Is a Documentation Wiki in your Future?

If we can solicit user participation in a Web 2.0 knowledge community (a volunter wiki documentation, for example), we might have a powerful means for creating high quality content. But how should this process work?

Hackos, JoAnn T. Center for Information-Development Management (2007). Articles>Documentation>Content Management>Wikis

Is DITA Going to Tip?

We seem to be heading in the right direction. The danger is that we keep talking to one another rather than evangelizing to a broader community.

Hackos, JoAnn T. Center for Information-Development Management (2005). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DITA

Is Your Website Poised to Deal With Its Growth?  

Every webmaster nourishes the dream that his or her website will make it the big way. This is very much human because people carry out any task in ardent hope. What is more human out here is that earthy fellows like us base our aspirations more on speculation rather than specific set of steps undertaken to bring the dream a bit closer to reality. And this is not all, particularly in case of growth of a site which brings newer problems in the wake of its growth. It cannot be disputed that you can probably get some good web hosting on economy price. But if you expect top of the line service on this price, acknowedge gracefully that your are just asking for the moon. Probably you are not catching up with wisdom that business needs decisive investments.

Azam, Rahbre. Amateur Writerz (2008). Articles>Documentation>Web Design>Technical Writing

The Issue of Quality in Professional Documentation: How Can Academia Make More of a Difference?      

This article recommends strategies academics can use to contribute to an issue of great interest in industry: how best to define, measure, and achieve quality documentation.  These strategies include contextualizing quality definitions, advocating the use of multiple quality measures, conducting research to identify specific heuristics for defining and measuring quality in particular workplace contexts, and partnering with industry to educate upper management about those heuristics and the benefits of promoting technical communicators to the strategic role of organizational “gatekeepers of quality.”

Spilka, Rachel. Technical Communication Quarterly (2000). Articles>Documentation>Collaboration>Technical Writing

Issues in Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Help System  

The design team for a major new product approached our publications group about ideas on developing an online manual and/or online help. Together, we developed a task-oriented, easy-to-use online help system, and continue to work together to evaluate it. Where do we best put the buttons that access the help for various subsystems?

Evans, Jeanette P. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

It's In the Numbers: Using Metrics to Plan Documentation Projects

It's in the numbers. Creating documentation is not an exact science, yet as communication leaders, we are expected to provide real estimates for how much time we need to document a project, or what we can produce given a predetermined timeline.

Yundt, Margie and Sherry McMenemy. Writing Assistance (2006). Articles>Project Management>Documentation>Assessment

It's Not Enough to Say What it Does

All too often, developers think that documenting their new creations just means writing a detailed technical description of what it does. In a sense, they're explaining things to themselves. But what you really need to do is explain things to someone who's coming across your stuff for the first time.

McManus, Eamonn. Artima (2004). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design

It's Raining Code! (Hallelujah?)

As open-source development options proliferate, CIOs are finding ways to make it work for their organizations.

Lindquist, Christopher. CIO Magazine (2005). Articles>Documentation>Open Source

Java Software Product Documentation

This is a collaboration about the issues involved in creating documentation for Java software products. It began as correspondence between Bill Albing and Matthew Arnold Stern and includes a bit from Rick Sapir, too.

Stern, Matthew Arnold, Bill Albing and Rick Sapir. KeyContent.org (2005). Articles>Documentation

John Daigle on RoboHelp 7

Daigle, an Adobe community expert for RoboHelp, shares his reaction to the RoboHelp 7 sneak peak, and also explains the main features RoboHelp 7 will have: drag-and-drop functionality across the topics, double-byte language support for translation, the ability to have multiple topics open at the same time, snippets with graphics, removal of kadov tags, automatic breadcrumbs, and tighter integration with other Adobe products. Daigle speculates on reasons for Adobe's lack of transparency, and comments on the globalization of Adobe's development for RoboHelp.

Daigle, John and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Documentation>Software>Adobe RoboHelp

Juggling or Struggling: The Art of Managing Online and Hardcopy Documentation  

While company budgets are increasing little or none, the responsibilities of technical writers continue to multiply as they are expected to produce online help as well as hard-copy documentation in short time periods. This demonstration explains how technical writers at Computer Power, Inc. produce usable online and hard-copy documentation from one source file. Participants will learn how to plan the file, create appropriate graphics, and use macros to convert text and other information for use in online help.

Bates, Michael P. and Catherine Cooper. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Project Management

Jump into Digital Video for Multimedia   

Digital video (DV) is relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and has an expanding role in technical communication. It is a powerful media for communication and can be included in favorite online formats such as WinHelp, HTML help, Acrobat (PDF), and web pages, as well as training presentations produced with tools such as Asymmetrix Toolbook and Macromedia Authorware. Delivery of DV spans a range of electronic media including CD, DVD, and the Internet. New technology offers the potential to synchronize the presentation of video, audio, and other multimedia forms. This paper introduces DV concepts. It gives practical tips for investing in DV equipment and producing video and audio.

Robbins, David B., Kathleen Wyrwas and Alice Davinich. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Documentation>Multimedia>Video

Jump Right In: A Checklist For Planning an Online Documentation Project  

The initial development of an online documentation system can be overwhelming. Before starting development, though, you should address some or all of the issues documented here: assessment of “as-is” documentation (if it exists), audience requirements and skills, assessment of best delivery method for your information / audience needs, tool selection, development methodology, content organization, look and feel of online documentation, and your development team’s skills. This checklist is a subset of a presentation that covers a proven methodology for developing a hypertext reference system. You can use this checklist as a starting point for your first project.

Blake, Jodi K., Paul D. Hasenwinkel, Charles Christopher Sanchez, and Rachael Snyder. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Online

Just Kick It: Six Things You Can Do to Make Your Computer Run Faster

Are you frustrated by a computer that slows your productivity? Do you ever get the urge to kick it or throw it out the window? Before you hurt your toe or strain your back, there are a few simple things you can try to tune-up your computer and make it run faster.

Schurtz, Renee. Usability Interface (2005). Articles>Documentation>Technology

Just the FAQs  

Offers advice on creating effective FAQ documents.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2004). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>FAQ

Keeping Pace with Change

Documentation isn't the most fun part of design and IA, but does it have to be the most painful? Samantha Bailey looks at a tool that may help.

Bailey, Samantha. Boxes and Arrows. Articles>Documentation>Information Design

The Key for Effective Documentation: Answer the User's Real Question

To successfully communicate to users, documentation must do more than meet the user’s information needs, it must present the information in the same way the user processes the information. The design of software and it accompanying documentation must be reconceived so that the design is done from the problem-solver’s point of view.

Albers, Michael J. Usability Interface (2005). Articles>Documentation>Usability

Key Issues in Conducting and Writing Integrated Assessments  

Integrated assessments of environmental concerns consider the economic and social effects of a change as well as the environmental effects. Topics that should be addressed in such an assessment and the weight given 10 each are thorny problems for the assesment team and writer to deal with. The results of a workshop of experts in public policy, utility management, regulation, political science, government, technical communication and environmental science identified and characterized the key issues in shping and defining this new genre of environmental writing.

O'Hara, Frederick M., Jr. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Environmental>Assessment

Key Roles In Developing Successful Online Help  

There are many roles involved in developing a successful online help project. Understanding the relationship between these roles can increase everyone's awareness of the requirements and tasks necessary for a successful project. In many projects, individuals fill more than one role, moving between roles as needed.

Hall, Rebecca C. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

The Keys to Clarity, Consistency, and Correctness

How can you make documentation more clear, consistent, and correct for your users? Following are some guidelines I find effective when documenting concepts and organizing documents.

Hassell-Corbiell, Rives. Indus (2002). Articles>Documentation>Writing>Technical Writing

The Kind of Documentation Users Really Want

Have you ever asked your users what kind of training materials they want, or how they prefer to learn software? This kind of information is critical to figuring out what help deliverables to produce. But really when it comes down to it, there are only so many options — printed manuals, short guides, interactive flash guides, videos, online help, live training, reference cards, context-sensitive help, workbooks and exercises, or, usually the favorite, someone to stand by their computer and answer questions whenever they need help.

Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Documentation>Usability>User Centered Design

KISMIF: Editing Your Own Manuals for Increased Usability  

Writers who must edit their own manuals for ease of use can adopt three basic principles for doing so. The first principle, 'give the user a map,' helps users find information in an unfamiliar manual. The second, 'start from the user's viewpoint, ' presents information in the order the user needs it. The third principle, 'keep it simple,' puts complex data in simpler terms and formats.

Femia, Jean W. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Usability

KnowledgeWare's Online Odessey: How We Moved Our Printed Documentation to the Screen  

Knowledge Ware successfully transferred existing paper-based documentation to an online format for the latest release of its Application Development Workbench(R) (ADW(R)) software. The online documentation solution, which runs under IBM's OS/2 operating system, was created using a series of macros developed in Microsoft Word 5.0. Using this strategy enabled Knowledge Ware to develop quickly an online system that met customer needs for information support. The system also enabled their technical writers to create both paper-based and online documentation using the same set of word-processed files.

Boland, Jennifer Ann. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Online

Language Quality-Assurance Software    

Explores the benefits of using Language QA Software to optimize documentation for organizations and companies.

Kohl, John R. Intercom (2008). Articles>Documentation>Software>Language

The Last Manual You'll Ever Need!

This UUGOM (Universal User Guide and Operation Manual) should help you get the most out of this product, any other PC World product, or any other product you may encounter.

Manes, Stephen. PC World (2004). Articles>Documentation