Alt Text Guidelines

Alt Text (short for “alternative text”) is a brief description that communicates the essential meaning of an image to individuals who cannot see it, helping make journal content more accessible to those using screen readers or other assistive technologies. 

According to Geomorphica new standards for digital accessibility in collaboration with Penn State University Libraries to comply with the Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), authors are required to provide Alt Text for all visual items (figures, tables and equations) during the final production stage (once a manuscript is accepted).

When submitting the Alt Text, please prepare a single MS Word, PDF, or text document containing Alt Text for every visual item associated with the accepted article — including figures, tables, equations, graphic abstract, and any supplementary figures or tables — and upload it to the Geomorphica discussion panel along with your final files. 

When writing Alt Text, aim for clarity and brevity by focusing on the main message of each visual element rather than listing every detail.

  • Avoid repeating information that is in your figure caption. 
  • Aim for 1–2 full sentences (approx. 300 characters per Alt Text). If your Alt Text is longer than this, it probably means your figure or table caption needs to be more descriptive. 
  • Focus on the big picture, describing the main context of the figure or table, rather than details of individual elements. Focus on the core idea: “What should a reader understand if they can’t see the image?”
  • Avoid introductory phrases like “Figure showing…” since the screen reader will already indicate that it is an image.
  • Read your final alt text out loud to get a sense of how it will sound when spoken by a screen reader.

Unlike a figure caption, which might include technical details or references to subpanels, Alt Text should focus on the main takeaway of the figure. It is not about describing every visual element, but about summarizing the purpose or insight the figure offers. For more guidance, please refer to the Penn State University Libraries Alt Text Guidelines for Authors. Below are examples of figure Alt Text from our editorials in Geomorphica Vol.1 No.1:




Example 1
Illustration of barriers in academic publishing with Geomorphica providing a diamond open access path between authors and readers, bypassing subscription walls, pay-to-publish models, and illegal access routes. 

 

Figure caption: Geomorphica, a diamond open access journal, removing barriers in the publishing landscape. 

Alt text: Illustration of barriers in academic publishing with Geomorphica providing a diamond open access path between authors and readers, bypassing subscription walls, pay-to-publish models, and illegal access routes.

 

 

Example 2
Flowchart of Geomorphica's triple-anonymous peer review process, from submission to decision, involving managing editor, editors, two anonymous associate editors (AE1, AE2), and reviewers, with checks for quality, suitability, and anonymity.

 Figure caption: Geomorphica’s triple-anonymous review process. AE are associate editors and EiC is the Editor-in-Chief. 

Alt text: Flowchart of Geomorphica's triple-anonymous peer review process, from submission to decision, involving managing editor, editors, two anonymous associate editors (AE1, AE2), and reviewers, with checks for quality, suitability, and anonymity. 

 

 

Example 3

Organizational chart for Geomorphica's steering committee, including Alice Lefebvre (Editor-in-Chief), Roberto Fernández (EDI), Melanie Stammler (Communications), Matthieu Glaime (Ethics), Larry Syu-Heng Lai (Manuscript Management and Tech). 

Figure caption: Geomorphica’s team structure and active steering committee members as of April 2025. 

Alt text: Organizational chart for Geomorphica's steering committee, including Alice Lefebvre (Editor-in-Chief), Roberto Fernández (EDI), Melanie Stammler (Communications), Matthieu Glaime (Ethics), Larry Syu-Heng Lai (Manuscript Management and Tech). 

 

 

Example 4
Four pie charts displaying demographics: (a) Continent of origin—largest group Europe (37%); (b) Gender—majority men (64%); (c) Continent of employment—Europe (34%) and North America (30%) lead; (d) Career stage—67% early career researchers. 

 

Figure caption: Geomorphica’s volunteers by (a) continent of origin, (b) gender, (c) continent of employment, and (d) career stage (self-identification of 33 volunteers in January 2025). 

Alt text: Four pie charts displaying demographics: (a) Continent of origin—largest group Europe (37%); (b) Gender—majority men (64%); (c) Continent of employment—Europe (34%) and North America (30%) lead; (d) Career stage—67% early career researchers. 

 

 

Example 5

                                                       (1)

Alt text: Equation 1 is a simplified form of the continuity equation which allows to calculate the river discharge as the product of the stream's cross-sectional area and its mean velocity.