Performance Test Report: Comparative Research of Understanding-Oriented and Operation-Oriented Manuals
http://www.stc.org/confproceed/1996/PDFs/PG0190.PDF

Kawaguchi, Shiro
STC Proceedings
1996

Abstract:

For the dial registration task of a facsimile machine, we prepared an 'understanding-oriented manual' for better understanding of the relationship between purpose and procedure and an 'operation-oriented manual ’’for more accurate descriptions of procedures. We also classified users into 'understanding-oriented users' and 'operationoriented users' by means of instructions and evaluated the relationship between manual types and users through performance tests. We found that understanding-oriented users enhanced their work efficiency more with the understanding-oriented manual than with the operation-oriented manual, while the operation-oriented users did not show any sign of improvement with either manual.