Electronic Publications
In this section:
Depending on the target audience, you may have to produce electronic publications in addition to or instead of print versions. When producing electronic versions, you must follow the same steps as outlined in the Editorial Services section. While the processes are similar, here are some considerations specific to electronic publishing.
 Ensure at the outset that your electronic products comply with the same policies and guidelines as your paper-based publications. To learn about the options available to you before you begin production of an electronic publication, you can consult the Library and Archives Canada's online manual, Electronic Publishing: Guide to Best Practices for Canadian Publishers.
Formats
Keep the target audience in mind when choosing an electronic format. Consulting with your client, his or her Webmaster, the communications advisor, and the graphic designer can keep you on track. The most common approaches for electronic departmental publications are the following:
- Publishing to Internet and intranet sites — HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) is the primary format required for Government of Canada Internet/intranet publishing as it is the most accessible when properly coded. PDF (Portable Document Format) is a proprietary technology of Adobe Systems. This format is popular because it reproduces the layout of a print publication, can easily be printed out, and is cost-effective. However, Common Look and Feel for the Internet standards don’t yet recognize this technology as directly accessible to persons with visual impairments.
Requirements for Internet and intranet technologies can be found in Industry Canada Graphic Standards, in the Government of Canada Internet Guide and in Treasury Board’s Common Look and Feel for the Internet standards.
The Common Look and Feel Self-Assessment Guide helps departments and agencies to determine the compliance level of their Web sites within the Common Look and Feel standards.
When you are planning to post a publication on a Web site, contact the Webmaster to inform him or her and to find out about any specific publishing requirements.
- Diskettes, CD-ROMs and ID-ROMs — These formats can reach individuals who have a computer but little or no Internet access. Production includes three components: electronic content (including a splash page), labelling and packaging. Don’t forget to indicate on the package the operating system to be used.
- Sound and animation media — While these technologies are becoming more popular, their use in the federal government is not widespread. They don’t comply with Common Look and Feel for the Internet standards, and are costly to produce.
- Word processing software — Documents created in WordPerfect or Word are unstable, so use them only in a controlled environment such as on an intranet. You can use rich text format (RTF) to exchange files between word processing programs.
Suppliers
You may wish to have the same supplier who designed the print version create your electronic version, or you may wish to use a different designer.
Design, Navigation and Conversion Work
Sometimes the designer will have to create a design and navigational tools (for example a menu system), before converting the text. Get your client to approve these before the conversion. You must provide the designer with an electronic file of the text, any image files (in the designer’s preferred format) as well as a printout of the final text and graphics for the conversion. Links, and the Web pages they refer to, should be identified clearly.
ISBN and Catalogue Number
You need a different ISBN and catalogue number for each stable format of a publication. Only hard copies and PDFs are considered stable formats. ISBNs and catalogue numbers will not be provided for publications in HTML, as it is not considered a stable format. Contact the Depository Services Program to obtain ISBNs and catalogue numbers.
Proofreading
When the conversion is complete, the electronic publication must be proofread and all the links checked. This is a detailed process best performed by an outside supplier. The Industry Canada Style Guide for Writers and Editors contains a handy proofreading checklist for this task.
Quality Assurance
In-house staff should do a quality assurance check to ensure that:
- the proofreader did an acceptable job; and
- federal and departmental publishing policies and guidelines have been respected.
Posting the Publication
When the publication is finalized, deliver it to the client for posting by his or her Webmaster. Ensure it is posted to the Depository Services Program (Communications Canada) and Legal Deposit (Library and Archives Canada).
Here are some resources for help with your electronic publications.
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