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Use inclusive terminology for "Annotations Use Cases and Requirements" #2799

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d633901
Use inclusive terminology
gautierchomel Sep 22, 2025
74f0e91
Change to plural verbs with singular "they"
gautierchomel Sep 23, 2025
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85 changes: 42 additions & 43 deletions wg-notes/annotations-ucr/index.html
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Expand Up @@ -52,18 +52,18 @@ <h2>Annotating</h2>
<section>
<h3>Annotating a textual section</h3>
<p>
A user decides to annotate a textual section of an EPUB. She
selects the section, triggers the annotation affordance,
optionally enters a note, selects a highlight mode and
color. She then saves the annotation. The selected section
A user decides to annotate a textual section of an EPUB.
They select the section, trigger the annotation affordance,
optionally enter a note, select a highlight mode and
color. They then save the annotation. The selected section
appears on the page with the chosen highlight.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Annotating an image</h3>
<p>
A user annotates an image included in an EPUB. He selects
the image and triggers the annotation affordance. The
A user annotates an image included in an EPUB. They select
the image and trigger the annotation affordance. The
annotation feature is then identical to the one associated
with a textual selection.
</p>
Expand All @@ -73,18 +73,18 @@ <h3>Annotating parts of an image</h3>
<p>
A user consults an EPUB publication that includes detailed
diagrams (e.g., in SVG) and images (e.g., in JPG or PNG)
visualizing a research data set. She analyses the data by
visualizing a research data set. They analyse the data by
annotating <em>parts</em> of the diagrams and/or images by
selecting rectangular areas of the data visualization and
shares these annotations with her colleagues.
share these annotations with their colleagues.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Annotating parts of an audio clip</h3>
<p>
A user consults an EPUB publication that includes an audio clip
(e.g., in mp3 format). Thanks to the audio player offering the proper API,
he selects a time segment in the audio clip.
they select a time segment in the audio clip.
The annotation feature is then identical to the one associated
with a textual selection.
</p>
Expand All @@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ <h3>Bookmarking</h3>
<h3>Keeping track of the Last Reading Position</h3>
<p>
A user stops reading and closes the EPUB.
He exports the EPUB with his annotations, bookmarks,
They export the EPUB with their annotations, bookmarks,
and last reading position.
He then imports the EPUB into another reading system that supports this specification.
They then import the EPUB into another reading system that supports this specification.
The reading system opens the EPUB at the last reading position,
allowing him to continue reading from where he left off.
allowing them to continue reading from where they left off.
</p>
</section>
</section>
Expand All @@ -123,45 +123,45 @@ <h2>Creating notes</h2>
<h3>Creating and formatting textual notes</h3>
<p>
A user adds an annotation to an EPUB after selecting an audio segment in an audio clip.
He adds a textual note with rich text formatting:
emphasize, italic, underline, subtitles.
They add a textual note with rich text formatting:
emphasize, italic, underline, and subtitles.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Creating audio notes</h3>
<p>
A user adds an annotation to an EPUB after selecting an image.
She adds an audio note by recording her voice; the audio clip is attached
They add an audio note by recording their voice; the audio clip is attached
to the annotation.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Creating image notes</h3>
<p>
A user adds an annotation to an EPUB after highlighting some text.
She adds an image note by drawing a sketch on her screen with her digital pen and attaching it
They add an image note by drawing a sketch on their screen with their digital pen and attaching it
to the annotation.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Annotation color and highlight type</h3>
<p>
A user adds an annotation to an EPUB after highlighting some text.
He selects a color for the highlight and a type (e.g. solid background,underline, strikethrough, outline).
They select a color for the highlight and a type (e.g. solid background,underline, strikethrough, outline).
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Annotation keywords</h3>
<p>
A user adds an annotation to an EPUB.
He enters one or more keywords that will help categorizing the annotation.
They enter one or more keywords that will help categorizing the annotation.
</p>
</section>
</section>
<section>
<h2>Creating threads of annotations</h2>
<p>
A user responds to an annotation by creating an new annotation that points
A user responds to an annotation by creating a new annotation that points
to the first one, creating a thread of annotations.
</p>
</section>
Expand All @@ -170,8 +170,8 @@ <h2>Exporting &amp; importing annotations and bookmarks</h2>
<section>
<h3>Publishing a book with annotations</h3>
<p>
A famous author annotates a book she has just written, and deals
with her publisher a specific edition of the EPUB version of the
A famous author annotates a book they have just written, and deals
with their publisher a specific edition of the EPUB version of the
book which includes these annotations. Readers buy this highly
marketed edition, open it with a reading system that supports
this specification, and benefit from the author's notes.
Expand All @@ -180,35 +180,34 @@ <h3>Publishing a book with annotations</h3>
<section>
<h3>Exporting a book with annotations</h3>
<p>
A user exports from a reading system an EPUB he has previously
annotated. He decides to save his annotations and bookmarks in
the EPUB package. If he imports the ebook into another reading
A user exports from a reading system an EPUB they have previously
annotated. They decide to save their annotations and bookmarks in
the EPUB package. If they import the ebook into another reading
system that supports this specification, annotations and
bookmarks automatically appear.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Annotations used in the publishing workflow</h3>
<p>
A copy-editor verifies an EPUB before publication. She opens the
A copy-editor verifies an EPUB before publication. They open the
EPUB in a reading system that supports this specification,
annotates text containing typos and images with missing
descriptions. She exports his set of annotations on a destination
folder with a specific file name, and provides the file to the
annotate text containing typos and images with missing
descriptions. They export their set of annotations to a destination
folder with a specific file name and provide the file to the
EPUB creator. The EPUB creator associates the annotation set
with the EPUB file in an editing tool that supports this
specification, goes through the annotations, and corrects the
EPUB.
specification, reviews the annotations, and corrects the EPUB accordingly.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Annotation used in the classroom</h3>
<p>
A teacher reads an ebook and prepares some annotations. He adds
A teacher reads an ebook and prepares some annotations. They add
a keyword to each annotation so that students can group them
easily; examples of keywords include “clarification”,
“question”. He exports an annotation
file and shares this file with his students. His name (or
“question”. They export an annotation
file and share this file with their students. Their name (or
nickname) is attached to each annotation. The students import
the same ebook and the teacher's annotation file into their
reading system. Annotations prepared by the teacher appear
Expand All @@ -222,29 +221,29 @@ <h3>Annotation used in the classroom</h3>
<h2>Generating citations</h2>
<p>
A student had temporary access to an EPUB via an academic subscription bundle.
He annotated the ebook while he had access to it and exported his set of annotations.
He no longer has access to the ebook.
They annotated the ebook while they had access to it and exported their set of annotations.
They no longer have access to the ebook.

These annotations are nevertheless useful to him, as they include ebook metadata (title, author, year of publication), and each annotation is associated with an indication of the progression in the publication (print pagination if present, % of progression in the publication, timestamp in the case of an audiobook), and contextual information like the chapter or section in which the annotation was created.
He can generate citations in a standardized format, like APA or MLA, to include in his report. He can then use these annotations in a word processor, or in a note-taking application, to prepare a report or an essay.
These annotations are nevertheless useful to them, as they include ebook metadata (title, author, year of publication), and each annotation is associated with an indication of the progression in the publication (print pagination if present, % of progression in the publication, timestamp in the case of an audiobook), and contextual information like the chapter or section in which the annotation was created.
They can generate citations in a standardized format, like APA or MLA, to include in their report. They can then use these annotations in a word processor, or in a note-taking application, to prepare a report or an essay.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h2>Synchronizing annotations and bookmarks</h2>
<section>
<h3>Synchronizing annotation among devices</h3>
<p>
A user annotates an EPUB. She synchronizes her annotations and
bookmarks with her other personal devices via a standardized
A user annotates an EPUB. They synchronize their annotations and
bookmarks with their other personal devices via a standardized
Cloud mechanism supported by each of these systems.
</p>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Sharing annotations among readers</h3>
<p>
Participants to a book club read the same EPUB ebook during a
Participants in a book club read the same EPUB ebook during a
period of time, in a reading system that supports this
specification. Each participant adds notes to the book, and
specification. Each participant adds notes to the ebook, and
these annotations are shared via a standardized Cloud mechanism
supported by their reading system. The name of each participant
appears, so that each participant can see who made which
Expand All @@ -256,15 +255,15 @@ <h3>Sharing annotations among readers</h3>
<h2>Surviving EPUB versioning</h2>
<p>
A user has annotated a textual section of an EPUB and closed the
ebook. Today, he loads a new version of the EPUB in his reading
ebook. Today, they load a new version of the EPUB in their reading
system. The spine item in which the annotations were created has
been modified, and some words have been added to the leaf HTML
element in which an annotation was created, before the start of
the annotation and in the annotated text itself. Still, the user
gets the annotation at the proper location.
</p>
<p>
The same user loads a new edition of the EPUB in his reading
The same user loads a new edition of the EPUB in their reading
system. A new resource - a foreword - has been added to the
spine, and the page list has been modified. Still, the user gets
the annotation at the proper location.
Expand Down