Technical Support: (Yet Another) Holy Grail

His own vendor conspiracy theories aside, Lou Rosenfeld knows of three main reason why technical "support" is often not support at all.

Rosenfeld, Louis. CIO Magazine (2000). Articles>User Experience>Help

Including Recommendations in User Interfaces to Enhance Motivation

Motivation is an important factor in any kind of online interaction or transaction. People need a little encouragement when they’re not really convinced they should take any action or are uncertain about what action to take next. As users perform tasks online, they need to understand what’s happening and expect you to help them move forward. This article discusses the responsibility of a user interface to provide recommendations along a user’s path of interaction.

Kirmani, Afshan. UXmatters (2009). Articles>User Interface>Help>User Experience

Three Decades of Research and Professional Practice on Printed Software Tutorials for Novices    

Provides a historic overview of research on printed software tutorials. Describes developments in design approaches, refinements in design, and user experience.

van der Meij, Hans, Joyce Karreman and Michaël Steehouder. Technical Communication Online (2009). Articles>Documentation>Help>User Experience