Captions

A caption is text that accompanies a figure, table, or other non-text resource within a work such as an open textbook. Each resource type should be identified with a label. A common practice is to use “Table” for tables, and “Figure” for all images and pictures. That label is combined with a numbering system that incorporates the chapter number the item is found in, and the item’s place in that chapter in relation to other items with the same label. For example, if a photograph is the third of four figures in Chapter 5, it would be labelled as “Figure 5.3.” This resource type and number appears in the caption and is used to identify the attribution statement.

Note that the sequence number of a resource label is resource specific. For example, if an item is marked as “Table 6.2,” this means it’s the second table in Chapter 6, not the second non-text resource. As such, you can have a Table 6.2 and a Figure 6.2 in the same chapter.

The content of a caption is written by the author to convey the significance of the resource and its relationship to text. Referencing the resource in the text body contributes to this connection. Captions should be included for all non-text resources. It is up to the author to determine if attributions will be included in the caption or if all attributions will be listed in an “Attributions” section in the chapter.

See below for caption examples for the most commonly used resources in an open textbook. Refer to your style guide or make a decision about how you want to style the captions in your textbook and include these details on your book’s style sheet.

Figure Captions

Format items to note in this example:

• The resource label (Figure 4.3) indicates that this is the third image in Chapter 4.
• No punctuation (period, comma, or colon) is inserted between the resource label (Figure 4.3) and description (The green discus fish shown in its natural environment).
• A period is placed at the end of the description even though it is an incomplete sentence.

Table Captions

Format items to note in this example:

• The resource label (Table 2.3) indicates that this is the third table in Chapter 2.
• A colon and one space are used to separate the resource label (Table 2.3) from the description (Hotel revenue in British Columbia).
• No period is placed at the end of the description.
• The caption uses sentence case to determine capitalization.
• The data used in this table is cited using the label “Data source:” followed by an in-text citation (Johnson, 2013).

Graph and Chart Captions

Because graphs, charts, and other data-rich resources where the data is cited are often added images, you can choose to label them as “Figures” or as “Charts” or “Graphs.” For example, in the below graph found in Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Canadian Edition, the author has chosen to label it as a figure.