Section 16
 Notes

All types of notes are simply called notes in this section. Notes give the reader additional information, e.g., the pronunciation of a word, etc.

Note: There are unique situations for specific types of notes, such as tables and gloss notes in foreign language texts. (See Formats, §16.5.)

For the purposes of these guidelines, a print reference mark is defined as any number, letter, or character used to indicate that there is an additional note to the matter that is being discussed.

Print uses many different symbols to indicate the presence of a note, e.g., asterisk, dagger, hollow dot, superscripted numbers or letters, etc.
16.1.4     The print explanatory notes may be located:

a.  At the foot of the page.

b.  In the margin.

c.  Between lines of narrative text.

d.  In columns facing the narrative text.

e.  On a page facing the narrative text.

f.  Immediately above or below columned or tabular material.

g.  In a note section, either at the end of each chapter or at the back of the book.

h.  Online, with a URL provided in print. In this case, the URL is transcribed, but the transcriber is not responsible for putting the actual notes in the braille edition.

Corresponding braille notes may be located:

a.  At the end of the print page, separated from text by a separation line.

b.  Before or within tabular material.

c.  At the end of the chapter or volume.

d.  In a separate volume for heavily annotated text.

A Braille Reader's Perspective. Providing a braille format for notes is difficult because two things are required. Notes must be easy to find when necessary, but also easy to skip for uninterrupted reading.

Usually a reference mark is printed in the text after the word(s) to be explained (e.g., word1, worda, word*, or word†). The reference mark is typically repeated in some form before the word at the beginning of the note (e.g., 1. note, a note, *note, or †note). Follow print for the use of the reference marks.

When print uses a symbol to indicate the presence of a note, use the braille equivalent that represents that print symbol. Follow print for spacing, capitalization, and punctuation. Braille reference marks should appear on the same braille line as the word (or last word) referenced. Examples of print reference marks and their braille equivalent (grade 1 indicators are used as required but are not technically part of the symbol and should not be included in the Special Symbols list):

Asterisk                           "9
Dagger                            @,?
Double Dagger                 @,]
Superscripted number 1    ;9#a
Superscripted letter b       ;9b
Superscripted hollow dot   ;9"0

a.  Place the reference mark as shown in print, either before or after the word or phrase being referenced.

b.  List all reference marks used, along with the print symbols they represent, on the Special Symbols page.

c.  Asterisks, daggers, and double daggers that appear raised from the baseline are not considered to be in the superscript position. (See UEB, §3.3.1, Asterisk, Dagger, and Double Dagger.) Retain the superscript format for all other symbols.

Example 16-1: Book with Asterisk Reference Mark

Example 16-2: Hollow Dot Reference Mark with Punctuation

Example 16-3: Dagger Reference Mark with a Dash

Example 16-4: Numbered and Lettered Notes

(See Sample 16-1: Multiple Reference Marks on page 16-17.)

a.  Follow print when emphasis is used to identify words or phrases with reference notes, e.g., all footnotes are underlined, blue print represents vocabulary, and highlighting represents glossary notes.

b.  When it is clear that one type of emphasis indicates notes, explain this in a transcriber's note. Sample:

All of the bold words in this volume have reference notes associated with them.

Example 16-5: Reference Indicated by Underlining

a.  Some notes may appear in the margin, alongside the referenced text, using no print symbol or emphasis.

b.  Insert the word "note", enclosed in transcriber's note indicators, after the point of reference in the text.

c.  The embedded note must be on the same line as at least one word or phrase to which it applies.

Note: Do not confuse marginal notes with sidebars. (See Formats, §12, Sidebars.)

Example 16-6: Note without a Print Reference Mark

Place notes at the end of the print page.

a.  Separate notes from text by a note separation line "333333 (5, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25) across seven cells. The separation line cannot be on the last line of the braille page.

b.  Insert a blank line before a note separation line only when the blank line is required by other formats, such as the end of a list. Exception: To reinforce a change in context, insert a blank line before the page change indicator when the text after the page change indicator begins in the same cell as note runovers. Leave line 1 of the following braille page blank if the note ends on line 25 and the text following the note begins in the same cell as the note runover.

c.  List notes in the order in which they appear in the text. Do not group them by symbol or typeform.

d.  Follow print for the use of reference marks. This may result in different marks being used at the point of reference within text and before the corresponding footnote. Do not add a reference mark if one is not used in print. Use 1-3 margins; for additional paragraphs in a note, use 5-3 margins. Note: Do not repeat transcriber-defined indicators before notes when there are no print reference marks. (See Formats, §16.3b.)

e.  Use the entire width of the braille line for notes.

f.  Retain font attributes unless all notes using the same reference mark are entirely emphasized. Do not retain font attributes for line numbers.

g.  Notes may be separated by a title/heading or a blank line when there are multiple titles with separate note references on one print page. Use cell-5 headings for the titles/headings.

h.  Do not insert a blank line between a note separation line and a title or heading. (See Sample 16-2: Notes with Headings on page 16-18.)

i.   Notes in tables are discussed in Formats, §16.8.

Example 16-7: Note Placement

(See Sample 16-3: Sequentially Numbered Notes on page 16-20.)

Example 16-8: Note with Range of Line Numbers

Example 16-9: Highlighted Note Reference

Notes that translate words, phrases, or terms used in a foreign language text are considered gloss notes. Note: This formatting only applies to gloss notes; other types of reference notes in foreign language materials are placed as directed in Formats, §16.5.

a.  Place gloss notes in foreign language materials on the line following the material to which the note applies.

b.  Use 7-5 margins and follow print for any reference marks used.

c.  If no print reference mark is used, insert an embedded transcriber's note following the point of reference within the text.

Treat multiple-marked or unmarked reference points on the same line as separate references. (See Sample 16-4: Two Marked Notes on an Unnumbered Print Line on page 16-21.)

Example 16-10: Two Unmarked Notes on a Numbered Print Line

Transcribe each reference mark used at the same reference point as a separate indicator. Follow print order for these reference marks.

Example 16-11: Two Indicators at Same Reference Point

Notes with Pronunciation. Do not add a second uncontracted spelling for words with pronunciation.

Example 16-12: Note with Pronunciation

16.7.4     Notes Containing Displayed Quoted Material. When a note contains quoted matter set off from the body of the note by blank lines, quotation marks, change of margins, or font attributes, use the listed format of 1-3 for the note, and use the guidelines found in Formats, §9, Displayed Material, Attributions, and Source Information. (See Sample 16-5: Note with a Quote on page 16-22.)

Notes Referring to Notes on a Different Page or in a Different Volume. When a note refers to another note located on a different page or in a different volume, repeat the referenced note after the original note. Transcribe multiple-referenced notes in the order mentioned in the original note.

a.  Transcribe the note on the current page using 1-5 or 1-7 margins, depending on the number of references included in the note. Use a nested list format if more than two additional levels of references are included. The nested list format for notes is used only on these pages. Use 1-3 margins for notes on all other pages.

b.  Transcribe the note referencing the first note using 3-5 or 3-7 margins, depending on the number of notes.

c.  Use 5-7 margins for a note referencing the second note.

d.  Include both page location information and reference marks, when given.

Note: Do not repeat a referenced note in a volume of endnotes, where notes are transcribed exactly as written. (See Sample 16-6: Repeated Note on page 16-23.)

Notes Continued on Additional Print Pages. When a note is divided between print pages, complete the entire note on the print page on which it begins (before the print page change indicator). When the continuation of a print note is the only material on the following page, place the page change indicator following the note. Treat the page with the continued note as if it is blank; combine that print page number with the following print page number. (See Sample 16-7: Continued Note on Next Print Page on page 16-24.)

Notes on Facing Pages. Use combined print page numbers when transcribing text and notes printed on facing pages. Lettered continuation pages require the combined print page numbers. (See Sample 16-8: Notes on Facing Page on page 16-26.)

a.  An agency may request that notes be provided in a separate volume(s) when a book has text and notes on facing pages. In this situation, use combined page numbers in both volumes of text and notes. Indicate that the notes are in a separate volume on the Transcriber's Notes page. Sample:

The text and the notes to the text are in separate volumes.

b.  The following is an example of the volume and page numbering for the individual volumes. The text is in the first volume, with notes in the following volume.

Volume 3
Braille pages t1-t5 and 1-67
Print pages 45-a70

Volume 4
Braille pages t1-t5 and 1-55
Print pages 45-a70

Notes in Table Format

a.  Place notes before tables as, in most situations, they need to be read before reading the table to understand the entries in the table.

b.  Insert a transcriber's note before the table. Sample:

Note(s) in the table below.

c.  Do not include the note(s) within the transcriber's note.

d.  Place a blank line after the transcriber's note and then insert the reference note(s).

e.  Use 1-3 margins for all notes.

f.  Begin each note with the appropriate reference mark, followed by the note on the same line.

g.  Do not leave blank lines between notes.

h.  Other transcriber's notes follow the reference note(s).

(See Sample 16-9: Note in Column Entry on page 16-27.)

Notes in Alternate Table Formats. Insert notes to listed, linear, and stairstep tables within the table.

a.  Use 7-5 margins for all notes.

b.  Do not leave a blank line between notes.

c.  Listed format: Insert the note on the next line after the completion of the cell entry.

d.  Linear format: Insert the note on the next line after the completion of the entire row.

e.  Stairstep format: Insert the note on the next line after the completion of the cell entry.

f.  A reference mark may be included in a keyed transcriber's note. Insert the note after the completion of the transcriber's note explaining the key.

(See Sample 16-10: Notes in a Listed Table on page 16-28.)

Notes may be combined in a special section at the end of a chapter or at the end of a book. Usually endnote sections use consecutive superscript numbers within the chapter and do not use font attributes.

General Provisions for Endnote Sections

a.  Follow print for the placement of endnote sections at the end of each chapter.

b.  Endnotes at the end of a book generally are divided and placed at the end of the volume in which the references appear.

c.  Extensive endnote sections may be placed in a separate volume. This transposition of endnotes must be mentioned on the Transcriber's Notes page in each volume. Sample:

The endnotes to the text are in a separate volume.

Example 16-13: Extensive Notes in a Separate Volume (Print Only)

Format of Endnotes

a.  Begin an endnote section on a new braille page.

b.  Insert the heading NOTES if the text does not include a heading at the beginning of the note section. Enclose it in transcriber's note indicators, on line 1 (line 3 if a running head is used).

c.  Use 1-3 margins for each endnote.

d.  Do not add print page numbers to the notes if they do not appear in print.

e.  Before the note section in each volume, repeat lists of abbreviations for book/magazine titles referred to in the endnotes. List the abbreviations using 1-3 margins and follow print for punctuation, capitalization, and font attributes. Also follow print for the capitalization and use of font attributes for the abbreviations within the endnote.

Example 16-14: List of Note Abbreviations (Print Only)

Endnote Sections without Reference Marks. If the endnote section shows only print page numbers and/or print line numbers, and there are no print reference marks in the body of the text:

a.  Begin each endnote with the print page number. Include the line number as well as the print page number for line-numbered material.

b.  Do not insert a reference mark within the text.

c.  Do not include braille line numbers in the note section.

Extensive notes can interrupt the flow of reading. The requesting agency may choose to:

a.  Create an endnote section at the end of a volume.

b.  Move the notes to a separate volume, retaining print page numbers.

Labels printed in the margin can be intrusive in braille and great care needs to be taken to not interrupt the flow of text any more than necessary. List the labels in a key before the text.

a.  Devise a key by assigning letters for each label that reflect the meaning of the print label.

b.  Do not use numbers as a key for marginal labels.

c.  Do not use contractions or letters that comprise short form words as keys for marginal labels.

d.  Leave a blank line before and after the list of keyed items.

e.  Use 1-3 margins for key items and list them in the order in which the labels occur in the accompanying text. Note: The dot locator for "mention" is not required preceding letters that represent keys.

f.  The complete key is enclosed in a transcriber's note. Place the closing transcriber's note indicator following the last item in the list.

g.  In the text, insert the assigned key, followed by a space, before the appropriate material. Use braille grouping indicators to enclose the affected text. Explain this usage in a transcriber's note. Sample:

In print, labels appear in the margin of the following letter. In braille, the labels are keyed. The keyed label is inserted before the beginning of the text to which it applies. Labeled phrases or sentences are enclosed in braille grouping indicators.

Symbols used below:

.=<   Opening braille grouping indicator.
.=>   Closing braille grouping indicator

Key to labels:

ti  Title
au  Author (last name first)
yb  Year of birth
dp  Date of publication
pu  Publishers

(See Sample 16-12: Marginal Labels on page 16-32 and Sample 16-13: Labeled Letter on page 16-34.)

Sample 16-1: Multiple Reference Marks, page 16-17
Sample 16-2: Notes with Headings, page 16-18
Sample 16-3: Sequentially Numbered Notes, page 16-20
Sample 16-4: Two Marked Notes on an Unnumbered Print Line, page 16-21
Sample 16-5: Note with a Quote, page 16-22
Sample 16-6: Repeated Note, page 16-23
Sample 16-7: Continued Note on Next Print Page, page
16-24
Sample 16-8: Notes on Facing Page, page 16-26
Sample 16-9: Note in Column Entry, page 16-27
Sample 16-10: Notes in a Listed Table, page 16-28
Sample 16-11: Endnotes, page 16-30
Sample 16-12: Marginal Labels, page 16-32
Sample 16-13: Labeled Letter, page 16-34

Sample 16-1: Multiple Reference Marks

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Sample 16-2: Notes with Headings

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Sample 16-3: Sequentially Numbered Notes

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Sample 16-4: Two Marked Notes on an Unnumbered Print Line

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Sample 16-5: Note with a Quote

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Sample 16-6: Repeated Note

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Sample 16-7: Continued Note on Next Print Page

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Sample 16-8: Notes on Facing Page

Sample 16-10: Notes in a Listed Table

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Sample 16-11: Endnotes

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Sample 16-12: Marginal Labels

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Sample 16-13: Labeled Letter

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