#30510
Information Metrics: Keeping Your Writing Projects On Track 
Keeping information metrics for documentation projects gives managers the ability to more accurately estimate future projects. Publications departments can develop their own tools or they can use existing tools to track such things as page size, hours-per-page spent writing, illustrating, editing, and producing manuals; and the dependencies of each manual. This kind of information can help to determine development schedules, show how late changes affect the documentation process, and accurately determine what it will take to complete quality documentation on time and within budget.
Gordon, Judy L. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Project Management>Methods
#30638
Creating a product that has a logical information structure is critical to the success of the product. A good structure helps users find information and accomplish their tasks with ease. Card sorting is one method that can help us understand how users think the information and navigation should be within a product.
Dick, David J. Usability Interface (2007). Articles>User Centered Design>Methods>Card Sorting
#31267
This site is designed to provide information about instructional design principles and how they relate to teaching and learning. Instructional design, also know as instructional systems design, is the is the analysis of learning needs and systematic development of instruction. Instructional designers often use instructional technology or educational technology as tools for developing instruction
InstructionalDesign.org. Articles>Usability>Instructional Design>Methods
#30466
This process provides a means for sound decision making to determine the who, what, when, where, why, and how of training. The concept of a system approach to training is based on obtaining an overall view of the training process. It is characterized by an orderly process for gathering and analyzing collective and individual performance requirements, and by the ability to respond to identified training needs. The application of a systems approach to training insures that training programs and the required support materials are continually developed in an effective and efficient manner to match the variety of needs in an ever rapidly changing environment.
Clark, Donald. Instructional System Design (1995). Books>Education>Instructional Design>Methods
#20855
Instructions for Branch Office Testing
These are the instructions we gave to the people at various Sun branch offices in Europe and Asia for their user testing of a new design for the company's web pages. In a few places, these instructions refer to web-specific issues, so they will have to be modified slightly for use in other projects. These instructions were sent by electronic mail to those local Sun reps who had volunteered to lead a test.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Articles>Usability>Methods>Testing
#20859
International Usability Testing
Although products are commonly used in countries other than the one they were designed for, designers often forget to consider different usage circumstances. International use of the Web is particularly common since users can access pages from all over the world with a single click.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Articles>Usability>Methods>International
#29017
Interpreting Textual Data in Writing Research 
This article discusses a theoretical framework for situating interpretations of textual data collected during research. Based on the reader response theory of Louise Rosenblatt, this framework consists of a continuum representing the range of interpretative assumptions--stances--researchers can bring to their reading of textual data. The continuum is bounded by the two most extreme stances defined by Rosenblatt as efferent, roughly comparable to the stereotypical scientific interpretative tradition, and aesthetic, roughly comparable to the stereotypical humanities interpretative tradition.
Thompson, Isabelle. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (1999). Articles>Research>Methods>Writing
#18619
Interviews and focus groups let you query users about their experiences and preferences with your product. Both are formal, structured events where you directly interact with users, asking them to voice their opinions and experiences regarding your product.
#27568
Introduction to Agile Methods and Practices
Provides a broad introduction to concepts of agile software development and agile methods. The talk is based on his experience as an agile coach and Certified Scrum Master.
Smits, Hubert. Rally Software Development (2005). Presentations>Management>Agile>Methods
#29297
Introduction to the Building Blocks
Outlines the design principles underlying the building block system of website design, and simple guidelines for combining blocks together to create any type of tile-based environment.
Lamantia, Joe. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Design>Web Design>Methods
#19040
Is A Lab Essential For User Testing?
Once an organisation decides to go ahead with a user testing programme, the questions really begin. Is it really necessary to undertake testing in a 'usability lab'? And what exactly should a fully functioning lab consist of anyway? As one might imagine, opinion is divided on these issues. We take a quick look at what a typical lab might consist of and the pros and cons of lab-based testing.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>Usability>Testing>Methods
#24568
Issues of Validity in Intercultural Professional Communication Research
This article explores three ways to design US empirical methods to be more valid and ethical in cross-cultural studies. First, intercultural researchers need to distinguish broad rhetorical and cultural patterns from regional, organizational, and personal patterns, a process that requires balancing the fact of difference with the need for generalization. Second, US researchers need to distinguish not only the differences in rhetorical patterns in a form of communication but also in the ways that form is used rhetorically. Third, researchers need to construct researcher-participant relationships that are sensitive to the values of organizational relationships in both cultures.
Thatcher, Barry L. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2001). Articles>Research>Methods>International
#23913
Iterative Design of ESR Web Site with Lightweight Remote Usability Evaluations
The IBM Ease of Use team designed a lightweight remote usability evaluation method and successfully used it in a series of iterative design activities for the IBM Electronic Service Request (ESR) Web pages. User satisfaction increased remarkably within a short time during the iterative design process. The results of this project proved the feasibility and effectiveness of the lightweight remote usability evaluation method being used.
Dong, Jianming. IBM (2004). Articles>Usability>Methods
#15003
Iterative Usability Research Methods: Why Testing Isn't Enough
Discusses how to choose different usability methods for iterative research. Slides only.
Rosenbaum, Stephanie L. Tec-Ed, Inc. (1999). Articles>Usability>Testing>Methods
#28023
Iterative Usability Testing as Continuous Feedback: A Control Systems Perspective
This paper argues that in the field of usability, debates about number of users, the use of statistics, etc. in the abstract are pointless and even counter-productive. We propose that the answers depend on the research questions and business objectives of each project and thus cannot be discussed in absolute terms. Sometimes usability testing is done with an implicit or explicit hypothesis in mind. At other times the purpose of testing is to guide iterative design. These two approaches call for different study designs and treatment of data. We apply control systems theory to the topic of usability to highlight and frame the value of iterative usability testing in the design lifecycle. Within this new metaphor, iterative testing is a form of feedback which is most effective and resource-efficient if done as often as practically possible with project resources and timelines in mind.
Genov, Alex. Journal of Usability Studies (2006). Articles>Usability>Testing>Methods
#18622
Journaled sessions bridges usability inquiry, where you ask people about their experiences with a product, and usability testing, where you observe people experiencing the product's user interface. Journaled sessions are often used as a remote inquiry method for software user interface evaluation. A disk is distributed to a number of test subjects containing a prototype of the software product, as well as additional code to capture (or journalize) the subjects' actions when using the prototype. Users perform several tasks with the prototype, much as in formal usability tests, and their actions are captured with the journalizing software. Upon completion of the series of tasks, the users return the disks to you for you to evaluate. Because the journaling portion of the evaluation is largely automated, this approach to remote, hands-off inquiry is certainly more 'usable' then self-reporting logging, where users are requested to write down their observations and comments and send them back to you.
#19048
At the heart of any good user-centred design process is the practice of prototyping. By creating and testing interfaces in rough format, designers are able to feed through improvements and feedback from users quickly and easily. This in turn helps to ensure a final product that is an evolved solution, in the sense that it has been through a number of iterations and emerged as fit for the job in question.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2002). Design>User Centered Design>Methods
#21765
#25765
Lessons on Focus Group Methodology from a Science Television News Project
While many bemoan the fact that television is a central source of science information for much of the United States, professionals charged with informal science education tasks have welcomed opportunities afforded by the medium. Creating TV programming that meets both institutional goals and audience preferences, though, is a challenge fraught with difficulties. To develop such programming, one tempting formative research option is to conduct focus groups with potential audience members. In this article, we present guidelines for focus group implementation as well as crucial caveats to which we should adhere in interpreting data from such efforts. To illustrate the guidelines, we discuss a formative evaluation undertaken for the Discoveries and breakthroughs inside science television news project to understand how some people respond to science news stories.
Southwell, Brian G., Stephanie H. Blake and Alicia Torres. Technical Communication Online (2005). Articles>Scientific Communication>Methods>Focus Groups
#31084
Lightweight Literate Programming: A Documentation Practice
Lightweight literate programming (LLP) combines software documentation and coding in a way that can scaffold collaborations between technical communicators and programmers. We review the genesis and history of LLP, including its relationship to established single-sourcing methods. We then detail its use by programmers and discuss two models for writer/programmer collaboration using LLP. We finish by suggesting a few studies of working relationships between writers and programmers that LLP could facilitate.
Stavely, Allan, Lynda Walsh and John Shipman. Technical Communication Online (2008). Articles>Documentation>Programming>Methods
#26543
Making Personas More Powerful: Details to Drive Strategic and Tactical Design
Personas ought to be one of the defining techniques in user-focused design, but they've unfortunately become more of a check-off item than a useful tool. So how did we get here?
Olsen, George. Boxes and Arrows (2004). Design>User Centered Design>Methods>Personas
#31593
Measurement at the Speed of Business
Who has time to do communication audits anymore? Only the lucky few. The author shows ways to find out everything you need to know, just as fast as you need to know it.
Sinickas, Angela D. Sinickas Communications (2005). Articles>Research>Methods>Surveys
#25743
The Methodology of Participatory Design
Technical communicators have lately become interested in participatory design as a way to structure and guide their research and development efforts, particularly in online media. But attempts to use participatory design - in technical communication and elsewhere - have been hampered because participatory design has typically been seen as an orientation or field rather than a methodology with its own methods, techniques, and acceptable range of research designs. In this article, I work with a range of participatory design sources to describe it as a methodology useful for technical communicators. After providing the historical and methodological grounding for understanding participatory design as a methodology, I describe its research designs, methods, criteria, and limitations. Finally, I provide guidance for applying it to technical communication research.
Spinuzzi, Clay. Technical Communication Online (2005). Articles>Collaboration>Methods>Participatory Design
#27444
What you buy or 'buy into' influences how you think about something and how you represent that information in your mind is what cognitive scientists refer to as an 'internal representation'. Whether you buy usability services or not, at some point along the way I am sure you will or have encountered 'methodology madness', and maybe you don't even know it.
Spillers, Frank. Demystifying Usability (2004). Articles>Usability>Methods>Cognitive Psychology
#19194
Methods and Guidelines to Avoid Common Questionnaire Bloopers
Over the years, I’ve often heard colleagues say 'let’s throw a questionnaire together and find out what our users think about our product.' Implicit in this statement is the assumption that questionnaires are easy to design, administer, and analyze. This assumption is far from the truth.
Wilson, Chauncey E. Usability Interface (2003). Articles>Usability>Methods>Surveys
