training Organisation VET Vocational Education and Training Preface This guide now replaces the Support Materials Guide - A Guide for Developers of Training Package Support Materials (ANTA, 2001). Developers of Training Package support materials may obtain copies of this publication from the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA). Copies can also be downloaded from the publication database on the ANTA Web site: www.anta.gov.au The writers would like to thank the members of the advisory committee and the many people who generously provided their time and expertise to give their feedback, editorial comments and advice on the review and revision of the original guide. 1 Introduction This guide is aimed at developers who have entered into a consultancy agreement with the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) to produce Training Package support materials. ANTA is committed to maximising all opportunities for the efficient storage, access, repurposing and maintenance of Training Package support materials developed under a consultancy agreement. ANTA requires all Training Package support materials developed on its behalf to be storable and retrievable from suitable mass storage systems. As the technologies for storing and distributing materials are complex and continually changing this guide does not attempt to provide all technological details. References to sources of additional information are provided for developers where appropriate. Training Package support materials may be classified as: ¥ support materials to be delivered as printed materials only and where no electronic storage or recovery is required. For example posters, brochures and some older materials (this is fast becoming a small and/or specialised group) ¥ support materials intended to be delivered as print materials but where electronic storage and recovery is required ¥ support materials intended to be delivered in electronic form, whether Web-based, accessed online or delivered via portable storage media. This guide is divided into five key sections. ¥ Section 1: Introduction - provides an overview of the guide. ¥ Section 2: General guidelines - provides general advice and the minimum requirements for all Training Package support materials. This section is relevant for all developers. ¥ Section 3: Print-based materials - provides more specific advice for Training Package support materials intended to be delivered as print materials but where electronic storage and recovery is required. ¥ Section 4: Electronic materials - provides general advice and minimum requirements for Training Package support materials intended to be delivered predominantly in digitised form and where electronic storage is required. ¥ Section 5: Checklists - provides a series of checklists for developers to use to ensure the relevant advice in this guide has been considered. In addition a glossary, bibliography and index have been provided. Within each section, the information provided will have particular relevance to different members of the development team such as: ¥ the project manager ¥ writers ¥ editors and proofreaders ¥ desktop publishers ¥ technical experts (programmers, the Web site developer etc). It is designed to help make the products as effective as possible in communicating valuable information to the user. When users see material for the first time they are quick to judge whether or not it has much to offer them. However, before they make a decision on the suitability of the material, they will evaluate it against a range of criteria. ¥ First they judge its appearance - does it look good? Is it easy to use? ¥ Next they scan for clarity - will I understand it? ¥ Then they analyse its content - what does it offer me? If a product fails any of these tests, it might be passed over or the user may not get optimum value out of it. Design, structure and style are critical to maximising the readability, usability and overall effectiveness of any product. This guide contains: ¥ advice on writing, editing and proofreading including the ANTA 'house' style ¥ advice on design issues, including page design, use of colour and graphics ¥ advice on structuring information for the relevant delivery medium ¥ technical requirements/standards ¥ specific ANTA requirements ¥ checklists to make sure everything has been covered. Throughout this guide, the term 'developer' has been used broadly. It may refer to a number of people involved in the development of the Training Package support materials such as project managers, writers, editors or designers. This guide should be read in conjunction with the Training Package Development Handbook (particularly Part 3, Training Package support materials) available through the publications database of the ANTA Web site: www.anta.gov.au NTQC noting process All Training Package support materials must be consistent with the National Training Quality Council (NTQC) Quality Principles set out in the consultancy agreement. The quality assurance process for ANTA managed Training Package support materials is a simple, transparent and supportive process in which ANTA approved quality assurance consultants act as critical friends and advisors to developers throughout the development process. The materials are evaluated against nationally agreed quality criteria. The ANTA approved quality assurance consultant that is assigned to each support materials project assesses the draft materials against the NTQC Quality Principles, to advise developers and to provide a series of reports to ANTA. Meeting the quality assurance criteria results in: ¥ support materials being 'noted' by the NTQC as meeting the Quality Principles for Training Package support materials ¥ subsequent placement on the National Training Information Service (NTIS) database ¥ the 'noted tick' being added to Training Package support materials after being noted by the NTQC. Refer to the ANTA Quality Assurance Information Kit, Training Package Support Materials available from the ANTA Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance Training Package Support Materials for further information. Feedback We welcome your feedback on information contained in this guide. Please forward suggestions for updates, additions or deletions to tpsmgfeedback@anta.gov.au Contact details ANTA Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance Training Package Support Materials. Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Level 5, 321 Exhibition Street, Level 11, AMP Place, 10 Eagle Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3001 BRISBANE QLD 4001 Tel: (03) 9630 9800 Tel: (07) 3246 2300 Fax: (03) 9630 9888 Fax: (07) 3246 2490 2 General Guidelines Training Package support materials managed by ANTA should be developed to conform to this style guide. The advice provided in this section relates to all Training Package support materials. Any exceptions to this arrangement will be specified in the individual consultancy agreement. More specific information is provided for developers in: ¥ Section 3 for materials intended to be delivered as print materials but where electronic storage and recovery is required ¥ Section 4 for materials intended to be delivered predominantly in digitised form and where electronic storage is required. Many developers of Training Package support materials now use a mixture of formats and media and will need to refer to all sections of this style guide. 2.1 Planning 2.1.1 Consultancy agreement This guide must be read in conjunction with requirements specified in the consultancy agreement. This guide must be adhered to unless explicitly excluded or stated in the consultancy agreement. Any deviations from or modifications of this style guide or the contractual requirements must be negotiated with the ANTA project manager. Developers should note that the consultancy agreement may specify: ¥ technical specifications relating to hardware/software ¥ editing of content/text by an independent party ¥ testing of electronic materials by an independent party ¥ delivery/handover requirements. Developers of electronic materials managed by the Flexible Learning Advisory Group on behalf of all States and Territories in conjunction with ANTA should use the specific guidelines provided by the relevant project managers. For example: ¥ Australian Flexible Learning Framework, Publication Guidelines for Project Managers - Strategy 2002 Projects www.flexiblelearning.net.au ¥ project guidelines for Toolboxes ¥ guidelines for developers of materials for the Resource Generator. 2.1.2 Planning the development process Planning for each stage in the development process is crucial for all developers of Training Package support materials. Developers will need to take into consideration: ¥ identifying the audience/market requirements - including the needs of equity groups ¥ defining the concept/content/key information ¥ selecting the most appropriate medium or range of media ¥ planning the document/product structure and interface ¥ developing content - writing for the chosen medium ¥ designing the layout and 'feel' of the material - applying typographical and graphical design ¥ producing the materials - desktop publishing/electronic construction ¥ quality assuring the materials - editing/proofreading/testing ¥ mastering the materials - finalising the release version of the product/s ¥ publishing or replicating ¥ maintaining the materials - providing for updates, enhancements, corrections. Full conceptual planning including the development of a framework, storyboard or detailed outline should take place prior to any writing or development of the Training Package support materials. Appropriate advice on equity group issues should be sought at this stage. This may help to identify any language, alternative format and assistive technology issues. The checklists included in section 5 should be considered at this stage and used in the planning process. They may also be useful when briefing contractors undertaking some of the specific tasks described. 2.1.3 Media Training Package support materials may be produced in a variety of media including, but not limited to: ¥ paper-based publications ¥ text-based materials published on CD or online ¥ interactive CDs ¥ Web sites ¥ videos, videotape, streaming video/DVDs (digital video disk) ¥ audio, audio tapes, CD, DVD, streaming audio. It is important to keep ANTA and the ANTA approved quality assurance consultant informed about the proposed media and format of materials. Under some circumstances consultation with the publisher will be required. The ANTA project manager will direct developers in such cases. 2.1.4 Structuring information All Training Package support materials need a logically organised structure to function well. The basic steps in organising information are: ¥ structure - establish a clear structure, plan or framework ¥ section or block information - divide it into logical units, sections or blocks ¥ relationships - use the structure to organise the information. Structure Information should be structured into a logical sequence or hierarchy of importance to help the user locate the information. Most blocks of information can be sequenced or ranked in importance and organised according to the relationship to other sections/units. It is important to establish a content plan, Web site structure or product plan before writing the text. Information blocks Writers of technical documents discovered long ago that readers appreciate short 'blocks' of information that can be scanned and located quickly. Short uniformly organised blocks of information are also particularly suited to electronic presentation. The creation of text blocks must be flexible, and consistent with common sense, logical organisation, and the convenience of the user. The nature of the content should suggest the best ways to subdivide and organise information. Relationships Logical organisation allows users to find information that they most need. Often users will dip into materials rather than read all information. Consistent methods of grouping, ordering, labelling, or graphically arranging information allow users to extend their knowledge from pages they have used or visited, to pages they are unfamiliar with. Users will find it difficult to locate information and will be frustrated if there is not a logical and comprehensible structure. 2.2 Consistency Achieving consistency throughout the Training Package support materials should be a key objective for the development team. After identifying the key information, the audience and the best medium to use, developers should plan for and design a consistent feel and look to their materials. This will involve deciding on an appropriate writing style and developing style settings and templates. Establishing project guidelines for achieving consistency will help to reduce much of the editing and proofreading work later in the project. Writing style In most Training Package support materials development projects there will be a team of contributing writers. It is important to advise them about this guide to ensure they use the same writing conventions and a similar writing style. It is useful to conduct a team meeting to discuss and agree on: ¥ the preferred writing style/genre. For example, formal or informal style, first or third person voice ¥ a glossary of project specific terminology. For example, learner/trainee/candidate, supervisor/manager, on-the-job/workplace ¥ ANTA house style and writing conventions. Style settings and templates It is good practice to establish style settings and templates for use within word processing packages and in the development of electronic materials. Design a standard template to supply to the project team and provide guidance on how to use them efficiently. Templates and style settings that are not applied correctly will cause problems later in the production of the materials. All documents supplied to ANTA to be stored digitally and printed on demand should use a template. Handover documentation should provide details of the style settings used in the template (see Templates and style settings, page 31). 2.2.1 Good writing This advice on writing is applicable for both print-based and electronic materials. However, additional issues need to be addressed when writing materials that will be viewed primarily on a computer screen (see Writing and editing for electronic materials, page 55). Before beginning the process, be clear about: ¥ the audience -who they are and their particular characteristics and learning abilities ¥ any equity group considerations ¥ the content ¥ the format in which the material will be produced. Following the general conventions below will help to produce material that will deliver maximum value to the target user group. Language Use language levels appropriate to the audience and the competency standards that the materials will support. Consider the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification to assist in determining the language and literacy requirements. Terminology Unless the competency standard requires specific language to be used, avoid jargon and unnecessary abstract, specialist or technical language. Support readers by providing clear examples and explanations of complex ideas or terminology. Do not assume too much prior knowledge. Be concise Use short, direct words and sentences. As a general rule, if a sentence needs punctuation, use a full stop and start a new sentence. Avoid idioms Idioms may not be understood by everyone, depending on their cultural background. For example, instead of writing 'Spare parts are like hens' teeth', try 'Spare parts are hard to find'. Break down general directives into manageable steps Consider the readers' needs carefully, and remember that all the important ideas and steps have to be made explicit in the text if it is to be easily understood. Allow for the provision of help Be aware of the need to provide cues for mentoring or assistance by the teacher/trainer. Do not assume that all learning will be self-directed. Give clear and simple instructions When writing instructions for the reader, use clear and simple directions. For example, 'look at', 'find'. When writing workshop materials for teachers/trainers, encourage active participation by asking readers to 'think about', 'discuss', write about' and 'make notes on'. Use the active voice Write in the active voice. For example, use 'They analysed the results' not 'The results were analysed by them'. Clear sequencing Aim for chronological sentence construction. For example, rather than 'Light the fuse after you evacuate all personnel', say 'Evacuate all personnel. Light the fuse'. Focus on readability Break up slabs of text with dot points and headings. Avoid strings of nouns Although they make the text shorter, strings of nouns can make text harder to understand. For example, instead of 'Tax avoidance is a key issue in new government policy formulation', say 'The government is currently focusing on how people and businesses avoid paying tax'. Word phrases positively Avoid the use of negatives, especially the double negative. For example, rather than 'Don't just do nothing', try 'Go ahead and get involved'. Cultural considerations Be aware of adopting an explicit cultural reference frame, and avoid State/Territory-specific assumptions or biases. Avoid cultural or gender bias in case studies and examples (see Inclusive content, page 9). Disability considerations Be aware of disability stereotyping and avoid the disability being the defining attribute of the person. Avoid an overly instructive approach Try not to be too instructive. Instead of writing You should do ...' try 'You may find it useful to ...' or 'Participants often respond well to ...'. Further information on language and literacy issues in Training Packages and advice about writing learning materials, assessment resources and professional development can be found in the Training Package Development Handbook (Part 3 and Part 6, section 1). This document is available through the publications database of the ANTA Web site www.anta.gov.au/pub.asp (see also Writing and editing for electronic materials, page 55). 2.2.2 Inclusive content Equity principles must be included in the development of all Training Package support materials. To avoid discriminatory language, content, examples and illustrations developers should follow the principles and advice listed below. This advice recognises the need for equitable participation for people from diverse backgrounds (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, women, people from a language background other than English, youth and people from low socio-economic backgrounds). Legislative policies, including the Disability Discrimination Act (1992), the Racial Discrimination Act (1975) and the Sex Discrimination Act (1984), require that all government departments ensure that social and physical barriers are removed. Discrimination can result from both inclusion and exclusion A simple way to help avoid discriminatory content is to ask the following questions: 'Do I have to refer to this attribute to make my point? Will it matter if I do not mention the age, sex, marital status, physical appearance or ethnicity of this person?' Other simple principles to follow are listed below. ¥ When referring to people with disabilities, do not imply that the disability is their sole or most important characteristic. ¥ Use gender-neutral words for words eg manager, police officer, person unless there is a particular need to specify gender. ¥ Refer only where necessary to a person's race or ethnic/cultural background, for example inappropriate (and often inaccurate) descriptions of group characteristics. Avoid using the word 'ethnic' to describe people of non-Anglo-Saxon background. (After all Anglo-Saxons, like everyone else, have their own ethnicity!) ¥ When correctly used the words 'migrant' and 'immigrant' describe people in the process of immigration or those who have recently arrived. ¥ Be aware of the terms associated with religion and race. For example, 'Muslim' and 'Arab' are not interchangeable. ¥ Use the term 'given name' rather than 'Christian name' or 'personal name'. 'First name' is not always appropriate. ¥ When referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples be aware that the term 'Aborigine' is not generally acceptable to Aboriginal people. The terms 'Aboriginal peoples' and 'Aboriginal' are always spelt with a capital letter when referring to the indigenous people of mainland Australia. Regional terms such as 'Koori', 'Murri' and 'Nyunga' may be used instead of 'Aboriginal' provided it is established that this is the groups preference. However, be aware that these terms are not appropriate when referring to Aboriginal people in general because they are relevant to particular States and Territories. When referring to an individual or group, try to find out the particular person or group's preference. ¥ When referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in general, do not use the abbreviation 'ATSI' because it reduces the description to an impersonal acronym that is unacceptable. While the term 'A&TSI' is a better description than ATSI (for written purposes only), it is preferable to use the full description or the general term 'Indigenous Australians'. Use capital letters to commence each of the two words. ¥ The indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands have a separate language and culture and are referred to as Torres Strait Islanders. n Since Aboriginal people are not all the same in language or culture, be careful not to attribute the characteristics of some groups to the whole. Rather than saying 'Aborigines believe . . .' use an expression such as 'In some Aboriginal communities there is a belief . . . ' ¥ Ensure the presence and achievements of indigenous peoples are acknowledged where appropriate. In historical contexts, do not ignore the habitation of Australia and New Zealand before the arrival of Europeans. Discrimination and stereotyping in illustrations Illustrations can contribute to discrimination and stereotyping. When using clip art or cartoons ensure that they are not gender specific or convey overly rigid representations of people and activity. Illustrations and pictures should have relevance and give the reader cues as to the meaning of the text (see Illustrations and graphics, page 35). Avoid using illustrations that do not meet these minimum requirements or are included merely to add interest to the material. It may be useful to seek expert advice on the use of graphic images depicting members of equity groups. For example in some Aboriginal communities images (photographs, film, video footage etc) of deceased people are taboo and the use of these images causes offence to individuals and at times whole communities. It is important that developers obtain advice from Aboriginal sources regarding the use of images in Training Package support material. For further information on inclusive content, see 'Inclusive Communication' in Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (AGPS, 2002 pp 55 - 62). 2.3 ANTA house style Writers, editors and proofreaders should use the following house style to ensure that materials produced under consultancy agreement to ANTA are consistent. Abbreviations ¥ Keep the use of abbreviations and acronyms to a minimum. ¥ Explain the acronym the first time it is used by writing it in full followed by the acronym in brackets. For example, Australian National Training Authority (ANTA). Then in the remainder of the materials, use the acronym. For very large documents or complex materials, it may be preferable to use the full title in the text at the beginning of each chapter or section prior to using acronyms. ¥ Acceptable abbreviations and acronyms for States, Territories and New Zealand are: ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic, WA, NZ. ¥ Full stops are not used in abbreviations and acronyms, for example CEO, MCEETYA, PhD. ¥ Full stops are not used in abbreviations (eg, ie, etc). However, it is preferable to avoid the use of abbreviations and to write the words in full. ¥ Names require full stops but no space between initials, for example C.W. Brown. ¥ If an abbreviation ends with the last letter of the word, for example 'Mr' or 'Mrs', the full stop is not needed. If the abbreviation does not end with the last letter, a full stop is needed. Bibliographies The bibliography must cite all works used to write the materials. All entries must follow the author-date citation style (see Reference texts, page 20). The author-date citation style is described in detail in the Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (AGPS, 2002). Capitalisation Avoid using capital letters to emphasise a sentence or a paragraph in the body text. Although capitals stand out, they are hard to read. When in doubt, do not use capital letters. Contractions Do not use contractions such as 'won't', unless quoting direct speech. Use the contraction of 'is' with pronouns but not with nouns, for example 'It's' is acceptable but 'Qld's' is not. Dates Dates should be written without punctuation for example, 17 July 2002. When referring to a decade use, for example, 1990s not 1990's. However, it is appropriate to use an apostrophe if omitting the century '19', for example the '60s. Electronic terminology The style for electronic terms is: ¥ CD/CDs ¥ online ¥ Intranet ¥ CD-ROM/CD-ROMs ¥ URL ¥ the Net ¥ email ¥ RAM ¥ Web site ¥ hotlinked ¥ MB ¥ World Wide Web (WWW). ¥ Internet ¥ the Web Footnotes Avoid using footnotes. ANTA recommends the author-date system of referencing, which does not use footnotes. Instead of using a footnote to attribute a quote to an author, insert an author-date reference in the text itself, for example 'The theory was first propounded in 1980 (Larsen 1991)'; or 'Larsen (1991) was the first to propound the theory.' Headings The preferred style for headings is to use an initial capital for the first word only and for proper nouns in the heading, for example 'The Australian training system'. Hyphenation ¥ Do not use a hyphen unless the word or words would normally be spelt with one (see Spelling, preferred, page 15). ¥ Use a hyphen to clarify meaning where necessary, for example to distinguish between a short course-developer and a short-course developer. ¥ Full-time, part-time, long-term and short-term, on-the-job and off-the-job are hyphenated when used as adjectives. ¥ Prefixes that do not require a hyphen include: anti, auto, co, counter, multi, neo, pan, pre, re and un. This is unless the second word begins with a capital, or creates a word that could be confused with one of the same spelling, or creates a run of vowels or consonants that looks awkward. Some examples of correct use: cooperate, coordinate, multicultural, pre-eminent, re-form, re-ink, un-American. ¥ Prefixes that do require a hyphen include: ex-, non-, and self-, for example ex-officio, self-employed. ¥ Do not hyphenate words at line-ends, other than those words requiring hyphens. Hyphens will remain, although line length or typeface may alter. Always use non-breaking hyphens (found on the insert/symbols/special characters menu of MS Word) to ensure hyphenated words remain on the same line. Never use hyphens for justification (that is, to break a long word between lines). ¥ If it is necessary to hyphenate in a table or narrow column, do so at syllable breaks and carry at least three letters. Avoid more than two consecutive lines ending in hyphenations. Lists There are two styles for lists: bullets and numbered points. Both list styles may be used for different types of lists in the one document, but both styles should not be used within the same list. If the items in a list consist of single words or phrases, no punctuation is necessary after each item. However, the list should be introduced with a colon and end with a full stop. With this list style only proper nouns are capitalised, for example: ¥ Australian National Training Authority ¥ state and territory representatives ¥ Victorian educational institutions. If each item is a complete sentence, a different style is used. ¥ This style uses initial capitals and full stops for each entry. ¥ As each item is a sentence, do not use an introductory colon. Names and titles Personal names, place names and official positions (for example Member for Bennelong, Chief Justice) should be capitalised, but not positions that are usually no more than a chosen occupation, for example chief executive officer or director general. Numbers ¥ Spell numbers out in words from one to ten, then use figures, for example 13, 133, 1,333. Use a comma where there are four or more digits, for example 13,333. Occasionally text requires that digits be broken by a space rather than a comma. This is not the preferred style. If it is to be used, ensure that: - the space is a 'non-breaking space' (found on the insert/symbols/special characters menu of MS Word) - the number does not break at the end of a line - four-digit numbers are not broken - the numbers throughout the text are consistent, for example 1333, 13 333, 133 333. ¥ Words may be used for numbers over ten only where the result will not be cumbersome (one or two words), for example fifty, two hundred, five million. ¥ Use words for numbers at the beginning of sentences. ¥ Use digits for dates (16 September 1995), times (2.30pm) or when the number is followed by a unit of measure (37 kg). ¥ If a phrase contains numbers in different contexts, use numbers and digits to differentiate, for example 'Fourteen 90 centimetre lengths of wire.' ¥ House numbers and page numbers should always be in digits. ¥ Page numbers, dates and other spans of numbers should be shown by the smallest possible number of digits. This does not apply to the numbers from 11 to 19 in each hundred, because both numbers are required to represent a single word, for example 12-17, 143-5, 215-18, 1913-14, 1992-3, 1991-2. ¥ Fractions are hyphenated, for example one-third, three-quarters. ¥ When using the percentage symbol (%), there is no space between the number and the character, for example 10% (see also Spelling, preferred, page 15). Punctuation Minimal punctuation as set out below is preferred (for full stops with abbreviations, refer Abbreviations, page 11). Dashes Hyphen (-) used for hyphenation (see Hyphenation, page 12). En rule or En Dash (-) without a space before and after is used when the meaning is 'to' or to indicate a range (as with dates and numbers such as 17-34), and 'together' (for example, 'parent-teacher'). The spaced en rule is the preferred use of a dash in text. Em rule or Em Dash (-) without spaces may be used when the meaning is a pause, but the spaced en rule is the preferred ANTA style. These characters are found on the insert/symbols/special characters menu of MS Word. Ellipsis ... Do not construct an ellipsis manually. Instead insert the ellipsis symbol into the document. In MS Word this symbol is found on the insert/symbols/special characters menu. If an ellipsis ends a sentence, do not add a fourth stop. In titles an ellipsis may be set without spaces. Quotation marks 'Single marks' are used for direct speech, for example 'Hello' she said. Only use "doubles" when there is a quotation within a quotation, for example 'What shall I do if he says "hello" to me?' Curly 'smart quotes' are preferred to 'straight quotes'. Slashes ( / ) Slashes mean 'or'. Try to avoid them if possible. They are often misused when 'or', 'and' or an en rule is more appropriate. If slashes are used do not put a space before or after the slash. Referencing This house style applies to quotes and referencing within the text, bibliographies and other lists such as further reading lists. The format is the author-date system described in the Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (AGPS, 2002). Some general rules for titles are: ¥ book title is italicised, and the initial letter of significant words are capitalised ¥ chapter or article titles in a journal are set in quotation marks, with only an initial capital for the first word ¥ for subtitles, capitalise the initial letter of significant words ¥ there is no punctuation between author and date ¥ commas are used for punctuation between other parts ¥ the publisher's name is abbreviated by excluding terms such as 'Pty Ltd', 'Inc' ¥ town of publisher is included for books only ¥ state or country is included if town of publication is not well-known ¥ en rule (not hyphen) is used between page numbers ¥ entries end with a full stop. Examples are: Adam-Smith, Patsy 1978, The ANZACS, Thomas Nelson, Melbourne. Blaxter, M. 1976, 'Social class and health inequalities', in Equalities and Inequalities, Academic Press, London. Spelling, preferred ¥ Always use the first option listed in the Macquarie Dictionary (third edition). The exceptions are 'acknowledgement', and 'judgement', where ANTA prefers the options used here. ¥ 'Disc' is used generally, and 'disk' in computing contexts, except in the case of 'Compact Disc', 'Digital Video Disc' and 'Digital Versatile Disc'. ¥ Use 'in-service training', not 'in-servicing'. ¥ Use the suffix '-ise', not '-ize'. ¥ Ensure the spelling of official titles is correct, for example World Health Organisation or Australian Labor Party. ¥ 'Per cent' is two words, whereas 'percentage' is one word. ¥ Preferred spellings for commonly used words include: ad hoc, analyse, colour, coloured, commit, committing, committed, commitment, consultative, cooperate, coordinate, curriculum (plural), decision maker, decision making (but decision-making process) flow chart, focus, foci (plural), focuses (verb), focused, focusing, format, formatted, formatting, full-time (adj.), in-service training (not in-servicing), lifelong, long-term (adj.), nationally developed, the Net, non-English-speaking, part-time (adj.), per cent (two words), percentage (one word), program, short-term (adj.), summarise, targeted, targeting, teamwork, trade-off, trial, trialed, trialing, work based. States and Territories These words are capitalised when used in place of the proper names, for example '. . . responsive to the needs of individual States and Territories ... Ministers of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments'. Use lower case when using 'state' or 'territory' as an adjective, for example, 'In Victoria it is state policy ...' Telephone and facsimile Telephone and facsimile numbers are written as eight digits, with a space between the two groups of four digits. If relevant, the area code is bracketed before the number, for example (03) 9630 9800. A non-breaking space (found on the insert/symbols/special characters menu of MS Word) should be used between these digits. Complementary terms are: tel and fax, telephone and facsimile. Time Time is written as: 10am, 2.30pm, 12noon, 12midnight. Trademarks Trademarks are acceptable if the product being referred to is industry-specific and will be generally known by the reader. However, where the product is enterprise-specific but not industry-specific (and may not be generally understood or may give that product a commercial advantage), find a generic alternative. Trademarks always take an initial capital, for example Cellophane, Esky, Perspex, Plasticine, Primus and Windcheater. Write trademarks in the text typeface and not in a reproduction of the company style. Many trademarks are used in a generic sense, such as those above. An appropriate generic term is preferred rather than the trademark name, unless that product and no other is actually intended. For example, use paper tissues rather than Kleenex, use ballpoint pen rather than Biro, use plastic interlocking building blocks (or construction toys) rather than Lego. Training Package terminology References of any kind to any endorsed Training Package should use capitalisation, for example 'the Tourism Training Package'. Capital letters should also be used when referring to 'Training Package/s' in general. However, the industry areas do not require capitalisation, for example 'tourism industry'. When using ANTA terminology, capital letters should be used when referring to specific units of competency, elements, performance criteria etc. For example, 'Please refer to Unit of Competency XXXNOU001A from the X Factor Training Package.' Capital letters are not required when the terminology is non-specific. For example 'It is important to remember that units of competency are not the only part of a Training Package'. Codes and titles Use the correct and most current titles and codes of the specific Training Package, units of competency and qualifications on the cover and within the text of the Training Package support materials. ¥ When referring to certificates, use roman numerals in an upper case format to indicate the level, for example: - I not 1, Certificate I in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations) - IV not 4., Certificate IV in Public Safety (Firefighting Supervision) ¥ There are no spaces between the letters and numerals of codes for units of competency or qualifications, for example: - THHBCC06B - Prepare and cook seafood - AUR30199 Certificate III in Automotive (Electrical). Units of measure All units of measure should be metric (SI - System Internationale). Developers should use the base units accepted or preferred by the relevant industry. For example millimetres are used to measure length in most engineering and construction areas. Units of measure do not require full stops, for example cm, min, km/h, kg. Numbers followed by a unit of measure always have a space between the number and the unit of measurement, for example 3 m, 210 km/h. Units of measure require lower case in full form. However, contractions take capitals where the unit takes its name from a person, for example Hz (hertz), N (newton). Some other contractions take capitals, for example L for litre (to avoid confusion with the number 1). The prefixes of units of measure take capitals when greater than one million, for example mega (M), giga (G). 2.4 Editing and proofreading The editing process is integral to the development process and is not something that is done to the document at the end of the project. Editing processes need to be built into the project management strategy. The following steps should be included. ¥ Establish and provide the development team (writers, editors, proofreaders, project managers, equity advisors etc) with: - an agreed list of terminology to be used in the Training Package support materials - all relevant documentation, including this guide - an agreed style and tone for the materials, for example informal/formal, first/third person, active/passive voice, etc ¥ Establish a strategy for the development of drafts. It is expected that a minimum of three drafts of a document will be produced, for example: - Draft 1 - content edits made prior to consultation - Draft 2 - rewrite to incorporate feedback/content edits made after consultation - Draft 3 - final copy edits and proofreading. There are different types of editing, including content editing, copy editing and proofreading. Developers should check the project consultancy agreement as it may include a request to have the materials edited by a professional, independent editor. Writers cannot edit their own work and someone else from the writing team may also be too 'close' to the project to be able to edit independently. Project funds will need to be allocated for editing and proofreading when planning the budget. It is crucial that writers keep track of feedback from consultations and the marks made in the different editing stages. Using the 'track changes' and 'insert comments' functions of MS Word is a good way of organising this feedback. Systems for identifying different versions of the document also need to be established. Editors will need to receive all relevant documentation and developers should keep copies of all materials submitted to the editor. For the final edit it may be preferable to deliver a hard copy of the documentation rather than delivering by email as the format of the document can change when viewed or printed on different computers. Checklists are provided to assist in preparing the document for editing. These begin on page 65. 2.4.1 Types of editing Content editing Content editing ensures that the document is: ¥ relevant to the topic ¥ free of omissions ¥ technically correct and accurate ¥ covers equity considerations ¥ consistent in its use of terminology ¥ structurally sound ¥ presented in a logical sequence. Content editing is an ongoing process undertaken by writers and editors as they draft and rework the material. However, it is important that an independent person, who has not been involved in the drafting stages, edits the materials. Copy editing Copy editing is basically the checking and, where necessary, correcting of the text for publication. This process ensures that the document is as readable as possible. After copy editing the document must: ¥ be consistent in style and presentation ¥ comply fully with the ANTA house style and contractual requirements ¥ be electronically assembled for digital printing on demand ¥ have internal consistency. 2.4.2 Proofreading To ensure accuracy, proofreading should be carried out by someone who has not previously seen the material. The proofreader must: ¥ mark for correction all errors in layout ¥ check that the ANTA house style has been consistently used ¥ mark any additional spelling errors (consistent with the ANTA house style) ¥ check and correct previously undetected errors in punctuation and grammar ¥ check hyphenation at the end of lines (word breaks) ¥ draw attention to any obvious errors of fact which seem to have been overlooked. Proofreading is also the checking that all the required changes have been taken in correctly and needs to be done with each new draft. The final proofreading should be carried out on a print-out from the actual files to be supplied to ANTA. The proofreader should mark up any final changes onto this hard copy. The developer should then allocate responsibility to either the proofreader or another person to make these changes in the electronic copy. The new print-out is then checked against the marked hard copy. When the proofreader is certain that all changes have been made, a clean final copy is printed again on one side of the paper only and submitted with the disk. If the original MS Word documents are converted to PDF the proofreader must check the final hard copy against the original MS Word file as formatting changes can occur at this stage (see also Writing and editing for electronic materials, page 55). 2.4.3 Reference texts Preferred reference texts to refer to during materials development are: ¥ the current sixth edition of the AGPS Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers ¥ the current third edition of the Macquarie Dictionary ¥ the Macquarie Thesaurus. While these are preferred, any good Australian dictionary will do. Do not use an American publication or American spelling. 2.5 Specific ANTA requirements These requirements relate to both print-based and electronic materials. 2.5.1 Logo specifications and guidelines for use ANTA and DEST logos ANTA managed Training Package support materials will usually include either the DEST or the ANTA logos or in some cases both logos. Logos may appear on the imprint page, home page of a Web site or front page/screen of CDs/DVDs. To check which of these logos should be used on the materials, refer to the guidelines supplied with the consultancy agreement or contact the ANTA project manager. Examples of each logo are provided below. ANTA logo Department of Education Science and Technology logo The ANTA logo can be downloaded from the Web site at: www.anta.gov.au. The following are guidelines for using the ANTA logo. One colour In basic form, the logo is produced with one triangular shape with type below it. The proportions of the logo/type relationship should not change. The type is set in 12pt Friz Quadrata Bold. This is part of the corporate logo and under no circumstances is this to be altered. When the corporate logo needs to be reproduced in one colour, Green PMS (Pantone Matching System) 343 is preferred. If the corporate green cannot be used then use black. Two colours Where the ANTA logo can be reproduced in more that one colour, it should appear in the following PMS colours. ¥ GREEN PMS 343 ¥ RED PMS 192 To ensure consistency of the logo, it is important not to deviate from these colours to alter the stipple or to swap colours. NTQC noted Training Package support material logo ('noted tick') The National Training Quality Council (NTQC) Noted Training Package Support Material logo signifies that the product is consistent with the NTQC Quality Principles for Training Package support materials. 'Noted tick' logo This logo should be the only logo to appear on the cover. If Training Package support materials have been evaluated by an ANTA quality assurance consultant and have been noted by the NTQC the 'noted tick' can be added to the materials. Different formats of this logo are available. If the 'noted tick' logo is reproduced in colour, the following colours must be used: ¥ GREEN PMS 343 ¥ RED PMS 192 ¥ The internal logo text is white. This logo should only be placed on the cover after the Training Package support materials have been noted by the NTQC. Consult with the ANTA project manager if this causes problems with the finalisation of the project. The ANTA nominated publisher can add the 'noted tick' to the cover. Note that the ANTA nominated publisher has full licence to modify the position of the 'noted tick' logo. ANTA's preference is for the 'noted tick' to appear in the lower right hand section of the cover. Organisational logos Organisational logos, acronyms and watermarks are not to be used, embedded or hidden within any part of the support materials unless specified within the consultancy agreement. In a consortium arrangement, only the primary or lead developer's logo is to be shown on the imprint page. The primary or lead developer is the ANTA contracted party. Organisational logos should not appear on covers. 2.5.2 Copyright and permissions Copyright of Training Package support materials To check the copyright statement that should be used on materials, refer to the guidelines supplied with the consultancy agreement or contact the ANTA Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance Training Package Support Materials. There are different copyright statements for the Commonwealth (Department of Education, Science and Technology) and for ANTA. Commonwealth copyright The following copyright statement should be used on Commonwealth (Department of Education, Science and Technology) Training Package support materials. On print-based materials: ¥ the copyright statement should be used on the imprint page ¥ the statement '(c) Commonwealth of Australia 200_' should be placed in the footer. (c) Commonwealth of Australia 200_ (Year of publication) This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission. However, permission is given to trainers and teachers to make copies by photocopying or other duplicating processes for use within their own training organisation or in a workplace where the training is being conducted. This permission does not extend to the making of copies for use outside the immediate training environment for which they are made, nor the making of copies for hire or resale to third parties. Requests and inquiries concerning other reproduction and rights should be directed in the first instance to the Director, Training Reform Section, Department of Education, Science & Training, GPO Box 9880, Canberra, ACT 2601. The work has been produced initially with the assistance of funding provided by the Department of Education, Science & Training through the Australian National Training Authority. However the views expressed in this version of the work do not necessarily represent the views of the Minister for Education, Science and Training or the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth does not give any warranty nor accept any liability in relation to the contents of this work. For Web sites and CD materials: ¥ the copyright symbol (c) and the word 'copyright' along with the year should be maintained at the bottom of all pages, linking to a copyright statement on the home or front page ¥ the copyright statement may vary from one project to another; obtain the correct copyright statement from the relevant project manager. ANTA copyright The following copyright statement should be used on ANTA funded Training Package support materials. On print-based materials: ¥ the copyright statement should be used on the imprint page ¥ the statement '(c) Australian National Training Authority 200_' should be placed in the footer. (c) Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) 200_ (Year of publication) Level 11, AMP Place 10 Eagle Street BRISBANE QLD 4000 Phone: (07) 3246 2300 Fax: (07) 3246 2490 All rights reserved. This work has been produced initially with the assistance of funding provided by the Commonwealth Government through ANTA. This work is copyright, but permission is given to trainers and teachers to make copies by photocopying or other duplicating processes for use within their own training organisation or in a workplace where the training is being conducted. This permission does not extend to the making of copies for use outside the immediate training environment for which they are made, nor the making of copies for hire or resale to third parties. For permission outside of these guidelines, apply in writing to Australian National Training Authority. The views expressed in this version of the work do not necessarily represent the views of ANTA. Australian National Training Authority does not give warranty nor accept any liability in relation to the content of this work. For Web sites and CD materials: ¥ the copyright symbol (c) and the word 'copyright' along with the year should be maintained at the bottom of all pages, linking to a copyright statement on the home or front page ¥ the copyright statement may vary from one project to another; obtain the correct copyright statement from the relevant project manager. Seeking copyright from others Australian and international law protects the rights of creators of original material. In Australia, the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) is the legal framework that protects these rights. Writers, developers and publishers are responsible for familiarising themselves with their legal obligations, ensuring that copyright is not infringed when material from another source is included in a new print or electronic text. ANTA requires that writers, developers and publishers seek written permission for all material used from other sources, and that all requirements specified by the copyright holder are met. 'Use' refers to including a quotation (or photograph or illustration) from another source in a new text, as well as to photocopying. If materials protected under Commonwealth copyright are used, including material from other ANTA publications, it is usually a matter of citing acknowledgement of the source. If in doubt, check with the original publisher. The use of material with commercial copyright may require a payment, specific placement and wording of acknowledgement, and lodgement of copies of the published work. For small amounts of quoted material the copyright holder may grant permission for its use and not charge a fee, or may ask for acknowledgement. Many publishers impose a late fee if their permission has not been obtained before publication. The use of software may be subject to licensing and may also require a payment, specific placement and wording of acknowledgement, logos or trademarks. Developers are required to supply documentary evidence of copyright clearances when submitting the Training Package support material to ANTA and the ANTA nominated publisher. 2.5.3 Disclaimer In some cases a disclaimer statement may be appropriate. Disclaimer statements may vary according to the product. Obtain the correct disclaimer statement from the relevant ANTA project manager. For Web sites and CD materials, the disclaimer symbol should be maintained alongside the copyright symbol at the bottom of all pages and should link to a disclaimer statement on the home/front page. 2.5.4 International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) Training Package support materials developed under a consultancy agreement with ANTA may require an ISBN. The ISBN will be provided by the ANTA nominated publisher or by ANTA. Developers do not need to apply for ISBNs. 2.5.5 Version control Developers should ensure that they establish version control conventions during the development of their material/s and ensure that the correct version is submitted to ANTA and the ANTA nominated publisher. Version control is critical when undertaking consultations and obtaining feedback on materials. The version identifier should be clearly displayed on the materials and in electronic files. Developers should provide advice to the ANTA project manager on the version convention used during the materials development stage. The ANTA nominated publisher will apply a version number convention to published products. This convention may vary according to the publisher. 2.5.6 Metadata Materials stored digitally can be viewed as having two parts, that is: ¥ data (electronic files) ¥ metadata (information about the data). Metadata exists for any file. Information such as file name, size and extension is automatically created at the time of the file creation. Metadata is more commonly used to describe structured data that describes the characteristics of materials stored and delivered within an electronic environment. Once metadata has been created it can be stored in the product or alternatively maintained separately in a metadata repository or datastore. Metadata serves a similar function to cataloguing information in a library as it allows people to search for, access and use the information that they need. On the Internet it is used by search engines to find and classify information. Metadata allows the exchange of information between databases/electronic storage environments. As ANTA Training Package support materials are stored in electronic storage environments, for example the Resource Generator and ATP databases, the inclusion of metadata is essential to allow for the searching, storage and repurposing of data/materials. The metadata standards that should be used for ANTA managed Training Package support materials are based on the Education Network Australia (EdNA) metadata standards. The purpose of the EdNA metadata standard is to support interoperability across all sectors of education and training in Australia in the area of online resource discovery and management. For more information see standards.edna.edu.au/metadata/ The metadata standard described below is to be applied to all projects and supplied to the ANTA project manager at handover. Developers should note that the ANTA Toolbox projects and the Flexible Learning projects may provide separate guidelines for including metadata. Developers should contact the relevant ANTA project managers for the most current information. The form that should be supplied to ANTA when handing over the final Training Package support material/s is provided below. A blank form is provided in the checklist section (see Metadata form page 70). Metadata elements to be supplied to ANTA The metadata elements to be included are provided in the following table. Note: Some metadata elements are optional. Metadata element Status Source Information link DC.Identifier Compulsory System documents and templates, the URL of the PDF or Word document Author Web links, the URL of the resource; Author references, an ISBN or ISSN if appropriate DC.Title Compulsory Author name of the resource DC.Description Compulsory Author a description of the content of the resource DC.Subject Compulsory Author keywords that can be used to search for the resource DC.Publisher Compulsory System for documents and templates, the Australian National Training Authority Author for Web links, the publisher of the site (name, email) Author for references, details of where to obtain the resource (name, phone & email) DC.Creator Optional Author the name of the original creator of the resource DC.Date Optional Author created and modified (last updated) dates DC.Type Optional Author based on EdNA controlled vocabulary (select from: text, image, sound, data, software, interactive, physical object, compound/mixed, event) DC.Format Optional System appl/pdf, appl/word for uploaded materials; text/html for Web links; undefined for referenced materials (Additional information about file size and/or number of pages is determined by the system for uploaded materials) DC.Language Compulsory Author default to 'en-AU' DC.Coverage Compulsory Author default to 'Australia' DC.Rights Optional Author any restrictions on use of the resource (use AEShareNet classification) - if not supplied then default to (c) ANTA DC.Relation Optional Author a reference to a related resource DC.Contributor Optional Author others who have contributed to the creation of this resource DC.Source Optional Author a reference to a resource from which the current resource is derived EDNA.Audience Compulsory the category of the user of the resource - Author vet.audience* System edna.sector, default to 'VET' Author edna.userlevel VET.Codes Compulsory Author the codes for units of competency, qualifications, or training packages that this resource is intended for (at least one code must be provided) RG.Purpose Compulsory Author the purpose the resource has been designed for** * Use VET specific list - learner, trainer, assessor, administrator, employer ** Use one or more of: information sheet, case study, needs analysis, learning strategy, assessment strategy, professional development 2.5.7 Final report Handover of the Training Package support material to the ANTA project manager should also be accompanied by a final report as specified in the consultancy agreement. Ensure that the final report contains: ¥ the correct title of the Training Package support materials, consistent with NTIS and AEShareNet listing ¥ a synopsis of the materials, to be posted to AEShareNet, NTIS and any nominated publisher's product information systems ¥ the NTQC documentation - 'Application for listing on the NTIS and AEShareNet' ¥ the ANTA approved quality assurance consultant's final report - 'Evaluation report' ¥ copies of the Training Package support materials checklists signed and dated by the developer (see Section 5 of this guide, page 65) ¥ the metadata form (see Metadata, page 25 and Metadata form, page 70) ¥ publisher information for print-based materials (see Publisher information, page 44 and Information for publisher form, page 71) ¥ any other documentation that may be specified in the consultancy agreement. 3 Print-based Materials Overview Training Package support materials managed by ANTA should be written and edited to conform to the editorial style set out in the preceding section. Any deviations or modifications to these guidelines should be discussed with the ANTA project manager and the ANTA Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance Training Package Support Materials. Most print-based Training Package support materials exist within an electronic environment at some phase of their development. This section provides advice and technical requirements for print-based materials that are intended to be stored and distributed electronically. Advances in technology and user expectations are increasingly leading towards materials being made accessible by electronic means. To allow for this, developers of print-based materials need to consider issues relating to their electronic files as well as the 'look' and packaging of the publication. Although ANTA uses Australian Training Products (ATP) to produce Training Package support materials, developers are reminded that their materials may be distributed by more than one publisher, for example ATP, an Industry Training Advisory Board (ITAB) and the Resource Generator. It is advisable to check these arrangements with the ANTA project manager and to check the specifications in the consultancy agreement. ANTA requires that all material submitted can be stored and retrieved electronically and can be printed digitally on request. The following section covers considerations to ensure quality production and compatibility with electronic storage and distribution technology. 3.1 Files and software 3.1.1 Electronic files All Training Package support materials intended to be listed on the NTIS, the Resource Generator and/or published by an ANTA nominated publisher must be supplied electronically and must include at handover a minimal level of metadata. Training Package support materials supplied to ANTA should be suitable for digital storage, potential repurposing and electronic distribution. As such these electronic files must be able to be stored on a computer network system. Currently, typical arrangements include the management of files on a PC using Microsoft Windows 95 and Office 95 professional and a LAN using Microsoft NT 4 Operating System. 3.1.2 Publishing software The required word processing application is Microsoft Word, preferably a current version but no earlier than Microsoft Word 6/95. Microsoft Word (PC) files are the required 'source' (original) files as most users operate in a PC environment, the files can be customised where relevant and are compatible with the Resource Generator. Developers wishing to use Macintosh files should consult with the ANTA project manager regarding compatibility issues and the inclusion of such arrangements in the consultancy agreement. If Macintosh files are used all files should have filename extensions added to them at source. For example, .doc, .txt, .jpg, etc. In some cases the consultancy agreement may specify that Adobe Acrobat PDF files are supplied in addition to the original Microsoft Word source files. In all cases, the text content of any materials must be delivered in Microsoft Word. Note: For developers wishing to use more sophisticated page layout and artwork the following applications may only be used after discussion with the ANTA nominated publisher during the planning phase of the project and only when authorised in writing by the ANTA project manager. ¥ Adobe Publication suite of applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, In-Design, PageMaker, FrameMaker) for PCs ¥ PC Quark or Corel Draw. Where the developer successfully argues the need for using one of these specialist page layout programs, the specifications must be included as a variation to the consultancy agreement. 3.2 Page design and layout Developers need to consider a range of design issues in the development of print-based Training Package support materials. Design issues include both the desktop publishing and instructional design issues. Desktop publishing focuses on the layout, consistent 'look' of materials and compliance with an electronic style template. Instructional design is design that aids instruction or the learning process and focuses on issues such as the flow of information and appropriateness and placement of text and activities. 3.2.1 Templates and style settings It is strongly recommended that developers establish style settings and templates for use within word processing packages. Developers should design a standard template or style settings to supply to the development team. Electronic style settings, not just written style sheets, should be established and saved as a template '.dot' file (see sample style sheet, page 34). It is important to provide guidance on how to use the template and style settings correctly. Using templates and style settings correctly makes it easier to create a standard look throughout the material and makes desktop publishing easier. They can also be used to automatically generate the table of contents. However, templates and style settings that are not applied correctly will cause problems later in the production of the materials. Note: It is recommended that developers using Microsoft Word 2002/XP when developing style settings and templates refer to www.woodyswatch.com/office/archtemplate.asp?v7-n17 and www.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q311594. Font size Generally, body text should be between 10 and 12 point in size, and headings between 12 and 24 point. However, this will vary according to the needs of the audience. Small fonts can be difficult to read, especially for people who have a vision impairment and for those who already have literacy difficulties. It is wise to assess the readability with the target user groups before going to print. Format Most documents are to be portrait, although some tables, charts and graphics within a document may need to be set to landscape. If double-sided printing is to be used for the document the page set-up should have 'mirrored margins' and 'different even and odd' selected. Holders of agreements (deeds) for print and distribution may, subject to conditions contained within the deeds, produce Training Package support materials of a different format, but in all cases the content must be the same as the ANTA nominated publisher's publication. Headers and footers Use headers and footers where the same information is to be included on each page throughout the document, or in a section of the document. The header must contain the resource title, aligned to the outside margin. The footer is to contain the page number and the name of the copyright owner (see guidelines supplied with the consultancy agreement for further details). The page number is to be aligned to the outside of the page and the relevant copyright to the inside. For example: (c) Commonwealth of Australia 2002 15 (c) Australian National Training Authority 2002 page 1 of 33 (c) Australian National Training Authority 2002 1-82 Margins Set the margins to create an easy-to-read, well-presented layout. Factors to be considered when determining the margin settings are: ¥ the font size and typeface used ¥ the page size ¥ the number of columns ¥ grid layout (the document needs to have the same grid layout throughout) ¥ whether pages are to be printed single or double-sided (mirrored margins). Note: The preferred page set-up for double-sided printing is mirrored margins, with 1.5-2.5 cm all round plus a 1 cm gutter. Page numbers For double-sided printed documents the right-hand page (recto) is always the odd-numbered page, for example, 1, 3 or 99. The even-numbered page is the left-hand (verso) page. Preliminary pages should be numbered in roman numerals, that is, 'iv', or left without numbers if there are only a few. There must always be an even number of preliminary pages, even if the last one is blank. This ensures that the first page of the proper text is on a right-hand page (see also Preliminary pages or front matter, page 37). Do not begin numbering again at the beginning of each chapter or section. Numbering should be sequential and may require the linking of files to produce this result. The page numbering format can be either of the following: ¥ sequential numbers, for example 1, 2, 3 ¥ the section or chapter number followed by the page number. This format is used where the publication has definite sections usually separated with dividers, for example 1-1, 1-2, 1-3; 2-1, 2-2, 2-3. Page numbers should be in the footer. They should be aligned to the outside margin (mirrored margins). Page size The preferred page size for ANTA publications is A4. Spacing and text format ¥ Use the formatting ability of a computer program (styles, settings and templates) to format the text. Be aware of the need for adequate white space in the page and paragraph formatting. ¥ Use only one space after punctuation, including the full stop, in the text. ¥ Use only single tab spaces. ¥ Present text flush left (aligned against left margin). ¥ Do not use the space bar or tab to line up text. Use hanging indents or tables with hidden grid lines where appropriate. Tabbed dividers Where dividers are used to separate parts of the material, they should not be numbered. Numbering is continuous each side of the divider; that is, when the page before the divider is 22, the page after the divider is 23. Typeface and fonts Limit the number of different typefaces (a maximum of two per document is recommended). Chapter titles and three levels of subheadings should be sufficient for most materials. Avoid the excessive use of bold, italics, underline or capitals attributes in body text. Do not box text unless there is a specific reason for doing so. For people with a vision impairment serif fonts are better to use than sans serif fonts. Do not change the default leading or kerning of the font. Select a typeface that is easy to read and understand. Generally, use a serif font for body text and a sans serif for headings and tables (see Glossary, page 72 for examples). Use only common, True Type, and Adobe typefaces. Printer fonts (fonts built into the printer) should never be used. Suggested formatting guidelines for Microsoft Word documents Page layout A4, portrait orientation, single column layout Margins Top 2 cm Bottom 2 cm Inside 2 cm Outside 2 cm Gutter 1 cm Style names Body text Times New Roman (or another serif font), 11 pt, regular Line spacing of 'at least 15 pt' with 6 pt spacing before paragraph Alignment - left Title Arial (or another sans serif font) 24 pt, bold Heading 1 Arial (or another sans serif font) 16 pt, bold Heading 2 Arial (or another sans serif font) 12 pt, bold Heading 3 Arial (or another sans serif font) 12 pt, bold, italic List 1 ¥ Body text plus bullet, hanging indent 0.63 cm List 2 - Body text plus bullet, left indent 0.63 cm, hanging indent 0.63 cm Number list 1 1. Body text plus number, hanging indent 0.63 cm Number list 2 1.1 Body text plus outline number, left indent 0.63 cm, hanging indent 0.63 cm Header Arial (or another sans serif font), 8 pt regular Footer Arial (or another sans serif font), 8 pt regular or italic Include copyright holder and page number Table of contents From template - Title = TOC 1, Heading 1 = TOC 2, (TOC) Heading 2 = TOC 3 Tables Line style solid, 1/4 pt Cell margins left and right at 0.19 cm - standard default Shading 10% grey 3.2.2 Illustrations and graphics Illustrations include cartoons, diagrams, drawings and photographs. Through direct links to the meaning of the text, they can help make a point and enhance Training Package support materials. However, the issues of inclusivity and copyright need to be considered (see Inclusive content, page 9, and Copyright and permissions, page 22). In particular, cartoons can be culturally/gender exclusive and for this reason should be considered carefully. Decisions about the types of illustrations, graphics and diagrams should be discussed with the designer or editor and where necessary equity group experts before writing begins. They can be expensive and must be factored into the budget in advance. Good quality photographs and drawings are essential. Faulty photographs (indistinct, out of focus, with poor lighting or composition), drawings on poor paper or indistinct lines will not improve in reproduction. Avoid scanning graphics from secondary sources. Use original graphics and embed them into the document. Captions for illustrations are the responsibility of the writer and are keyed in at the relevant position. If they are not for publication do not include notes, comments and suggestions for graphics within a document. Annotate the hard copy by hand or provide a separate list (see Technical specifications for graphics, page 35). Include the name of the source and exact words of acknowledgement where a photograph is being supplied by the writer and needs to be acknowledged. 3.2.3 Technical specifications for graphics As the Training Package support materials will be stored electronically and printed digitally, any graphics need to be embedded into the materials. Graphics take up a lot of file space. Developers should aim for the smallest file size and the most appropriate format for the product. Standard of graphics Most ANTA publications are printed between 600-1200 dpi (dots per inch). If halftone/greyscale is used in a document, be aware of likely problems. For example, if 15% tone is used at 100-300 dpi to give a required density, the tone will lighten if printed at 600 dpi. To give the required density when printed at 600 dpi the tone will need to be 25% at 300 dpi. The reverse will occur if the produced format is 1,200 dpi; 25% tone will appear very dark if printed at 600 dpi. Printing graphics Where a publication uses double-sided pages and includes graphics, take care in aligning graphics from page to page. Large areas of solid colour or dark greyscale can create problems during the printing process. Ensure that two such graphics are not back to back on the same page. Graphics supplied electronically Graphics or artwork supplied on disk must be embedded in the document for publication and supplied on a separate file that is able to be opened and edited using the Adobe Publisher suite of products on a PC platform. This is especially important if EPS files are supplied. The graphic files must be supplied separately in case of problems in the printing process. If there are problems with printing graphics the publisher/printer is usually able to solve these if the graphic files have been supplied separately as well. Graphics must be presented in separate files in separate folders and should be named and numbered in the same way as shown on the hard copy of the document, at the point indicating where they are to be placed. Full details of the graphics and software should be included in the handover documentation. If the computer system or software used to generate graphics is very old, very new or simply uncommon, submit a sample disk before proceeding. The following formats are preferred: Bitmap or raster images ¥ TIFF - Tagged Image File Format (.tif) ¥ JPEG - Joint Photographics Expert/Group (.jpg) Note: Bitmap or raster images must be produced and saved as the same size or larger. They must never be enlarged, flipped or rotated prior to saving or printing. Vector images ¥ CorelDraw (.cdr) ¥ Adobe Illustrator (.ai). Note: All graphics need to be in an editable format; .EPS files should be avoided wherever possible. Convert to PDF to validate the layout. 3.2.4 Colour Remember the publication will be produced in hard copy by digital printing and may routinely be made available electronically. Designers should consider this environment and the characteristics of users (eg vision impairment and Daltonism/colour blindness) when specifying the use of colour within materials produced. In some circumstances high volume offset printing may be required and funded within the project. In these cases the expense of using colour may be accommodated within the funding of the project so that the setup and primary run costs are factored in to the project. Where possible consider using PMS spot colours for graphical elements such as logos and only incur costs of more expensive four colour printing where it has been fully utilised and factored into the costing of the project. As always, ensure full details are provided with handover information. 3.3 Publication parts The general order of a publication should be: ¥ title page ¥ imprint page (acknowledgements, copyright statement and printer's imprint) ¥ foreword ¥ table of contents ¥ preface ¥ abbreviations and acronyms ¥ introduction ¥ text ¥ appendices ¥ glossary ¥ lists, further reading or references ¥ bibliography ¥ index. Not all items in the above list will appear in every publication. These items fall into three main parts: ¥ the preliminary pages or front matter ¥ the text ¥ the back pages or end matter. These should be taken into account when setting up styles for a word processing template. 3.3.1 Preliminary pages, or front matter The preliminary pages usually include the title page, imprint page, a table of contents, and information on the purpose and content of the publication, such as foreword and preface. The preliminary pages are normally numbered separately, usually in roman numerals. The title page does not contain a number but is accepted as one 'i'. The numbering starts on the imprint page, which is numbered 'ii'. There must always be an even number of preliminary pages, even if the last one is blank. This ensures that the first page of the proper text is on a right-hand page (see also Page numbers, page 32). Abbreviations and acronyms An alphabetical list of abbreviations and acronyms should be on a separate page immediately before the introduction where there is one, or before the text. Acronyms should be avoided where possible. They should only be used after the full title has been used in the text (see also Abbreviations, page 11). Acknowledgements These are written to acknowledge: ¥ other people who have contributed to or were contracted to work on the publication ¥ the use of material for which copyright release has been granted by a third party. They should be included in the preface not the imprint page. Those to be acknowledged may include: ¥ writers ¥ editors ¥ desktop publishers ¥ industry personnel ¥ owners of intellectual and/or creative property (including graphic designers and artists and the sources of photographs) ¥ owners of copyrighted materials used within the publication. Only names, not organisational logos are be included in the acknowledgements. Foreword The foreword outlines the purpose of the text. A person other than the author usually writes it. Imprint page The imprint page is the back of the title page. It is used for statements by the publisher and for details not included on the title page. The format of the imprint page will vary according to the requirements of the consultancy agreement and the copyright holder. Imprint page format for copyright to the Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Education, Science and Technology) ¥ Department of Education Science and Technology (DEST) logo ¥ Commonwealth of Australia copyright statement ¥ Primary developer's logo (if applicable) and contact details (if any part of the product has been outsourced/sub-consultancy agreement then a statement referring users to the preface/acknowledgements is required) ¥ ANTA logo ¥ Publication date (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Stockcode (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ ISBN (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Publisher name and contact details (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Printer name (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ AEShareNet mark (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Version (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Release date (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher). Imprint page format for copyright to the Australian National Training Authority ¥ ANTA copyright statement ¥ Primary developer's logo (if applicable) and contact details; if any part of the product has been outsourced/sub-contracted then a statement referring users to the preface/acknowledgements is required ¥ ANTA logo ¥ Publication date (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Stockcode (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ ISBN (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Publisher name and contact details (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Printer name (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ AEShareNet mark (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Version (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher) ¥ Release date (to be inserted by ANTA nominated publisher). (see www.anta.gov.au/pubBundle.asp?qsID=16 for relevant imprint page). Preface When included, the preface contains necessary information about the preparation of the publication. It can include acknowledgements if they are not set out separately. No organisational logos can be included in the preface. Sample imprint page for DEST (c) Commonwealth of Australia 2002 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission. However, permission is given to trainers and teachers to make copies by photocopying or other duplicating processes for use within their own training organisation or in a workplace where the training is being conducted. This permission does not extend to the making of copies for use outside the immediate training environment for which they are made, nor the making of copies for hire or resale to third parties. Requests and inquiries concerning other reproduction and rights should be directed in the first instance to the Director, Training Reform Section, Department of Education, Science & Training, GPO Box 9880, Canberra, ACT 2601. The work has been produced initially with the assistance of funding provided by the Department of Education, Science & Training through the Australian National Training Authority. However the views expressed in this version of the work do not necessarily represent the views of the Minister for Education, Science and Training or the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth does not give any warranty nor accept any liability in relation to the contents of this work. Developed by: ÇdeveloperorganisationÈ ÇAddress1È ÇAddress2È Tel: ÇWorkPhoneÈ Fax: ÇFaxÈ ÇemailÈ ÇWebÈ Published by: Australian Training Products Ltd Level 25 / 150 Lonsdale St, Melbourne , 3000 PO Box 12211 A'Beckett St Post Office Melbourne, Victoria 8006, Australia Telephone +61 3 9655 0600 Facsimile +61 3 9639 4684 email: sales@atpl.net.au www.atpl.net.au First published ÇfirstpublishedÈ Stockcode: ÇstockcodeÈ ISBN: ÇISBNÈ ÇTitleÈ, ÇsubtitleÈ Printed for Australian Training Products Ltd by ÇprinterÈ, Melbourne, Australia AEShareNet: ÇAEShareNetÈ Version ÇversionÈ ÇreleasedateÈ Sample imprint page - ANTA (c) Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), 2002 Level 11, AMP Place 10 Eagle Street BRISBANE QLD 4000 Phone: (07) 3246 2300 Fax: (07) 3246 2490 All rights reserved. This work has been produced initially with the assistance of funding provided by the Commonwealth Government through ANTA. This work is copyright, but permission is given to trainers and teachers to make copies by photocopying or other duplicating processes for use within their own training organisation or in a workplace where the training is being conducted. This permission does not extend to the making of copies for use outside the immediate training environment for which they are made, nor the making of copies for hire or resale to third parties. For permission outside of these guidelines, apply in writing to Australian National Training Authority. The views expressed in this version of the work do not necessarily represent the views of ANTA. Australian National Training Authority does not give warranty nor accept any liability in relation to the content of this work. Developed by: ÇdeveloperorganisationÈ ÇAddress1È ÇAddress2È Tel: ÇWorkPhoneÈ Fax: ÇFaxÈ ÇemailÈ ÇWebÈ Published by: Australian Training Products Ltd Level 25 / 150 Lonsdale St, Melbourne , 3000 PO Box 12211 A'Beckett St Post Office Melbourne, Victoria 8006, Australia Telephone +61 3 9655 0600 Facsimile +61 3 9639 4684 email: sales@atpl.net.au www.atpl.net.au First published ÇfirstpublishedÈ Stockcode: ÇstockcodeÈ ISBN: ÇISBNÈ ÇTitleÈ, ÇsubtitleÈ Printed for Australian Training Products Ltd by ÇprinterÈ, Melbourne, Australia AEShareNet: ÇAEShareNetÈ Version ÇversionÈ ÇreleasedateÈ Table of contents The table of contents is a list or table of the main divisions of the publication. It must facilitate a reader's navigation through the publication. The list must contain: ¥ the division number (if it has one), for example Part 1 ¥ the division name or title, for example Getting started ¥ the starting page number for each division or major topic ¥ any appendices and their titles, for example Appendix 1 - Financial data. It is advantageous to use a template and style settings to generate the table of contents. Title page The title page must contain: ¥ the full title of the resource, including its code ¥ the type of resource it is, for example learning guide, trainer guide ¥ the name of the Training Package it supports and its code. Developers should check contractual details for use of logos in the materials (see Logo specifications and guidelines for use, page 21). 3.3.2 Text The text is the main body of the publication. It is the reason for the publication and should have a proper structure and follow a logical pattern. The page numbers normally begin at the first page of the text and use arabic numerals. Introduction The introduction is the beginning of the text. It should indicate the purpose of the publication, the context of how it should be used and how it has been structured. Back pages or end matter The end matter may include appendices, glossary, bibliography and index, and any material relevant to the text but not suitable for inclusion in it. The page numbers usually continue on from the text. Appendices Appendices consist of material supplementary to the text of the document. They also include material that is too long to include within the text without interrupting the flow. The first appendix should begin on a new page; then, depending on its length, each additional appendix may begin on a new page. All conventions that apply to body text also apply to the appendices. Appendices should be numbered, starting at 1/I, in arabic or capital roman numerals. Bibliography A bibliography is a list to acknowledge the authors of source material used or consulted in the preparation of the document. The ANTA house style is author-date referencing (see Referencing, page 14). This style is described in detail in the Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (AGPS, 2002). Glossary A glossary lists and explains technical and unfamiliar terms and words used in a work. The words being defined should be bold or in some way distinct from the explanatory text. Index An index is an alphabetical listing of topics, names and key items contained in the text of the document. It is located at the back and lists the page number/s where the references are made. Lists, further reading or references Other lists are occasionally needed for materials published as volumes or packages of individual booklets. This is a list of related material for further reading or research purposes. The author-date system should be used for these entries (see Referencing, page 14). 3.3.3 Packaging The type of packaging and method of presentation for a given publication may be decided through discussion with the ANTA project manager and the ANTA nominated publisher. Developers must discuss planned publication requirements, for paper-based materials of a size other than A4, with the ANTA project manager and the ANTA Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance Training Package Support Materials as soon as possible in the development phase so they may seek advice from the ANTA nominated publisher. Covers The extent of the involvement in the cover design/packaging of materials will vary according to the consultancy agreement requirements. There are three options. ¥ Developers provide a complete cover design that needs only minimal additions. When doing this it is vital to ensure that the creation programs are available. All designs should be produced using suitable contemporary applications. (Contact the ANTA nominated publisher for further information.) ¥ Developers provide a mock-up of a preferred cover design. It is important to supply any scanned images, originals or files that are available to avoid unnecessary redrawing. Supplying quality originals will result in an acceptable cover design that meets the ANTA standards. ¥ ANTA arranges for the ANTA nominated publisher to design the cover/s for the Training Package support materials. This should be negotiated through the ANTA project manager responsible. All covers to be used in digital print on demand technology must be produced from individual digital graphic designs. Designs for covers should include room for the 'noted tick' and other relevant logos. To check which logos should appear on the cover, refer to the guidelines supplied with the consultancy agreement or contact the ANTA Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance Training Package Support Materials. 3.4 Delivering the product Files should be provided in original Microsoft Word form. PDF files can be used to verify print integrity or may be requested by ANTA in the consultancy agreement. Computer generated graphics are to be provided in separate files and in separate folders. The preferred media for transferring the final materials to the ANTA nominated publisher is on a CD-RW (that is a writable CD) Submit copy on disk in files of a reasonable length - between 10,000 and 30,000 characters or 5,000 words per file. Breaks should be made where appropriate. Chapters generally provide logical divisions for creating files - that is, one chapter per file. 3.4.1 Filenames Name files logically, for example Chapter 1, Appendix 1, Prelims, Intro. Limit filenames to the 8.3 notation (that is eight characters for name, a full stop, and three letters for an extension), for example chapter1.doc, guideone.pdf Version control is an important issue (see Version control, page 25). Make sure that all versions of the files used in the development of the material are tracked. Ensure that the final version is the one submitted to ANTA. Clearly label the disk/CD with the project name, name of the developer and the date. 3.4.2 Publisher information Include the following information for the publisher as part of the final report to ANTA: ¥ title of publication ¥ the application used to create the file ¥ file extension, date created and saved, file size ¥ filenames and sequence for the construction of the final product ¥ fonts used and details of style settings. A form has been provided in section 5 for this purpose (see Information for publisher form, page 71). This information will be passed on to the publisher when the materials are handed over. Note: Unless arranged prior to delivery, no portable media will be returned. 4 Electronic Materials Overview This section deals with materials that are designed for delivery in an electronic format. Developers will need to: ¥ determine in what format the final product will be delivered-CD, diskette, online via the Internet/Intranet ¥ determine how the content will be arranged (see Interface, structure and design, page 50) ¥ apply metadata to an agreed schema to facilitate discovery and retrieval ¥ consider the capabilities of the browsers likely to be used by the target audience, and plan the features of the site accordingly. Electronic materials can provide specific advantages for the user which are unique to electronic media. These advantages include opportunities for flexible delivery and interactivity, communication and collaboration, and the potential for customisation of materials for specific user groups. Note: Developers will need to ensure that the materials are made portable to the range of operating systems and platforms in use across the VET sector. Trends Training Package support materials are increasingly using a range of formats and delivery media in the one product, for example: ¥ print guides accompanied by a CD containing PDF files and MS Word templates that can be customised ¥ flexibly delivered teaching and learning materials (for example Toolboxes) that can be accessed via CD or online and contain: - resources in a variety of formats (including but not restricted to text, graphics, video, audio, digital photographs, animations) - supporting print documentation including teacher guides and technical guidelines - learning materials and interactive learning elements (for example self-tests and drag and drop activities) ¥ Web sites that facilitate flexible learning through interactive graphical user interfaces ¥ print resources available online (for example through the Resource Generator) that can be adapted and customised to suit the user. As it is difficult to provide prescriptive specifications for the range of media and formats that are currently being developed, this section of the guide aims to provide general guidance and advice. Hints and tips are provided where relevant. Developers using a mixture of formats and media will need to refer to all sections of this guide. Contractual arrangements Developers should also check the requirements specified in the consultancy agreement for their project. Developers of electronic materials managed by the Flexible Learning Advisory Group on behalf of the States and Territories in conjunction with ANTA should use the specific guidelines provided by the relevant project managers. For example: ¥ Australian Flexible Learning Framework, Publication Guidelines for Project Managers - Strategy 2002 Projects (available at www.flexiblelearning.net.au ) ¥ guidelines for authors of materials for the Resource Generator (available from www.anta.gov.au). 4.1 Planning As with print-based materials, planning and project management is crucial for the development of electronic materials. Once the production cycle has commenced, changes within electronic materials are more difficult to make than they are to print-based materials. 4.1.1 Delivery medium Knowledge of the target user groups' needs and expectations, as well as the nature of the content, will help determine the choice of medium for the delivery of materials. The following provides a brief overview of the benefits and issues to be considered in using each of the main forms of media used in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. Online Internet/Intranet The Internet is a relatively inexpensive means of disseminating information to a broad audience. It allows for a range of benefits including: ¥ hypertext linking within documents/sites and to other sites around the world ¥ the use of all media - video, audio, text and graphics ¥ communication between users ¥ gathering statistics on usage ¥ the ability to make users pay for services or information. An Intranet refers to a computer system utilising one or more Internet technologies that delivers applications and/or information to all or part of an organisation through an internal network using a standard browser or other suitable technologies. Initial set-up costs for an internal network infrastructure, or for creating and maintaining a Web site can be significant (for software, hardware, communication links etc), but the ongoing operational benefits and savings associated with enhanced communication and ease of distribution can outweigh the disadvantages. The Internet does impose limitations on the way in which information can be formatted and displayed. Following are issues that need to be considered: ¥ Bandwidth relates to the capacity to send and receive data over the network connection. It is important that the link to the Intra/Internet (from the computer serving the pages to customers) has sufficient capacity to be able to handle the expected load. Otherwise, the response to users will be unsatisfactorily slow. ¥ Access speeds involve knowing the users. Consider what speeds of access users have to the Internet. If they are connected through a high speed ISDN line (or equivalent) then the use of large graphics, sound files, and/or video is possible. If they are connected through a modem, using large graphics, sound files, and/or video is not advised due to the time required to download these files. If unsure, then err on the side of caution. ¥ While using very small file sizes reduces download time, the maintenance of the files is easier if there are fewer, larger files. File size will impact on transfer times. ¥ Browser compatibility is important. The two most common browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Some browsers and versions of browsers may not support some newer technologies or may display Web pages differently. Common browsers should be used to enable the materials to be accessed by as broad an audience as possible. The minimum version of browsers to be supported should be identified at the start of development and materials progressively tested on these. ¥ Some Internet service providers use operating systems that have a limitation on file naming conventions. Filenames may need to use the 8.3 notation (that is eight characters for a name, a full stop, and three letters for an extension). It is advisable to use valid lowercase alphanumeric characters and to avoid the use of spaces in filenames. CDs (CD-ROMs and CD-RW) A CD is an ideal medium to disseminate large volumes of information. With access speeds much faster than the vast majority of Internet connections, it is currently the best vehicle for graphic-intensive or multimedia rich content (video, audio, animations, games). While there are new developments on the horizon that will increase the capacity of CDs, it can be assumed for now that a CD-RW can hold data from 1 byte to 740 Mb. However developers should consider not exceeding 640 Mb per CD in the final product. (see the Glossary, page 72, for a description of the different types of CD. Developers of CD products should ensure that: ¥ appropriate software (for example, QuickTime) is supplied on the disk ¥ the CD launches automatically when installed on any computer and Readme files are to be included with any installation instructions ¥ the CD-ROM video is prepared for playback on 12 times CD-RW media (this is considered to be a good balance between size and quality of video playback and reaching the widest possible audience) ¥ the CD has a 'stub', which is a file that loads quickly to inform the user that the program is in fact loading. Without a stub, a user is likely to try launching the package again or may be confused by the lengthy delay and lack of screen activity while the program loads) ¥ the CD is cross-platform compatible; that is, playable on both Macintosh and Windows computers DVD An emerging, and technically even better, option for distributing large amounts of information or multimedia is DVD (Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc). The same size as a CD, a DVD holds a minimum of 4.7 GB (gigabytes), more than enough for a full-length movie. Eventually DVDs will hold up to 17 GB, around 28 times the capacity of current CDs. This will allow far larger quantities of text and multimedia content to be included in a single, easily distributed disc. Although take up of DVD in Australia is high, at present there is a relatively small user base compared to CDs. DVD drives are being included as standard in more expensive new computers, while lower end machines are still using CD drives. This situation will progressively change as DVD drives become cheaper, and the DVD user base will build to a critical mass. In all likelihood, DVD will eventually replace CD-ROM. Video tape Video can be a powerful training tool when it is the appropriate medium for communicating a particular message to the target audience. Video works well for real time demonstrations, to tell a story and to convey personalities, scenarios and issues. It does not offer interactivity and may not engage the audience if it includes facts, figures or text. Digital video is a preferred method of creation and storage, as maximum opportunity for safe archival and repurposing can be achieved. CDs can combine digital video with text messages and interactivity, although the costs involved in developing a quality product of this kind can be prohibitive. DVD technology will impact on the use of video for training materials. It will offer the option of moving forward and returning to previous points in the product. A digital master of a video on CD, VCD (Video Compact Disk) or DVD should be supplied if a video tape (VHS) is planned to be supplied as any part of Training Package support materials. Diskette Although diskettes are an economical way to disseminate small amounts of information, as a delivery media they are becoming redundant. They can be replicated rapidly and it is likely that most of the VET audience will have access to a computer with a floppy disk drive. It is important to note that, while diskettes formatted for Macintosh cannot be easily read on a PC, diskettes formatted for PC can be read on both platforms. If disseminating a 'reader application' with the diskette, two versions of the reader application, one for the Macintosh and one for the PC platform will need to be supplied. Once a master set of disk/s has been created, duplicate copies can be easily created on demand. Diskettes are cheap to distribute and there are a number of ready-made postage containers available. 4.1.2 Concept planning Full conceptual planning and the development of a design framework, storyboard and action plan should take place prior to the construction of the electronic Training Package support materials. Consideration needs to be given to: ¥ content ¥ needs of the learners/users ¥ accessibility for users ¥ delivery media ¥ interactivity - activities and involvement of the learner/user ¥ portability, flexibility and customisation ¥ functionality and ease of use ¥ visual design features ¥ provision of support, communication and collaboration ¥ accessibility for users. Note: As mentioned earlier in this guide, the checklists in section 5 (see page 65) can be used to assist with planning and for briefing contractors engaged to undertake different aspects of the development work. 4.1.3 Ongoing review Developers of electronic materials in projects that have established piloting and review processes should follow the guidelines for that project. Other developers should follow the recommendations below. ¥ Pilot test the concept and a product sample/prototype with representatives of the target user group at the conceptual and prototype stages at a minimum. Test designs and get feedback from users to see whether the design ideas are giving users what they want from the product. ¥ Use independent reviewers with expertise in relevant areas (for example technical, content, accessibility, instructional design etc) at the appropriate points. Feedback from these reviewers will need to be incorporated and addressed prior to the next stage in the development of the product. ¥ Develop a list of review criteria for each stage of the review/piloting process. This enables specific feedback to be gathered. 4.2 Interface, structure and design 4.2.1 Interface Users of electronic materials interact with them in ways that are quite different to print-based materials. Web pages are different from books and other documents in one crucial respect: users generally navigate through the Web materials via a graphical user-interface with hypertext links that allow a variety of paths to the materials. Thus Web pages often need to be more independent than pages in a conventional book or screens in a CD. For this reason, Website developers need to develop a simple and consistent interface. A consistent look and feel to pages is important in establishing the products overall identity. For maximum functionality and legibility, the page and legibility, the page and overall site or CD design should be built on a consistent pattern of modular units, all sharing the same basic layout grids, graphic themes, editorial conventions and hierarchies of organisation. The goal is to be consistent and predictable, so users will feel comfortable exploring and confident that they know how to find what they are looking for. The care with which an interface is planned and designed will greatly affect the quality of the users' experience. Interface design should: ¥ be user-oriented - users now expect a level of design sophistication from graphical interfaces, so test the design with users (including equity groups) and incorporate their feedback ¥ have clear navigational aids - clear, consistent icons, graphic identity schemes, and graphic or text-based overview and summary screen can give the user confidence that they can find what they are looking for without wasting time ¥ contain no dead-end pages - dead end pages with no links to any other local page in the site or CD are frustrating for users. 4.2.2 Information structure Plan and organise the information on the Web site or CD. Make a list of the main sections and the relationships/links between the information in each section. This will be reflected in the pages created and in the items included in the navigation menu. Develop a site map and menus that help users to find information that they want in the fewest possible steps and in the shortest time. Web based materials and CDs need a logically organised structure to function well. Following are basic steps in organising information. Establish a structure or plan Structure information into a logical sequence or hierarchy of importance to help users navigate their way through the information. Most blocks of information can be sequenced or ranked in importance and organised according to the relationship to other sections/units. Establish a content plan, Web site structure or product plan before writing the text. Divide information into logical units/blocks Short uniformly organised blocks of information/content are particularly suited to electronic presentation because: ¥ few Web and CD users spend time reading long passages of text on screen ¥ concise blocks of information are better suited to the computer screen ¥ a uniform format for organising and presenting information allows users to predict how an unfamiliar section of a Web site or CD will be organised. The creation of information blocks must be flexible, and consistent with common sense, logical organisation and the convenience of the user. Let the nature of the content suggest the best ways to subdivide and organise information. Use the structure to organise relationships Logical organisation allows users to find information they most need. Often users will dip into materials rather than read all the text available. Consistent methods of grouping, ordering, labelling or graphically arranging information allows users to extend their knowledge from pages they have used or visited to pages they are unfamiliar with. Users will find it difficult to locate information and will be frustrated if there is not a logical/comprehensible structure. Flexibility and disaggregation Some products such as the Resource Generator and the Toolboxes allow for flexibility and disaggregation. This means that the product can be: ¥ delivered in its entirety, for example a qualification ¥ delivered in smaller sections, for example units of competency ¥ broken into small components that can be used in various ways, for example the resource segments as stand alone components. This allows: ¥ flexibility in delivery ¥ flexibility in the way learners can access the materials ¥ deliverers to customise individual parts ¥ storage of learning objects (that have been 'metatagged') in repositories that can be searched and reused. Allowing for this level of flexibility and disaggregation requires careful and detailed planning. 4.2.3 Navigation Graphic navigational elements and interactive links within the pages of an electronic document draw the users' attention further into the content. Providing a consistent and predictable set of navigation buttons, will give the user a sense of the information structure, and make the logic and order of the content visually explicit. Navigation should be intuitive, simple and quick for the learner. As a guide, it should take the learner no more than three 'clicks' to get to any point in the materials. A help screen can be useful. Make navigation easy Provide context Readers need to know where they are in the materials. Electronic documents provide none of the physical cues that are taken for granted in assessing information. Hypertext links on a page can give cues to where the reader will be led, how much information is at the other end of the link, and exactly how the linked information relates to the current page. 'Going back' All hypertext systems share a common problem that has no direct precedent in print media: going 'back' through a series of links previously visited is not the same as paging 'back' through the preceding pages of an ordered sequence of pages. Hotspots should be a descriptive and integral part of the text. They should inform users of what they are getting, whether it is further information from the same provider or a related document from another provider. Do not write 'click here'. Whenever possible put the link on the item itself. For example download the sample report. Links Provide graphic links/icons but also include text alternatives. Providing users with paging buttons and links to local home pages and tables of contents allows users to understand how the Web site/CD is organised. The buttons do not prevent users from reading the information in whatever order they choose, but they do allow them to choose to follow the sequence of pages. Organise the pages to maximise the user's ease of finding things. The traditional hierarchical structure is a good starting point. Provide a menu bar (remember to offer a text-based navigation map also), to enable readers to quickly access the main pages. A few simple but meaningful icons can help people navigate the pages. Home link Pages should have a way to go 'up' to the home page. This should be a small icon, hyperlink or a menu bar at the bottom of the page. Provide search facilities if the site is complex. Provide a site map to give users additional help. 4.2.4 Accessibility In order to support the principles of access and equity that ANTA advocates, Web pages should also strive for maximum accessibility. People with different kinds of disabilities can experience difficulty using the Web due to a combination of barriers in the information on Web pages, and barriers in the 'user agents' (browsers, multimedia players or assistive technologies such as screen readers or voice recognition). Developers should consider accessibility issues at the planning stage and pilot test materials with people with a range of disabilities using the Web Content (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines. Web Content (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines The Web Content (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines (refer to www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT) deal specifically with reduction of barriers on Web pages, which people with physical, visual, hearing, and cognitive/neurological disabilities may encounter. The Guidelines recommend that developers: ¥ provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content ¥ do not rely on colour alone ¥ use markup and style sheets properly ¥ clarify natural language usage ¥ create tables that transform gracefully ¥ ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully ¥ ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes ¥ ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces ¥ design for device-independence ¥ use interim solutions ¥ use Web content (W3C) technologies and guidelines ¥ provide context and orientation information ¥ provide clear navigation mechanisms ¥ ensure that documents are clear and simple. The document Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/ provides a gateway for advice on implementing each of the guidelines and its checkpoints. For each of the checkpoints in the Guidelines, this document provides appropriate links to advice from three more detailed sources: ¥ core techniques - www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-CORE-TECHS/ ¥ HTML techniques - www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/ ¥ cascading style sheet techniques - www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-CSS-TECHS/ Tips for overcoming barriers Use the following suggestions to address a number of common accessibility problems. ¥ Images, graphics and animations - provide a text equivalent and use ALT tags/attributes to describe the function of each visual. Provide good line and colour contrast for graphic files. ¥ Graphs and charts - provide a longer text description/summary and use the 'longdesc' attribute or a 'D' link in HTML where browsers don't support 'longdesc' attributes. ¥ Image maps - include descriptions with each image and use the client-side map and text for hotspots. ¥ Multimedia - provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video. ¥ Hypertext links - use text that makes sense when read out of context and avoid 'click here'. ¥ Page organisation - use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use cascading style sheets for layout and style where possible. ¥ Forms - include labels for form fields. ¥ Scripts, applets and plug-ins - provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported. ¥ Frames - use the 'noframes' element and meaningful titles. ¥ Tables - make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarise the table structure and remember to associate table data with relevant headers. This will give non-visual browsers a chance to help orient people as they move from one cell to the next. ¥ Fonts - never use absolute sizes for fonts, either in HTML or cascading style sheets. Absolute sizes for fonts makes many pages unreadable for people who have vision problems and need large onscreen fonts. It also makes it impossible to make the text a bit bigger on screen. Note: Some Web page authoring programs like Microsoft FrontPage insert absolute font sizes by default - every instance will need changing. ¥ Check the work - validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at www.w3.org/TR/WCAG 4.2.5 Writing and editing for electronic materials Writing for a Web site or a CD is different to writing for print-based materials. Online text is harder to read, is restricted by the size of the computer screen and the user is likely to scan for what interests them rather than taking the time to read every word. Writing text for a Web site or CD is a design issue as well as a writing issue. The quality of the reading experience is determined as much by the structure and the navigation as the meaning of the text. Use the ANTA house style in writing for Web sites and CDs but also consider the following tips and hints. Writing/grammatical tips Keep text on Web pages and CD screens to a minimum. As a general rule, the maximum amount of text should be what fits on screen, plus 50% to scroll down. The only exception to this is an activity-based page, where instructions should appear on the same screen wherever possible. Use single sentence ideas. Include the main idea in the first sentence of the paragraph. Use the following sentences to expand the main point. This is sometimes referred to as the 'inverted pyramid'. ¥ Use plain English and be clear and to the point. This is essential. If a person has to read a sentence twice to work out what it means, they will not want to read any more. ¥ Use jargon only where necessary and provide useful definitions. ¥ Keep the tense and person consistent. ¥ Use headings that accurately describe the content. ¥ White space helps the user to read and navigate the page, so do not overload a page with text. (If a large amount of text is necessary, then consider making it available in a more readable format. For example as a PDF, RTF or Word file to download and print) Punctuation ¥ Avoid using confusing punctuation especially colons and semicolons. ¥ Use single quotation marks rather than double. ¥ Do not underline text, as this can be mistaken for a hyperlink. ¥ Do not use full stops after headings. Formatting ¥ Keep the text clean and simple, and do not overuse formatting - it should bring attention to key points, not overload or distract the viewer. However, selective use of headings, tables, graphs, dot points, bold and italics can create interest. ¥ A site is a promotional tool, so strive to engage the user's interest. Editing electronic materials As with print-based materials, the editing process is vital. It is recommended that a hard copy of the content be edited before the electronic page is designed (see Editing and proofreading, page 18) 4.2.6 Visual design Understand the medium Users can experience electronic materials: ¥ directly - where pages are read on screen ¥ indirectly - where information is downloaded into text files or printed onto paper. Expectations about how readers will typically use the material should govern design decisions. Information that is to be read on screen must be concise. Do not minimise the content, just be aware that readers will want to print longer pages or more complex presentations to read 'offline' from paper. The primary task of graphic design is to create a strong, consistent visual hierarchy where important elements are emphasised and content is organised logically and predictably. Consider: ¥ directing the reader's eye from left to right and top to bottom as the top of the page is the dominant location for Web/CD pages ¥ avoiding over use of graphic features which can lead to a cluttered and confusing layout and lead to user fatigue ¥ anticipating the needs of people with vision impairments by developing a 'clean', simple design, keeping in mind the particular legibility and readability needs of users ¥ developing a consistent unity and rhythm across all pages and establishing a layout grid/template and style for handling text and graphics. Page design Following are points to consider in designing Web pages. ¥ Balance pages Use careful layouts of text and links with relatively small graphics. Try to limit each page to one concept or idea. Each page should be able to stand on its own because it may be viewed without reference to related pages. ¥ Keep to screen width wherever possible The screen is smaller than a printed page. Avoid extending beyond the width of a monitor with 800 x 600 pixel resolution as users are reluctant to scroll across. ¥ Design grids for pages Provide consistent and predictable access to interface and page elements, and a consistent graphic design scheme. This graphic 'backbone' establishes how the major blocks of type and illustrations will regularly occur in the pages, and set the placement and style guidelines for major screen titles, subtitles, and navigation links or buttons. The goal is to establish a consistent, logical screen layout that allows text and graphics to be easily inserted for each new page without having to stop and re-think the basic design approach every time. ¥ Think in screens of information, not pages Base the page header design on what the average reader/display monitor will see within the first screen of information. ¥ Consistent graphic identity Develop a consistent 'signature' graphic and page layout. ¥ Type and legibility In general, capitalise only the first word, and any proper nouns in headings and subheadings. The selection of typeface styles and sizes is dependent on a number of legibility, readability, download and browser considerations. Suggested guidelines are as follows: - Body text should be 12 point in either a serif font (for example 12 point Times New Roman) or a sans-serif font (for example 12 point Arial or Tahoma) for ease of reading on screen. These 'common' typefaces are also likely to be supported by most browsers. Keep the literacy support needs of the target audience in mind when choosing the size of the fonts. - Document size is a consideration for large documents that are read mainly by downloading and printing out. A number of file format options are available. - Check that the selected fonts can be supported by the potential range of users' browsers and printers. - Complex graphic design with text interwoven through it may cause either accessibility, readability or downloading problems. - Select a typeface to reflect an impression of the organisation on the user, for example to reflect 'authority from government' use a 'conservative' typeface. ¥ Pattern and page design Layout affects the visual clarity of your message. Settle on as few heading styles and subtitles as are necessary to organise the content, then use the chosen styles consistently. Organise the page so that the reader can quickly scan it. Remember to balance aesthetics with function. ¥ Style-setting Decide on settings such as fonts, inter-paragraph spacing, and the size of subheadings and create a style sheet to maintain these settings. ¥ Borders Table borders can be ugly and unnecessary. Use spacing, alignment and indents to show tabular information. ¥ Relationships between the document length and the screen Researchers have noted the disorienting effect of scrolling on computer screens. Users easily lose a sense of context when the navigational buttons or major links are not visible. ¥ Plug-ins Many users will lose interest when they find they have to download and install a plug-in before they can access multimedia content. Avoid creating content in a custom file format, which could quickly become obsolete. It is best to create multimedia content in the standard formats for operating systems and browser software. ¥ Avoid columns of text or provide alternatives ¥ Page width and printing Pages must be dynamically resizable so that a person can print out a page without text on the right-hand side getting chopped off. ¥ Provide an alternative to online forms Electronic forms can be very efficient and effective for many users, but they depend heavily on visual cues and can be difficult or impossible for a user who has a vision impairment to complete. Viable alternatives may be provided by including a text-based form as an alternative for downloading or via email. Note: Be aware that forms that rely on server-side scripting may be required for each of the target common server operating systems and Web servers.) Using graphic images There is a range of formats that can be used to save and transmit digitised graphic images. Developers should ensure that accessibility standards are considered and incorporated. Contact the ANTA project manager for details or use the W3C Standards for technical advice. These are found at www.w3.org/Graphics/Overview.html GIF files The majority of images on the Web are in GIF format (Graphics Interchange Format), and virtually all Web browsers that support graphics can read GIFs. JPEG files JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) images are full colour images (24-bit, or 'true colour'), unlike GIFs that are limited to a maximum of 256 colours in an image. Once an image is compressed with JPEG, data is lost and can never be recovered, so it is advisable to save a copy of the uncompressed original file. Use JPEG files for photographs. Diagrams for the computer screen Basic diagrams also work well on the computer screen if they are carefully designed to match the grid of pixels on the screen. Graphics built with straight horizontal or vertical lines, or diagonal lines at 45¡ angles, work best for the screen. Keep icons and navigation graphics as simple as possible. Background colours and legibility Screen legibility is a high priority. Black text on a white (or very light grey) background yields the best overall type contrast and legibility. Space-efficient graphic impact Image maps have become features of many professionally-designed Web sites because they offer an effective combination of visual appeal and, when used properly, space-efficient functionality. Image maps are particularly effective when incorporated into moderately-sized graphics at the top of home pages, or into the signature graphics or logos that define pages. Animation Animation should be meaningful, not distracting. Ideally, it should add something to the content of the page. Flashing text and animated GIFs should be avoided. They are too distracting to the reader. Screen resolution Design should be for a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The standard colour depth of users' monitors is now considered to be 'thousands of colours'. 4.3 Quality assurance 4.3.1 Testing The testing of products is essential to ensure that they are functional and meet consultancy agreement requirements. Testing should include: ¥ an installation/technical check ¥ a completeness check (all components present) ¥ a content test (for clear instructions, working hyperlinks, functioning multimedia elements, use on different browsers, content/copy editing) ¥ progressive reviewing by selected, independent reviewers including user groups and technical, content and accessibility experts. The following are hints and tips for testing Internet and CD products. Internet Whether preparing a complete Web site or a single document, time must be built into the schedule to test the final HTML files. This is a process where bugs are fixed and revisions are made and includes quality assuring all text and graphics, ensuring that navigational aids are working and are pointing to the correct place. Files should be re-tested if anything is revised or changed. As each browser type has slightly differing capabilities, test the files on the target browsers and platforms and on machines with the minimum specifications identified for the materials (see page Internet/Intranet, page 46 and Personal computers, page 61). This testing should be undertaken by an independent person or group and should use machines operating on platforms different from the development platform. Some tips include: ¥ test using the required browsers on the original development platform ¥ test with the required browsers on machines other than the development platform ¥ test using the required browsers on both Macintosh computers and PCs ¥ test from the 'live' server ¥ test for design considerations and various monitor resolutions and sizes ¥ check all links within the site/document and to other sites ¥ check sizing and resolution of graphics ¥ if the site/document contains forms or email reply routines, test to see that they return information readable in the desired format and are stored in the appropriate directory on the server ¥ retest everything from a minimal browser configuration at a remote location ¥ test again after any changes are made. CDs As with the Internet, testing is an important step in the production schedule. This involves: ¥ quality assuring the text and graphics (including the consistency of styling and formatting) ¥ testing whether functions work (including hypertext links, searching, printing, copying) and that the end product installs and auto runs correctly when tested on a sample of the delivery media (for example CD-RW) and on all platform/application specifications. Some tips include: ¥ test on machines other than the development platform ¥ test for design considerations and various monitor resolutions and sizes ¥ test functionality and installation of product ¥ test print output using a variety of common printer/driver combinations ¥ check sizing and resolution of graphics ¥ retest everything on a machine with minimal configuration ¥ test again after any changes are made. 4.3.2 Technology standards National preferred standards for applying technology in VET The following preferred standards have been endorsed by the ANTA chief executive officers for the VET sector nationally. The full report, Preferred Standards to Support National Cooperation in Applying Technology to VET (2001), is available at www.flexiblelearning.net.au/standards/navigation/home.shtml Further detail can be found at: Web protocols - www.flexiblelearning.net.au/standards/wspapers/wp.pdf Multimedia - www.flexiblelearning.net.au/standards/wspapers/mm.pdf Resource Locator Technologies - www.flexiblelearning.net.au/standards/wspapers/rl.pdf Hardware - www.flexiblelearning.net.au/standards/wspapers/hw.pdf Personal computers The Preferred Standards to Support National Cooperation in Applying Technology to VET (2001), provides the specifications for a standard system with non-specific requirements and those for an advanced system required to run training-associated DVD/MPEG video. For maximum penetration of a product within the educational community, project specifications should be aimed at the 'standard PC'. If for some reason the project requires a higher level of machine specification, it may reduce the number of users who can access the materials. If considering standards higher than 'advanced' consult with the ANTA project manager to ensure the machine standards that are intended to be serviced are clearly specified within the consultancy agreement. Minimum hardware specifications The following specification is recommended to be used as the minimum hardware specification when purchasing PCs. COMPONENT STANDARD PC ADVANCED PC Motherboard Intel/VIA chipset Intel/VIA chipset CPU speed >= 600 MHz >= 800 MHz Memory (SDRAM) >= 128 Mbyte (PC-133) >= 256 Mbyte (PC-133) ECC RAM recommended for > 256 MB Hard disk 10 Gbyte ATA/33 20 Gbyte, ATA/66 Floppy disk 1.44 Mbyte 1.44 Mbyte CD-Drive Yes access to a CD-W CD-W, DVD Video display >=17", 1024 x 768 @80Hz, >= 19", 1600 x 1200 0.27 micron pixel` @70Hz, 0.26 micron pixel Graphics card >= 8 MB, 64 bit, AGP >= 32MB, 256 bit, AGP Network card 10 Mb/s combo ISA or 10 Mb/s combo ISA or 10/100 Mb/s UTP PCI 10/100 Mb/s UTP PCI Std Sound card >= 16 bit, 128 voice, 44.1 KHz., >= 16 bit, 128 voice, 44.1 KHz, PCI, Full Duplex PCI, Full Duplex Video Capture - MPEG-2 hardware & software Printer Access to B\W Laser Printer Access to Colour Laser Printer Optional extras DVD, B/W Laser Printer LS120 FDD, B/W Laser Printer, Colour Laser Printer, Scanner Digitiser Minimum hardware test platform for developers When testing materials developers should ensure that the materials can be successfully delivered to a PC with the following minimum specifications: ¥ Pentium II/Celeron or AMD K6-2 CPU and motherboard running at around 300 MHz, with PCI and ISA bus, serial, parallel, USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports and EIDE hard-disk and floppy controllers. ¥ 64 Megabyte RAM. ¥ 4 Gigabyte hard disk. ¥ Megabyte floppy disc. ¥ High-speed video display card with 2 Megabytes of RAM, typically for 800 x 600 pixel 64k colours, with MPEG-1 video decoding in hardware. ¥ CD-ROM drive. ¥ Sound card, for 16 bit 44.1 kHz stereo input and output, with simple synthesiser capabilities and software to drive this from MIDI commands inside the machine. ¥ Loudspeakers. ¥ Keyboard. ¥ Mouse. ¥ Display resolution of 800 x 600 pixels. 4.4 Handover requirements 4.4.1 Creation of a master version Internet The master version is the final version of the Web site/pages or documents that have been fully tested with no more changes to be made. If the item is a document, a copy of the master version-complete with metadata documenting when the item was posted or published-should be provided and placed in the record keeping system. If the item is an entire Web site, a copy or 'snapshot' of the site should be taken and stored on an appropriate medium. Information about the snapshot, in the form of metadata, should also be recorded. Once completed and approved for release, the final electronic copy should be provided to the Web manager for the project for loading onto the Web site. To assist them, it is common practice to provide the logical location at which the pages should appear. Note: A product intended to be deployable to the Internet but which is to be distributed as a CD product must conform with both CD and Internet standards for master creation. CD Once the final version has been fully tested, a master version will need to be created for replication. The CD should: ¥ contain files that are transferable to the software and hardware environment of users with minimum difficulty ¥ allow files on the CD-RW to be easily browsed to facilitate individual selection and ready transfer to the user's delivery platform ¥ contain an 'auto start/launch' program. Processes involved in CD-RW production are: ¥ mastering ¥ replication ¥ printing of packaging ¥ assembly. For small runs (less than 100), data can be replicated onto individual CD-R media. These are 'write once' disks, which are usually gold in colour (sometimes referred to as gold masters). Single to short runs of ten may be replicated using CD-RW media. CD-Rs in both formats, are more expensive per replication than a CD replicated from a glass master, but work out to be more economical for short runs. Labels can be adhesive or printed directly onto the CD. Packaging is often a jewel case (plastic cases as for music CDs), but other options are available. Artwork is required for the CD-RW label and packaging. It is important to discuss common packaging options for CD products with the ANTA nominated publisher at the design phase of the project Handover of final product User notes, in hard copy and electronic formats, are to be provided with all electronic Training Package support materials. These must include as a minimum: ¥ operating hardware and software specifications ¥ installation advice for end users ¥ 'how to use' guide for end users that describes the features of the product in more detail. 5 Checklists 5.1 Product designer checklist ¥ Is the page layout consistent and compatible with target audience and technology requirements? ¥ Has an editorial content strategy, which included pitching to right audience, ensuring consistency of language, adherence to ANTA style guide been followed? ¥ Were instructions on writing style determined for writers? ¥ Have a template and style settings been used? ¥ Was the template reviewed by the printer/publisher prior to distribution to writers? ¥ Have the materials been piloted/tested/trialled with the target user group and feedback incorporated to ensure the relevance and usefulness to the target user group? ¥ Has equity group advice been received and incorporated in the design and testing stages? Print-based materials ¥ Have all writers used the required software and font/s? ¥ Is the software suitable for digital print on demand? ¥ Have the graphics been collated into a standard format? Have the graphics been embedded and supplied as separate files? ¥ Is the material 'print ready' as a print on demand product? Electronic materials ¥ Has the navigation been tested by users and deemed 'intuitive' and user friendly? ¥ Has the prototype been reviewed by an independent validator? ¥ Have all the graphics been identified and treated appropriately? ¥ Are all impression programs self-launching? Name Signature Date Product designer Developer 5.2 Graphic designer/desktop publisher checklist ¥ Does the software used to create the final product conform with the requirements of this guide and/or the consultancy agreement? ¥ Do all files conform to the agreed template? ¥ Have file assembly specifications been documented for each title? Print-based materials ¥ Are all fonts embedded in documents or supplied as separate files? ¥ Are all graphics embedded and supplied separately with documentation to show their location and position in the product/s? ¥ Are all line drawings/art work such as logos and illustrations supplied as high quality images in a format suitable for editing? Note: All graphics need to be in a format that can be edited using the Adobe Acrobat suite of products in a PC environment.) ¥ Can all final products be stored, retrieved and published using print-on-demand technologies? ¥ Can the publisher access the materials from the portable media on which the materials are being supplied? Electronic materials n Are there programs needed to extract or view the materials? If so, has a copy of the program been supplied to the publisher? Name Signature Date Designer/Desktop Publisher Developer 5.3 Writer/editor checklist Have all of the following been checked when a document was edited/proofread? n Has content editing been done at all stages of the draft document? Content editing must include checks for relevance to the topic, unintended omissions, technical accuracy, consistency in use of terminology, and must ensure that the document is structurally sound and presented in a logical sequence. ¥ Have the materials been checked for cultural inclusivity (language and graphics)? ¥ Do the materials reflect gender equity principles and inclusive language? ¥ Have print-based materials been reviewed for readability? ¥ Has the hard copy of the document been checked against the style sheet? The style sheet must show heading weightings (relative sizes), suggested formatting for tables or lists, insertion points for illustrations and layout suggestions. ¥ Has the electronic copy of the formatted document been checked against a hard copy prior to handover? ¥ Has a final proofread been completed and can the proofreader attest that the material conforms to the ANTA house style as described in this guide (Style Guide - Training Package Support Materials) ¥ Has a folder listing all graphics used been included and checked against the hard copy? (see Technical specifications for graphics, page 35) n Have the correct copyright permissions been included? (see Copyright and permissions, page 22). ¥ Is there a signed declaration confirming that the submitted work is entirely the writer's own work, except where otherwise specified and acknowledged? Name Signature Date Writer/Editor Developer 5.4 Independent validator checklist (electronic materials) ¥ Are the materials 'platform independent', allowing maximum portability to users? ¥ Do the materials use readily available non-proprietary software? ¥ Have the materials been piloted with different user groups and reviewed for accessibility? ¥ Do the materials use HTML code where contextualisation can be anticipated and is more sophisticated development software (for example Flash) reserved for components unlikely to be changed? ¥ Do the materials avoid rigid structuring devices locking the user into one pathway through the material? ¥ Do the materials provide a file and folder structure that facilitates the location of a particular learning segment, or the selection of a single unit, as well as the whole product? Name Signature Date Independent Validator Developer 5.5 Developer checklist ¥ Do all materials meet the ANTA requirements and consultancy agreement? ¥ Have print-ready proofs or a prototype been supplied to ANTA for consideration and sign-off? ¥ Do the materials include the correct titling and coding? ¥ Are copyright statements correct and all clearances documented? ¥ Are the files in the correct version and presented in a manner that is easily interpreted? ¥ Is the handover documentation complete? Does it include a full statement on all titles and relevant metadata expected to be published/produced? (see forms provided in this section 5.6 Metadata form, page 70 and 5.7 Information for publisher, page 71). Print-based materials ¥ Have the materials been edited and proofread? (Has the writer/editor checklist been completed?) ¥ Are cover designs/strategies included? ¥ Have the specifications for labelling and special packaging needs been included? Electronic materials ¥ Have the materials been independently tested (supply copies of receipts/invoices and the checklist for such services)? ¥ Have user guides/documentation been supplied to support the product/s? ¥ Have details of the operating hardware and software specifications been supplied? Name Signature Date Writer/Editor 5.6 Metadata form Metadata Status Developer supplied information Element DC.Identifier Compulsory DC.Title Compulsory DC.Description Compulsory DC.Subject Compulsory DC.Publisher Compulsory DC.Creator Optional DC.Date Optional DC.Type Optional DC.Format Optional DC.Language Compulsory DC.Coverage Compulsory DC.Rights Optional DC.Relation Optional DC.Contributor Optional DC.Source Optional EDNA.Audience Compulsory VET.Codes Compulsory RG.Purpose Compulsory 5.7 Information for publisher Title of publication Section names and/or details Application used to create the file File extension, date created and saved, file size Filenames and sequence for the construction of the final product (Please attach a print screen of the file directory where relevant) Fonts used and details of style settings. (Please attached a print out of the style settings used) Hardware or software requirements 6 Glossary For the purposes of this document the following technical terms have been defined. More detailed definitions are available from various online reference services such as pcWebopaedia.com and whatis.techtarget.com Acrobat files See Portable Document Format (PDF) Acrobat PDF See PDF Authoring software Software that enables the creation of multimedia or hypertext documents and presentations (for example PageMill, Dreamweaver). Bandwidth Refers to the difference (measured in Hz) between the highest and lowest frequencies of a transmission. Most people loosely refer to bandwidth as the amount of data that can be transferred over a network connection. Usually measured in bits-per-second. A full page of English text is about 16,000 bits. A fast modem can move about 15,000 bits in one second. Full-motion full-screen video would require roughly 10,000,000 bits-per-second, depending on compression. Bitmap A graphics image in computer memory, consisting of rows and columns of dots. Bitmaps are raster images. Browser A program that lets you read HTML documents and navigate around the Web. The browser interprets the HTML 'tags', which are used in creating Web documents, to recreate the page on your screen. Numerous browsers have been written. The two most common browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. CD-R (CD-Recordable) The Compact Disc-Recordable is fast becoming the industry standard for in-house production of large quantities of digital information. Also includes CD-RW (CD-Recordable/Rewritable). CD-ROM (CD-Read Only Memory) A physical device for storage of digital information. This is read only media. Database Collection of related pieces of digital information that can be stored and retrieved. Desktop publishing (DTP) The production of printed material using page layout software, a computer and a quality printer. Diskette (disk, floppy disk) An electromagnetic-sensitive device used for the storage of electronic information. It is portable and comes in various sizes, the standard size being 3.5 inches. Document A written or printed page containing information. In electronic media, an HTML file containing text that appears in a Web browser as a page of information. Download The act of transferring data from a source back to your computer. Digital print on demand (D-Print) Digital printing means materials stored, retrieved and printed on demand using digital imprinting technologies such as Xerox docutech machines. DVD (digital video disc) Similar to a CD-ROM, but suitable for both entertainment and computer use. Also associated with VCD and other video stored on laser disc technologies and formats. Electronic publishing The dissemination of information via digital media such as the Internet, Intranets and portable media such as CD-RW or diskettes. Font A complete assortment of characters or symbols of the one style and size of typeface, including upper case and lower case characters, numbers and punctuation marks. Usually described by typeface, weight, attribute and size (for example Arial, bold, italics, 10 point). Footer One or more identifying lines of information printed at the bottom of each page of a document. May be a page number, copyright notice, module number, date or other information that is required on a number of pages. It is always printed below the bottom margin (as shown in the footer below). Format Format has several meanings: ¥ size, shape and general appearance of the publication, for example A4 portrait ¥ text enhancement with style specifications, that is, typeface, leading and line length ¥ description of the computer platform and program used to produce the document, for example IBM, MS Word. Frames A specialist implementation of HTML where a series of windows (or frames) is displayed - each of which can be independently manipulated. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) GIF is a type of graphics file, and one of the numerous formats used for computerised images. Generally, this format is used for in-line images in Web pages. Greyscale The measure of greyness of any area, measured as a percentage of the solid colour, for example 25% black, 50% black. Hanging indent Format where the first line is of full width, but the following lines are indented at the left. (This Glossary is an example of this in that the definition line is of full width, but subsequent lines are indented.) Hard copy The paper version of what has been produced on a computer using a word processor or DTP program. Header Recurring information printed at the top of each page of a document. May be a logo, section title or any information deemed necessary. It is always printed above the top margin. Home page The first Web document your browser displays when you begin the program, or the 'main page' of a Web site. Hyperlink An electronic path that connects two places in a network. It is often represented as buttons or pointers on the World Wide Web. Hypertext A type of text that allows embedded 'links' to other documents. Clicking on or selecting a hypertext link displays another document or section of a document. Most World Wide Web documents contain hypertext. Also a set of interactive text files in which the individual words link one file to the next. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) The standard way to mark text documents for publishing on the World Wide Web. HTML is marked up using 'tags' surrounded by brackets. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) A protocol for exchanging HTML pages and forms. Image map An image in an electronic document which generally functions as a navigational aid. Various parts of the image are 'mapped' as hyperlinks to other areas of the site or CD or to other sites. Integrated Services Digital Network A relatively new technology, which combines voice (ISDN) and digital network services in a single medium. ISDN makes it possible for communications carriers to offer their customers digital data services as well as voice connections through a single line. Intranet A private network only for internal use inside an organisation. It uses the same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet. Java A network-oriented programming language invented by Sun Microsystems. It is specifically designed for writing programs that can be safely downloaded to your computer through the Internet and immediately run without fear of viruses or other harm to your computer or files. Using small Java programs (called 'applets'), Web pages can include functions such as animations and calculators etc. JavaScript A scripting language developed by Netscape to enable Web authors to design interactive sites. Although it shares many of the features and structures of the full Java language, it was developed independently. JavaScript can interact with HTML source code, enabling Web authors to insert dynamic content. JPEG JPEG (or .jpg) is a compressed graphic format used for (Joint Photographic Experts Group) photographs and coloured images on the Web. JPEG is commonly used for including complex images in Web sites, which allows for a choice of three levels of file compression. LAN (Local Area Network) LANs are now commonplace in most businesses, allowing users to send email and share resources such as files, printers and modems. Currently, larger companies are connecting their LANs to the Internet, allowing users to connect to resources within or outside the LAN. Landscape The page orientation is horizontal with the printed text or graphics along the longest axis of a page. Layout The arrangement of text and graphics on a page. This design includes orientation, margins, columns, rule guides, formatting, and deployment of white space etc. Leading The spacing between lines of type or text, measured in points. Nowadays it is expressed as the font point size plus the leading, so is measured from baseline to baseline, that is, 10/12. Usually applicable to page layout software programs. Line spacing Line spacing has two meanings; often it is used when referring to leading but can also have a different meaning when referring to single, double and triple spacing of lines. Link A connection between two Web documents. Master pages A transparent layer containing page elements that are to appear on some or all pages of your document. Used by some publishing software programs. Master pages can contain page numbers, logos, running headers or any other information that is to appear on a number of pages. Metadata Similar to catalogue information in a library. An electronic document's metadata is simply information about that document, which is used by Internet search engines to find and classify Web sites. Metadata may be embedded in the resource and found in the native format documents, such as Microsoft Word, where it is searchable by using MS Index Server. With Web-based documents, metadata can be stored separately (for example in a database) and linked to a document to which it applies. Mirrored margins When, for printing purposes, the margins on facing pages are the opposite (mirrored). If the odd numbered pages have a left margin of 3cm and right margin of 2cm then the even pages will have a left margin of 2cm and a right margin of 3cm. The largest margin is usually on the inside of the page to allow for binding. Modem An electronic device allowing computers to 'dial up' and access online services such as the Internet over telephone lines. Generally employed by home users and small businesses, while larger organisations will tend to use ISDN or other faster connections. Multimedia An electronic program or product using multiple elements such as text, sound, images and video, commonly found in products on CD and increasingly on the Internet. Multiplatform Refers to the availability of the application or data on various computer operating systems such as Windows/PC and Macintosh. Navigational aids Hyperlinked text or graphics (such as image maps) used in an electronic document for the purpose of allowing the user to form an overview of the information structure and to obtain quick access to any part of the document from any other part. Network An electronically and generally physically connected collection of computers using a standard protocol for communications. PDF (Portable Document Format) A file format developed by Adobe Systems. Acrobat PDF is a form of postscript language which captures formatting information from a variety of DTP applications, making it possible to send formatted documents via the Internet and have them appear on the recipient's monitor or printer as they were intended. PDF documents offer security features to preserve the integrity of the original file. To view a file in PDF format, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free application distributed by Adobe Systems and available from their Web site at www.adobe.com (see Acrobat PDF). Plug-in A plug-in is a (usually small) piece of software that adds features to a larger piece of software. Common examples are Acrobat and QuickTime plug-ins for the Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers. Plug-ins are loaded into memory by the larger program, adding a new feature. Users need only install the few plug-ins that they require out of a much larger pool of possibilities. Many plug-ins are available free for downloading over the Internet. Point A measurement used to describe type size, with 72 points = 1 inch. Portrait The page orientation is vertical with the printed text or graphics along the shortest axis of a page. This is the default set-up. Print-ready A document is print-ready when all text, fonts and graphics are supplied in correct format. (Seek further information from the ANTA nominated publisher if you are unsure about what constitutes a print-ready document.) Protocol Simply, the 'language' spoken between computers to help them exchange information. More technically, it is a formal description of message formats and the rules that two computers must follow to exchange those messages. Protocols can describe low-level details of machine-to-machine interfaces (like the order in which bits and bytes are sent across a wire) or high-level exchanges between allocation programs (the way in which two programs transfer a file across the Internet). Readme.doc file A file that contains information about the contents on portable media delivering a number of files or a product requiring installation. It can be saved as a '.doc' file in the word processor format or as a '.txt' file in an ASCII or text format. Repurposing The process of changing materials from the purpose for which it was originally intended to be used for another purpose. For example taking sections of a printed book and using sections on a CD or Website. Resolution The number of dots or pixels per linear unit used to reproduce artwork or images. Expressed as dpi (dots per square inch). Resource Generator A Web-based library to help RTOs to access and customise Training Package support materials. Sans serif Relates to fonts. Without serif (see next definition). This is a plain letter. Serif Relates to fonts. Serifs are the lines or tails at the end of a letter form. Server A powerful computer, connected to a Local Area Network or the Internet, which stores the files which make up a Web browsable site and 'serves' them up on request to users' Web browsers. Smart quotes Quotation marks, which are curly, not straight. Some programs will automatically change straight quotes to ANTA's preferred smart quotes. ' ' " " Smart quotes ' ' " " Straight quotes Style settings A set of formatting information in a word processor or page layout software program that causes the text to re-format according to the specifications of that style. The style relates to the paragraph and involves font, leading, kerning, indenting, space before and after etc. Style sheets Some computer programs use this term instead of template. Templates A ready-made or specially made design of a publication that provides the necessary layout and format and includes a series of styles. Most word processors and programs have a collection of templates included in the package. These may be modified to suit your needs or you can design one for your particular publication. TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) TIFF is a graphic file format developed by Aldus and Microsoft. Mosaic supports the viewing of TIFF (or .tif) images. These are raster images. Toolboxes ANTA managed projects that provide flexible multimedia products for a range of Training Package areas. Typeface The specific, named design of a family of fonts. An example is Arial, where you have Arial regular or normal, Arial italic, Arial bold, and Arial bold italic etc: Arial Arial Bold Arial BoldItalic Arial Italic Arial Narrow Arial Black URL (Uniform Resource Locator) The address system (often called a 'location') used by servers and clients to request documents. URLs are subject to the Domain Name System (DNS) which translates Internet names into the Internet Protocol (IP) numbers (for example 98.37.241.30) needed for transmission of information across the network. Vector images Graphics that are made up of lines and curves defined by mathematical objects called vectors. Vector graphics can be freely resized or modified without losing sharpness because they are resolution independent - the number of pixels used to display a vector graphic is determined by the resolution of the monitor or printer, not by the graphic. Usually created in drawing software programs such as Illustrator or CorelDraw. VCD (Video Compact Disc) Video Compact Disc. Web master or Web manager Historically, the name usually given to the administrator of a Web site. Increasingly organisations are opting for more neutral-or more corporate-names such as Web Manager. Web site A collection of Web documents about a particular subject on one host location. White space Planned areas of empty space on a page that help to enhance the graphics and also make it easier to read the text. World Wide Web (www or W3) The 'Web' is a collection of online documents housed on Internet servers around the world. The concept of the Web was created by researchers at CERN in Switzerland. Web documents are written or 'coded' in HTML. To access these documents, you have to use a Web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. When these browsers access a page, the server uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) to send the document to your computer. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) An international consortium of companies involved with the Internet and the Web. Its purpose is to develop open standards so that the Web evolves in a single direction rather than being splintered among competing factions. The W3C is the chief standards body for HTTP and HTML. Writing schedule A plan consisting of a list of main points with descriptions of what is to be written. The main points normally become the chapter or section headings of the document. XML XML, short for eXtensible Markup Language, is an emerging universal format for structured documents and data. Developed especially for Web documents, XML enables Web publishers to create their own customised tags to provide functionality not available with HTML 7 Bibliography Australian Writers' and Editors' Guide 1991, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne. Bernard, J.R.L. 1986, A Short Guide to Traditional Grammar, Sydney University Press, Sydney. Bryson, Bill 1987, The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words, Penguin, Ringwood, Victoria. Eagleson, Robert D. 1990, Writing in Plain English, AGPS, Canberra. Government Online Strategy, Commonwealth Department of Communication, Information Technology and the Arts, April 2000 www.govonline.gov.au/projects/strategy/GovOnlineStrategy.htm Guidelines for Commonwealth Information Published in Electronic Formats, Version 1.1 2000, AusInfo, a unit of the Department of Finance and Administration, Canberra. www.noie.gov.au/projects/egovt/docs/master_jan2000_guidelines_pdf.pdf Macquarie Dictionary 1997, 3rd edn, Macquarie Library, Sydney. Murray-Smith, Stephen 1987, Right Words: A Guide to English Usage in Australia, Viking Penguin, Ringwood. Pauwels, Anne 1991, Non-discriminatory Language, AGPS, Canberra. Preferred Standards to Support National Cooperation in Applying Technology to VET (2001), www.flexiblelearning.net.au/standards/navigation/home.shtml Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers 2002, 6th edn, AGPS, Canberra. www.noie.gov.au/projects/egovt/style_manual.html Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/ Thesaurus Macquarie Library, Sydney Training Package Development Handbook 2003, Australian National Training Authority, Brisbane. Web Content (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines www.w3.org/WAI/ 8 Index A Abbreviations 11, 38 Accessibility 53 Acknowledgements .38 Animation 59 Appendices 42 B Back pages 42 Bibliography 11, 43 C Capitalisation 11 CDs 47, 60, 63 Colour 36, 58 Consultancy agreement 4, 46 Contents, table of 42 Contractions 11 Copyright, permissions 22, 24 Covers 43 D Dashes 14 Dates 11 Delivery, product 44 Design, page, visual 30, 56 Disclaimer 25 Diskette 49 Dividers, tabbed 33 DVD 48 E Editing 18, 55, 67 Ellipses 14 End matter 42 F Files, electronic, names 29, 44, 60 Final report 28, 64 Font, typeface 31, 33, 55, 57 Footnotes 12 Foreword 38 Formatting 31, 33, 34, 56 Front matter 37 G Glossary 43, 72 Graphics 35, 58, 66 H Hardware specifications 61 Headers and footers 32 Headings 12 House style 11 Hyphenation 12 I Illustrations 10, 35, 58 Imprint page 38 Inclusive content 9 Index 43 Interface 50 International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 25 Internet, intranet 46, 59, 63 Introduction 42 L Links 54, 57 Lists 13, 43 Logos 21, 22 M Margins 32 Media, delivery medium 5, 46 Metadata 26, 70 N Navigation 52 Noting process, NTIS, NTQC 2 Numbers 13 P Packaging 43 Page, numbers 32 Personal computer standards 61 Planning 5, 49 Preface 39 Preliminary pages 37 Proofreading 19 Publication parts 37 Publisher information 44, 72 Punctuation 14, 55 Q Quotation marks 14 R Reference texts 20 Referencing 14 Review 50 S Screen resolution 59 Slashes 14 Software 29 Source files 30 Spelling, preferred 15 Structuring information 7, 50 Style settings 31, 58 T Table of contents 42 Technology standards 61 Telephone and facsimile 16 Templates 31 Terminology 8, 12, 16 Testing, validation 59, 68 Text, main body 42 Time 16 Titles 15, 17 Title page 42 Trademarks 16 U Units of measure 17 V Version control, master version 25, 63 Video, videotape 48 W Writing 7, 55