Documents form a very important and significant component of government websites. Lebanese Government websites
should therefore provide access to documents in appropriate file formats that are based on open standards and do not impose an unnecessary burden of downloading or acquiring specific software on the intended audience.
Generally, when choosing file formats departments
should consider the following:
- Intended use of the material,
- frequency of use,
- Accessibility of the format and
- Level of effort and time required for inter format conversion.
Downloadable Documents
Accessibility and
usability of information in the form of documents on government websites are as important as that of the entire website.
- Self-explanatory title of the document/file must be provided.
- In case documents are published in a format other than HTML, a link to download any required document readers free of charge (e.g. Adobe PDF reader) must be provided.
- Information including file size and format of downloadable files must be accessible to the user before download.
- Information including file size and format of downloadable files must be accessible to the user before download.
- A text description should be included with the downloadable document including the title, file type, file size, and effective date. This will ensure that visitors have a reasonable understanding of what to expect when they view the document.
- Large or complex documents (generally, more than 10-15 pages) should be organized into sections or chapters and linked together. A link to download the entire document should also be provided, since some readers may have high-speed Internet access and thus prefer to print the entire document for later reading.
- Download and use instructions to install, open or view downloadable files must be provided.
- Total size of the downloadable file should be kept to a minimum to ensure acceptable download times.
- Prior to making downloadable material available for visitors, downloadable files must be checked and cleared of viruses.
Embedded Documents
Third-party solutions
may be used to embed documents inside government websites pages.
Example:
Google Docs, Scribd, Slideshare, etc.
- The security of sensitive or non-public documents must not be compromised, and thus non-public documents must not be made available via third-party services.
- The alternative link to download embedded media, independently from the third-party provider, should be included.