Extreme documentation is an agile methodology for developing documentation in small to medium-sized teams in the face of vague or rapidly changing requirements.
#28553
A Case of Exhaustive Documentation: Re-centering System-oriented Organizations Around User Need 
Braun Corporation's home-grown documentation processes served the organization well for its first 50 years as it grew from a local to a nationally-competitive producer of mobility and accessibility products. Now poised to become a global leader in its field, this corporation found its efforts hampered by ineffective and outdated documentation practices, which were hurting the company's competitive advantage. This article describes Braun Corporation's curious mixture of global reach and local isolation. By bringing in a technical communicator with expertise in user-centered design, Braun has begun reforming its formerly exhaustive documentation and communication practices. While technical communicators have incorporated a variety of strategies to develop user-centered and task-based documentation, less attention has been placed on changing the cultures of these organizations. The case presented here represents a shift from establishing documentation procedures to critically assessing and reforming existing procedures for the global workplace, describing the shift from ineffective and exhaustive processes to effective processes with defined goals and measurable outcomes. The article concludes with an inventory for determining whether other organizations are over-documenting processes and products, and offers suggestions for creating better documentation procedures.
Salvo, Michael J., Meredith W. Zoetewey and Kate Agena. Technical Communication Online (2007). Articles>Documentation>Management>User Centered Design
#23634
A Case Study in Developing Dynamic Content at Ontario Systems
Charles Cantrell, an Information Engineer, describes Ontario Systems' process for delivering dynamically assembled and populated documentation for Artiva, its 'highly customizable' accounts receivable management application.
Cantrell, Charles. Rockley Bulletin (2004). Articles>Documentation>Content Management
#31028
Case Study: Reaching New Markets Through Clear Documentation
Triangle is a systems integrator in the UK with about 150 employees. It extended the functionality of the InfoGenesis point of sale software onto hand-held terminals. To turn this into a commercial off-the-shelf product, Triangle needed clear documentation for resellers and for staff managers at customer sites. Triangle lacked the expertise needed to produce effective documentation, so it outsourced the documentation development. The new documentation enables Triangle to roll out the software internationally using resellers, and keeps Triangle's support costs to a minimum.
Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2008). Articles>Documentation>Case Studies
#27112
Cataloging Information Aids Help Development
Context-sensitive help systems often need redundant placement of information. This ensures that the information is seen by visitors who enter and move unpredictably through the system. Redundant placements take the form of descriptions, explanations, warnings, and the like that amplify other subjects. In software documentation, for example, some candidate subjects include the purposes of screens and tabs, the effects of selected options and significant functions such as Delete, and reminders of required access permissions and prerequisite steps or conditions. You can save development time and promote consistency by cataloging information so that it can be inserted wherever needed using your authoring software's copy and paste functions.
Barten, Alfred. Boston Broadside (2001). Articles>Documentation>Indexing
#27905
Safety and warning notices form the most important elements of user information wherever safety and [product liability are concerned. A carefully thought out and systematic process is required in developing safety-relevant information, in order to increase the completeness and comprehensibility of product safety. This will also disarm any suspicion of gross negligence in internal documentation in case of missing safety notices and it will ensure traceability.
Schmeling, Roland. tekom (2006). Articles>Documentation>Risk Communication
#30395
CD-ROM: From Print to Prototype 
A panel of industry experts provides an overview of the CD-ROM publishing process--and its business issues--for technical communicators who are responsible for John Gale implementing CD-ROM publishing in their organizations. The panelists will discuss how to gain the benefits of reduced manufacturing warehousing and distribution costs, without degrading documentation quality.
Rosenbaum, Stephanie L., John Gale and Pamela Sansbury. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>CD ROM>Online
#30396
CD-ROM: From Print to Prototype
There are many significant benefits to releasing documentation on CD ROM rather than on hardcopy including cost savings, storage capacity, and the ability to implement search and retrieval functionality. To determine whether or not you should go to CD ROM, it is advisable to survey your users and to get approval from the folks in "corporate." Once you decide to pursue CD ROM, you need to determine the platform requirements and feature set of the search and retrieval software. You will then be able to choose from a variety of products, and ask the selected vendor to produce a prototype for you.
Florsheim, Stewart J. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>CD ROM>Online
#19846
Challenges and Advantages of Modular Documentation
Using a modular process has proven highly effective in developing both on-line and printed documentation. This paper identifies module types and structures, discusses technical, psychological, and management hurdles, and demonstrates how this process can improve consistency and quality. In addition it discusses tools and resources, preliminary planning, preparation of personnel, and (briefly) tracking results.
Greene, Linda L. STC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Documentation>Single Sourcing
#20030
The Challenges of Open-Source Documentation and Training
There are at least two important issues that are closely related to the open-source software support questions we raised in part 1 of this look at open-source practicalities: documenting the software and training people to use it. With a traditional, commercially licensed product, documentation is as simple as obtaining a hard copy, a CD or going online to get all the details needed from the software's developer. Or, if something is missing, using support from the vendor to get questions and issues resolved.
Smith, Tom. Open Enterprise, The (2003). Articles>Documentation>Open Source
#24420
Challenging Old Key Factor Assumptions to Revamp Documentation Strategy
The Information Products (IP) group at Sun Microsystems Computer Company (SMCC) recently revamped thew documentation strategy for computer server products. While creating the new model, we realized that our goal for more streamlined documentation would be more attainable if we did not restrict ourselves. Instead of starting with an old, key factor assumption — that manuals should be written with 'Who is the customer?' in mind — we addressed questions such as 'What tasks are required during installation and maintenance?' and 'Who perform these tasks?' By replacing some old ideas with fresh ones, we developed a new documentation strategy.
Daniels-Ball, Denise. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Case Studies
#14695
Hart discusses ways that technical communicators can simultaneously improve the quality of their documentation, increase the speed with which it is produced, and lessen the costs of producing it.
Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2001). Articles>Documentation>Quality
#28282
Checkliste zur Qualitätssicherung Technischer Dokumentation
Einfache Checkliste zur Beurteilung und Verbesserung der Qualität Technischer Dokumentation, insbes. Technischer Dokumentation für Software (Software-Dokumentation) wie Handbücher, Online-Hilfen sowie interaktiver Demos und Tutorials.
Achtelig, Marc. indoition engineering (2006). (German) Articles>Documentation>Quality>Documentation
#18587
Cherryleaf News and Information
Contains news and information on software and documentation issues, reports on survey into the current trends in technical communication, the future of Help / trends in user assistance, which Help authoring tool to buy, an introduction to single-sourcing, career advice, etc.
#19059
Cherryleaf Survey: Uptake of New Help Trends
During March and April 2003, Cherryleaf carried out an online survey into the current trends in technical communication. One of the questions we asked was: Do the online user assistance documents produced by your organization contain the following advanced capabilities?
Cherryleaf (2003). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#24803
Choices, Challenges, and Constraints: Documentation and Newsletters Over the World Wide Web
Providing timely information to diverse users on different platforms can challenge any document delivery system; however, the World Wide Web provides an effective solution for some applications. While the Web presents some extra problems and challenges that other media do not, the results justify the resources required. This paper describes and evaluates an implementation of Computing and Information Services documentation on the World Wide Web.
Ray, Eric J. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Online
#31973
Choosing a Help Authoring Tool
Discusses in detail why you might want to consider a specific tool for help authoring.
James-Tanny, Char. Helpstuff (2004). Presentations>Documentation>Software>Help
#22119
Choosing and Using Help Topics
This paper describes some common types of help topic and when to use each. Different applications require different mixes of help topics. Choose the topic types that are appropriate for the application you are documenting.
Hollis Weber, Jean. Technical Editors Eyrie (1999). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#14998
Combining Usability Research with Documentation Development for Improved User Support
Describes two case studies where Tec-Ed leveraged usability research and documentation activities to create solutions that met the needs of both our clients and their customers.
Keirnan, Timothy, Lori Anscheutz and Stephanie L. Rosenbaum. Tec-Ed, Inc. (2002). Articles>Documentation>Usability
#22925
Review: Commentary on: "Little Machines: Understanding Users Understanding Interfaces"
Online materials, as Johnson-Eilola points out, too often provide speed but neither learning nor conceptual information. Minimum information is often provided in help systems because there are no resources to provide more. But the result is often a system that, without any conceptual information, provides little more than help that is so obvious that it ceases to be helpful. Even when resources are constrained, help systems should, at a minimum, refer to external sources that can help users with important concepts behind the tasks they are trying to perform.
Haramundanis, Kathy. Journal of Computer Documentation (2002). Articles>Reviews>Documentation
#29535
Communicating Design: Web Design Documentation
An overview of web design methods, including a survey of questions one should ask during the process.
Brown, Dan. SlideShare (2006). Presentations>Web Design>Documentation
#30400
Communicating Rapidly Changing Information
When purchasing complex software products, users frequently receive large quantities of information; however, to use the product efficiently, they need a visually obvious starting point that helps them locate the specific information they need. With maintained With the quantity and diversity of information, customers need to be able to find the information they need without flipping through endless pages. In order to give the users a starting point in all of the printed and ASCII file information. we created a document entitled the Guide to products, users can use the features available with a new release most efficiently if they have an overview of the major changes to the product and to the information about the product. By using visual devices and creating an overview document. for each release, technical communicators can decrease their costs and increase users' productivity.
Bown, Jennifer and Connie M. Bibus. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design
#28381
A weekly podcast for technical writers by a company called DMN Communications.
Davis, Aaron and Scott Nesbitt. DMN Communications. Resources>TC>Documentation>Podcasts
#30401
Compaq QuickFind: The Editorial Process from Print to CD-ROM
COMPAQ QuickFind is a CD-ROM database of COMPAQ product information. Available by subscription, QuickFind offers full-text search-and-retrieval functions and full-color graphics in a 350-megabyte database. QuickFind incorporates hard-copy information into an electronic format. The QuickFind editorial process (converting hard- copy information to searchable files) is the key to creating a valuable, centralized support tool for COMPAQ dealers, customers, and internal personnel.
Tacker, Susan and Susan L. Maloney. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>CD ROM>Online
#29166
Comparative User-Focused Evaluation of User Guides: A Case Study
A comparative evaluation of two user guides,--the document traditionally used by a company and a model document designed on the basis of research results and recommendations,--was carried out using a number of complementary approaches focusing on the user. The quality and suitability of these documents for the target audience were assessed in terms of content, structure, presence of certain organizational devices (such as headings) and pictures included. The results revealed that the model document was more attractive, more efficient, and better adapted to users' needs, thanks to its modular organization (being structured according to "functions"), a large number of pictures, the presence of headings, and rationalization of the vocabulary used.
Ganier, Franck. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2007). Articles>Documentation>Assessment>User Centered Design
#18794
Comparison of HTML Produced by Several Help Authoring Tools (HATs)
Recently, there was a lively discussion on the Help Authoring Tools and Techniques (HATT) mailing list about the relative compactness and efficiency of the HTML code produced by various Help authoring tools. As a result of these discussions, several industry consultants decided to collaborate on a project to compare the HTML, CSS, and CHM files produced by a variety of Help authoring tools.
