Proper use of arrowheads

[Chris Clemens]

During an APH TG class a couple years ago, we were told that arrows are generally used only when those arrows are intended to show movement. Arrows are often used to show direction, intersecting lines, in using mathematical planes and, at times, when it is apparent that their use is for visual purposes only. Our question is: should arrowheads be used every time they are shown in print or, only for specific purposes (i.e. to show movement)?

[Chris Clemens]

Personally, I would tend to follow print. You should be aware though that in Nemeth an arrow can also be shown with the shape indicator using braille cells. Since you have posted this question under tactile graphics, I assume that you are talking about an arrow that appears in a print diagram. Sometimes we describe a print diagram in a transcriber's note that is used in combination with a basic (simplified) tactile graphic. Can you attach an example .jpeg or .pdf scan of an example where you consider that the arrow only has "visual purpose"? I would hate to make the assumption that an arrow has no had no significance, and could therefore be omitted, unless I was familiar with the subject matter, and there was no doubt from the surrounding text that this was true.
I'll check back again to see if you find an example to post. Thanks.
Betty

[Chris Clemens]

Arrows should be used when representing movement, direction, extension, progress, etc. When its purpose in print is not any of those, it is very unlikely to remain as arrow in the tactile. A couple of typical examples that arrows in the print figures should be not shown as arrows in tactile:
1. Double headed arrow is often used as indications of length or distance measurement. It should be changed to two end bars (to show the beginning and end of the measurement) with a line across in between (for the student to trace).
2. Arrows are often used as lead lines in print. Well, we should not use arrows as lead lines in tactile, if we need to use any.
edited by yzhang on 11/8/2010

[Chris Clemens]

Thanks Yan for adding your comments. Yes, these are indeed two occurences where a print arrowhead would not be used on a tactile graphic!

Betty

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