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Re: H1 to H4 titles sub titles....

for

From: Ted
Date: May 2, 2011 2:54PM

I couldn't agree more with Steve's point of "unless there is a good reason
not to." (The only way in which I would disagree is that I would say use
"hierarchical" rather than "correct" nesting unless there is a good reason
not to. )

Often well-structured web pages will have headings that don't jump levels.
But it's a giant leap from there to saying that they *must*, and that it's
an accessibility problem if they don't. On the contrary, sometimes it makes
editorial sense to jump from one level to another, and not doing so can
actually decrease comprehension rather than aid it.

This is particularly the case in PDFs where, for example, if the "no jumping
rule" is followed, information in a side bar may be given a weighting above
or below that which, editorially, it warrants.

Or take a document such as BS8878 which has explanatory notes throughout.
The notes all have the same relative importance within the document
(editorially), but some just happen to be physically located immediately
after <h2>s, some after <h3>s and some after <h4>s. There's nothing wrong
with the way the document is structured - it make perfect sense just as it
is. But it would be editorial nonsense to give all the notes different
levels of headings just because of their physical position on the page.

The heading level should describe and give meaning to the content rather
than be forced to follow some arbitrary rule that 2 must follow 1 etc.

Ted Page
Director, PWS Ltd