Creating Award-Winning Computer Servicing Documentation  

Creating award-winning computer servicing documentation involves knowing something about customer service engineers, what content to provide, what kinds of art work best in different contexts, and differences in producing hard copy vs. online documentation. If you want to move from writing software or marketing documentation, find a good mentor to help you gain experience with these elements.

Nelson, Dennis T. and Donald C. Phippen. STC Proceedings (1999). Presentations>Documentation

Creating Documentation that Shows  

Advocates using screen shots, text balloons, arrows, and scannable text to create picture-like documentation.

Eaton, Janet M.F. Intercom (2000). Design>Documentation>Technical Illustration>Screen Captures

Creating Dual-Mode Context-Sensitive Help

Want to provide your users with state-of-the art HTML Help but don't want to force them to install Internet Explorer (which is required to run compiled HTML Help files)? In this article we show you how to create context-sensitive Help that displays a topic from a .CHM file if IE is installed on the user's system, and displays the equivalent topic from a .HLP file if IE isn't installed.

ComponentOne (1999). Articles>Documentation>Online>HTML

Creating Easy-To-Use Documentation for Paper, Online and Multimedia  

The term 'easy to use' is typically used in connection with the user interface of software applications. However, the term can also be used to describe documentation, referring to techniques of organization, layout, or design that make information both easy to understand and easy to find. As the technology associated with documentation moves toward online and multimedia documentation, the concept of ease of use becomes even more important and relevant. In this paper, we address some of the differences between paper and online documentation that impact the development of easy-to-use online documentation, and outline some of the high-level, emerging issues to be aware of in the development of multimedia documentation.

Baldasare, John, Marie T, Dumbra and Barbara C. Trevaskis. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Usability

Creating Goal-Oriented, Task-Based Navigation for Information with the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)  

By organizing information around the goals that users are trying to accomplish, you can provide task-based information that truly addresses user needs. This article walks through the steps for creating more useful information navigation by implementing information development best practices with examples in the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA).

Swope, Amber and Michael Priestley. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Documentation>XML>DITA

Creating Help in the Web 2.0 Age

This is a presentation titled 'Creating Help in the Web 2.0 Age' that Neil Perlin gave to the Suncoast Chapter in Tampa, Florida in February 2007. Neil talks about what Web 2.0 is, and how help can be delivered on the fly according to specific user requests.

Perlin, Neil E. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Podcasts

Creating Modular HTML Help Systems  

It is possible to create good, efficient, easy-to-maintain HTML Help systems - and it really isn't that difficult. The bad news is that if you're not sure exactly what settings need to be made, you will find creating modular HTML Help systems very frustrating. Read this article and avoid being frustrated.

ComponentOne (1999). Articles>Documentation>Online>HTML

Creating Multimedia Hardware Procedures with ShowMe How  

Learning the correct steps to install or remove a computer component, such as a memory module, can involve, at best, hands-on instruction or, at worst, only written instructions. To increase the likelihood that customers and service personnel will be able to perform correctly the hardware service procedure for each fieldreplaceable component, Sun MicrosystemsTM now ships high-quality multimedia of removal and replacement procedures, called ShowMeTM How, on CD with each UltraTM Workstation and Enterprise Workgroup Server.

Barron, Rick, Steve Hix, Paul Lorence and Jenny R. Redfern. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Documentation>Software

Creating Multiplatform Information Sets  

The proliferation of open systems and software that runs on multiple platforms is a challenge to those of us who are responsible for documenting these systems. This paper attempts to address the issues that arise when trying to create multiplatform information sets. Writing multiplatform documentation is a challenge not only for those responsible for documentation, but for those responsible for creating the software. You are starting with many pieces of a puzzle that you need to sort through and put together to create a usable information set.

Flanagan, Ruth-Ellen. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Online

Creating Online Help from FrameMaker Files Using WebWorks Publisher  

WebWorks Publisher from Quadralay lets you develop online help from FrameMaker files without dealing with the inefficiencies associated with help authoring tools (HATs). No longer do you have to convert the FrameMaker files to RTF for use in a HAT—and consequently lose all the formatting, which you must rebuild. You also do not have to maintain two sets of files.

O'Keefe, Sarah S. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Documentation>Online>Adobe FrameMaker

Creating Online Help in a Multiplatform Environment  

With the explosion of online help authoring tools (primarily in the Windows® environment) companies are clamoring for the ability to produce online help on multiple platforms. This demonstration presents one solution to the problem of creating online help in a multiplatform environment. We will demonstrate the process of translating FrameMaker™ files from the Macintosh® to Windows NT®, and ultimately, to UNIX®.

Shelton, Jan D., Anne Navarro and Robbie Fontenot. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Adobe FrameMaker

Creating Online Tutorials and Demos  

An online tutorial or demo is a powerful way to pique interest and get users started on a new software program. Join a workshop that covers the how-to’s of creating your first project. (1) Make a plan. (2) Analyze audience needs and technical issues. (3) Form a team. (4) Write the script. (5) Design the interface. (6) Build it. (7) Test it.

Beren, Wendy G. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Multimedia>Documentation>Online

Creating Professional Documentation with Linux Tools

While Linux lacks standard Windows tools such as FrameMaker, RoboHelp, and WebWorks Publisher, it's still a viable environment for technical writers. Linux users can take advantage of a number of documentation tools, including both free or open source software (FOSS) and proprietary software. All of them give technical writers the ability to author and publish professional documentation.

Nesbitt, Scott. Linux.com (2006). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Linux

Creating the Vision: Developing Graphic Strategies  

Making documentation more visual is a two phase process. First comes the brainstorming, where ideas bubble up: the weird the funny, the wonderful, the breakthrough, the lame brain — no idea discriminated against, all equally enjoying the bright, spring air of the creative process. Once You begin to brainstorm you may find putting concepts into graphics is easier than you thought. Then comes the second phase: the hard realization that even if you throw out all the crazy ideas, you still have to pick and choose. You have to develop a strategy for graphic use, one that goes beyond the basic visual unity a good graphic designer can give a document. You have to see the graphics in light of the user's need.

Malone, Jacquelyn. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Visual Rhetoric

Creating User-Friendly Documentation

We often hear that users do not read documents. To lure readers into reading our documents, we must make documents user-friendly.

Bhatia, Neeraj. Indus (2002). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design>Technical Writing

Using DocBook to Generate WebHelp

A brief tutorial on creating cross-platform WebHelp (similar to that produced by RoboHelp) using DocBook.

Nesbitt, Scott. DMN Communications (2004). Articles>Documentation>Help>DocBook

A Critical Assessment of the Minimalist Approach to Documentation  

Carroll's (1991) minimal manual has been considered an important advance in teaching first-time users the basics of computer programs. Unfortunately, it is not very clear what minimalism really means. Practitioners, for example, will find it difficult to create their own minimal manual because the principles of minimalism have not been described in enough detail (see Horn, 1992; Tripp, 1990). It is also not yet settled that a minimalist approach is the most effective one because critical experiments have hardly been conducted. This study therefore closely examines the minimalist principles and claims. This paper describes the basic ideas of minimalism, its design principles and how they can be operationalized. A parallel is drawn between a minimalist and constructivist perspective on learning and instruction. Like minimalism, constructivism places a high value on experience-based learning in context-rich environments. Like minimalism, it stresses the need to capitalize on the learner's prior knowledge as much as possible. And like minimalism, constructivists urge learners to follow their own plans and goals, to make inferences, and to abstract principles from what they experience (see Duffy & Jonassen, 1991, 1992). An experiment is reported that examines the claims of minimalism. Strong and significant gains on several factors were found, all favoring the minimal manual over a control (conventional) manual. The discussion points to several issues that minimalism has yet to address.

van der Meij, Hans. ACM SIGDOC (1998). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Minimalism

Critical Elements in the Design of Help and Hypertext Systems  

The demand for help and hypertext systems has created a problem for many documentation departments, particularly those in smaller companies and inexperienced in creating these forms of online documentation. The scarcity of existing literature compounds this problem. This document provides writers in small companies with limited resources some suggestions to facilitate hypertext project management, planning, design, editing, and usability testing. Also discussed is how to select a hypertext package.

Wasserman, David C. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Hypertext>Help

The Critical Role of Local Support

Adapting new equipment to your complete array of jobs, and leveraging your new investment to help your business grow and become more competitive, is part of an ongoing process that is much more important that the initial implementation. It's a process that requires an on-going partnership and several levels of support from your technology vendor-- beginning with basic maintenance and repair and optimally evolving to a true interactive partnership.

Raus, Bob. On Demand Journal (2004). Articles>Documentation>Help

Cross-Cultural Transformation of Technical Documentation for the Chinese Market

Technical authors can compile technical documentation of high quality for a foreign market only if they are able to respect and understand the foreign culture.

Just, Stefan. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>Documentation>Localization

Cross-Referencing Step Numbers in Word

If you are like most technical writers, your procedures have automatically numbered steps (whether in tables or text), Microsoft Word provides two relatively simple ways for you to cross-reference a step number.

McConnell, Gloria. Usability Interface (2004). Articles>Documentation>Software>Microsoft Word

Cultural Influences on Technical Manuals    

Budget and time constraints often force technical communicators to produce manuals that are less than effective. One reason is the time they take to analyze their document's users. Normally, user analysis involves demographic, or organizational, or psychological approaches or combinations. Rarely will they evaluate the culture of the user and determine what that means for developing the document. Typically, localization will edit the document for cultural elements, but that is an expensive and time-consuming process. This article discusses the cultural elements in developing a document and shows, through a comparison of two mythical cultures, how the document will differ when organized for those two cultures.

Warren, Thomas L. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2002). Articles>Documentation>Cultural Theory

Current Trends in Technical Communications

Many technical writers are developing usability skills and leveraging them to help improve the product interface. Help is being delivered within the interface itself. Drop-down lists of topics related to an interface component, hint text below a GUI field, and other such embedded user assistance models allow users to get help without leaving the application interface.

Haiss, Craig. HelpScribe (2008). Articles>Documentation>TC