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Great questions!
In a dictionary, a single format applies throughout the alphabetic reference. If the deepest level of an entry is 1-7, 3-7, 5-7, then all entries follow that format. The format does not restart with each alphabetic division.
You are absolutely correct to follow the print’s inconsistencies in the numbering of the subentries.
This situation is uncommon. When unusual print is encountered, transcribers must choose clear formatting that works well for the braille reader. Sometimes no single guideline fits, so you may need to combine elements from different guidelines. The goal is clarity for the reader.
Our committee suggests the following approach, though there is no standard for this print example.
The poem appears in two side-by-side parts, one for each reader. Each person may read their own column from top to bottom, pausing at the line breaks. Some lines are meant to be read simultaneously.
We suggest transcribing the poem in three sections:
(Part 1) The first voice as a separate poem.
(Part 2) The second voice as a separate poem, following the first.
(Part 3) Write both voices together using a stairstep method, with the first voice in cell 1-1 and the second voice in cell 3-3.
Use a clear transcriber’s note to explain the change in format.
For line numbering, we suggest numbering only the stairstep version. If you choose to number the two separate poems as well, you’ll need to account for blank space, such as the space on line 5 of the first voice. One option might be to use a series of three dot 5s, with a clear explanation in a transcriber’s note.
Again, this is a suggestion. You may find another method that you feel represents this type of poem more clearly. As long as the transcriber’s note is clear and the poem is formatted consistently, readers can follow classroom discussions and study the text independently.
This is a great question, and the distinction can be confusing. Multiple sentences may appear in print for different reasons.
First, they may be presented as examples for study, such as in a grammar book. These sentences illustrate the same grammatical point, but they are not intended to be read as a continuous passage.
Second, a reading passage may contain back‑to‑back paragraphs that each consist of a single sentence.
The guideline regarding multiple sentences applies to the first situation—sentences presented for study. It should not be applied to a reading passage simply because that passage includes several single‑sentence paragraphs.
When a reading passage is displayed, it should be formatted just as any passage beginning at the normal margin, except that the entire passage is shifted to the right.
Wow! That poem is weird.
Please give me time to consult the Formats committee. I will give you an answer on Monday.
I think that when you pasted the question into the forum, something happened to the text. Could you attach the page? That would help me.
Correct. Table continuation indicators in the footer position do not affect the formatting of the surrounding braille in the same manner as guide words.
I completely understand the confusion. The idea of “Partially Technical Works” has evolved. Removing the guideline was an effort to clean up Braille Formats.
My suggestion is to simply scratch through guideline 3.4.2. It no longer exists. When deciding which symbols to list, consult Appendix G.
Other codebooks, such as those covering tactile graphics, chemical notation, and foreign language, may direct you to list symbols according to the rules and guidelines in those codebooks.
Great question!
When emphasis is shown for a single letter, simply place the typeform symbol indicator before the affected letter. Do not use a terminator.
The effect of the typeform symbol indicator, whether transcriber-generated or not, extends only to the next letter or symbol.
In <i>Braille Formats,</i> see Example 20-27. Although the letters are bold, the method is the same. See UEB 9.5.1 for an example that uses a transcriber-defined typeform symbol indicator.
A few reminders:
- A transcriber-defined font follows the same rules as the established fonts: italics, bold, underline, and script.
- It is a special symbol and must be explained.
- If you assign a transcriber-defined indicator to represent blue in the current volume, that indicator can only represent blue throughout the complete transcription.
You are correct. If the paragraph is displayed with an adjusted margin of cell 3, an indented paragraph with or without a runover begins in cell 5.
There is one exception, multiple displayed sentences, but that guideline does not seem to fit your description.
Thank you for your question. Write-on lines can be confusing, particularly when determining whether a blank line should be retained or omitted.
The example you provided in the attachment is an excellent one. However, BF 10.5 does not apply to the exercise in your example.
The intent of BF 10.5 is to eliminate unnecessary blank lines.
BF Example 10-10 demonstrates the application of Rule 10.5 and shows the omission of blank lines after a question. In that example, the write-on line FOLLOWS THE COMPLETION of the question.
In your transcription, the screenshot shows a blank line immediately after a comma. This means the question is not complete; therefore, the line does not occur after the question. Instead, it is part of the question itself. Blank lines embedded within text are retained.
The applicable rule for your situation is BF 10.6.
A simple way to determine whether BF 10.5 or BF 10.6 applies is to consider the purpose of the blank:
- Is the blank intended to be a fill-in-the-blank within the text?
- Or is it simply a place on the page for the reader to provide an answer, which could just as easily have been presented in a column next to the questions?
In your example, the blank is embedded within the question, so it should be retained under BF 10.6.
Great question.
You should use New York as the publisher’s city. Your rule citation is perfect. Braille Formats (2.3.2) also states that the preferred source for the braille title page is the print title page.
Directly below the publisher’s name on the print title page, the first city listed is New York. When the publisher’s name and city are listed at the bottom of the print title page, that is most certainly the city name to use.
The address that follows “Send all inquiries” might be the sales office or something unrelated to the publisher’s main office.
Great question. Braille Formats does not state this directly, but repeated text of this type is ignored. Your braille page 25 should begin with the subitem.
Main items, as in your sample, whether they appear in a list, exercise, outline, or index, are not repeated simply because of a page change indicator.
This is not a math book, so I think you are fine using the existing UEB solid triangle. If the book also contained triangles that were not used as bullets, then you would need to create a distinct right-pointing triangle symbol (transcriber-assigned filled shape).
I have not been satisfied with the answer I previously gave you, so I have reconsidered the issue of the colored fonts used with the itemized material.
The current Early Learning Materials guidelines allow typeform indicators in first-grade books and state that they should be kept to a minimum. As written, the guidelines leave some room for interpretation.
The fonts used with the itemized material are significant enough to retain. The question then becomes how to retain them. According to Braille Formats, if you choose to retain a font, you should follow print. It is not actually permitted to substitute boldface for color. Because this is a first-grade book, I originally agreed to your using bold because it is simpler for beginning readers. However, that recommendation does not follow print.
THESE ARE THE OPTIONS I SEE:
Option 1. Use one indicator for color (recommended).
Create one transcriber-generated typeform called “color font” and use it for all of the blue and red paragraph headings. This stretches the current guidelines slightly but keeps the formatting simple while preserving the distinction from regular text.Option 2. Continue using bold instead of color.
This does not strictly follow the guidelines. If you decide this is the best approach, you should do two things:First, check the entire text to determine whether boldface is used anywhere else besides the paragraph headings.
Second, add a transcriber’s note explaining that bold has been substituted for color.
Although this approach falls outside the intended framework of the guidelines, the transcriber’s note makes the decision more understandable to the reader.
Option 3. Use transcriber-generated typeforms for each color.
This most closely follows the current guidelines. Create separate transcriber-generated typeforms for each color and follow print for all of the paragraph headings.CONCLUSION
The guidelines provide a framework for making formatting decisions; they are not absolute rules. As a result, you have some professional judgment in determining the best approach. However, transcriptions that closely follow the guidelines promote consistency across publications. That consistency allows students to focus on reading the content rather than adapting to different formatting from one book to another.
