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  Scientific figures can communicate complex information in seconds. But for readers using screen readers, a figure without meaningful alt text for scientific figures can become an information gap. Writing accessible alternative text is not simply about describing what an image looks like. The goal is to communicate the relevant information and purpose of the figure. Here are three practical rules. 1. Describe the Information, Not Just the Object Weak: Graph showing results. Better: Line graph showing treatment response increasing from 42% to 68% over a 12-week study period. The second description communicates information that the reader needs. 2. Keep the Purpose of the Figure in Mind Ask: Why is this figure included? If the figure demonstrates a trend, describe the trend. If it compares groups, explain the comparison. If it illustrates a process, describe the important steps. Avoid unnecessary visual details that do not contribute to understanding the research. 3. Know When Alt...

  AI can review a journal article in seconds. But does that mean publishers can replace professional copyediting with AI? Not quite. AI copyediting for publishers can be extremely useful, particularly for identifying repetitive wording, grammar issues, inconsistent terminology, punctuation errors, and certain style inconsistencies. For large-scale scholarly publishing workflows, AI-assisted quality checks can also help production teams identify potential issues before final review. But journal content presents challenges that go beyond grammar. What AI Copyediting Gets Right AI tools can help identify: Grammar and punctuation errors Repeated phrases Sentence-level clarity issues Inconsistent terminology Basic style inconsistencies Formatting patterns Potential language issues This can make editorial workflows faster, especially when processing large volumes of academic content. Where AI Can Go Wrong Scholarly content requires context. An AI system may unintentionally alter the me...

  An EPUB can be technically functional and still leave important accessibility information undefined. That is where EPUB accessibility metadata becomes important. Accessibility metadata helps publishers communicate the accessibility characteristics of a digital publication and allows platforms, libraries, retailers, and readers to understand what accessibility features are available. Here are five metadata areas publishers should pay attention to. 1. accessMode This identifies the access modes required to consume the content, such as textual or visual access. 2. accessibilityFeature This describes accessibility features available within the publication , such as alternative text, structural navigation, captions, or MathML. 3. accessibilityHazard This identifies potential accessibility hazards, such as flashing content or motion simulation. 4. accessibilitySummary This provides a human-readable summary of the publication’s accessibility characteristics. 5. accessModeSufficient T...

  Publishing content across journals, books, EPUBs, HTML, and digital platforms can become complicated when every format requires a separate production workflow. XML-first publishing offers a more structured approach. In simple terms, an XML-first workflow treats structured XML as the central source from which multiple digital publishing formats can be created. Instead of designing each output independently, publishers can structure content once and reuse it across formats such as: HTML EPUB3 PDF Online journal platforms JATS XML Digital archives and repositories Why Does XML-First Publishing Matter? Traditional publishing workflows often depend heavily on Word, PDF, or layout files. While these formats work well for certain production stages, they are not always ideal as the central source for multi-format digital publishing. With an XML-first publishing workflow , content can be structured semantically. Headings, paragraphs, references, tables, figures, equations, metadata, and...