Developing Quality Technical Information: A Handbook for Writers and Editors, 2/e

Gretchen Hargis, Michelle Carey, Ann Kilty Hernandez, Polly Hughes, Deirdre Longo, Shannon Rouiller, Elizabeth Wilde

  • 出版商: Prentice Hall
  • 出版日期: 2004-04-16
  • 售價: $2,100
  • 貴賓價: 9.5$1,995
  • 語言: 英文
  • 頁數: 432
  • 裝訂: Hardcover
  • ISBN: 0131477498
  • ISBN-13: 9780131477490
  • 立即出貨 (庫存=1)

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Table of Contents:

Welcome.

Is this book for you? How to use this book. Conventions used in this book. Changes in this edition.

Acknowledgments.

1. Quality technical information.

What is quality technical information? Relationships among the quality characteristics. Order of the groups. Quality characteristics compared with elements and guidelines. Other possible quality characteristics of technical information. Using the quality characteristics to develop quality technical information. Preparing to write: understanding users, tasks, and the product. Writing and rewriting. Reviewing, testing, and evaluating technical information. Writing task, concept, and reference topics. Establishing a unit of reuse. Restructuring technical information.

I. EASY TO USE.

2. Task orientation.

Write for the intended audience. Present information from the user's point of view. Indicate a practical reason for information. Relate details to a task where appropriate. Provide only a necessary amount of conceptual information in task topics. Focus on real tasks, not product functions. Use headings that reveal the tasks. Divide tasks into discrete subtasks. Provide clear, step-by-step instructions. Make each step a clear action for users to take. Group steps for usability. Clearly identify optional steps. Identify criteria at the beginning of conditional steps. In sum.

3. Accuracy.

Write information only when you understand it, and then verify it. Keep up with technical changes. Maintain consistency of all information about a subject. Reuse information when possible. Avoid introducing inconsistencies and eliminate those that you find. Use tools that automate checking for accuracy. Check the accuracy of references to related information. In sum.

4. Completeness.

Cover all topics that support users' tasks, and only those topics. Cover each topic in just as much detail as users need. Include enough information. Include only necessary information. Use patterns of information to ensure proper coverage. Repeat information only when users will benefit from it. In sum.

II. EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

5. Clarity.

Focus on the meaning. Avoid ambiguity. Use words with a clear meaning. Avoid vague referents. Place modifiers appropriately. Avoid long strings of nouns. Write positively. Make the syntax of sentences clear. Keep elements short. Remove roundabout expressions and needless repetition. Choose direct words. Keep lists short. Write cohesively. Present similar information in a similar way. Use lists appropriately. Segment information into tables. Use technical terms only if they are necessary and appropriate. Decide whether to use a term. Use terms consistently. Define each term that is new to the intended audience. In sum.

6. Concreteness.

Choose examples that are appropriate for the audience and subject. Consider the level and needs of users. Use examples appropriately in conceptual, task, and reference information. Use focused, realistic, accurate, up-to-date examples. Make examples easy to find. Use visual cues to indicate where examples are. Make examples part of the user interface. Make clear where examples start and stop. Make code examples easy to adapt. Use scenarios to illustrate tasks and to provide overviews. Set the context for examples and scenarios. Relate unfamiliar information to familiar information. Use general language appropriately. In sum.

7. Style.

Use correct grammar. Check for sentence fragments. Correct pronoun problems. Correct dangling modifiers. Use correct and consistent spelling. Use consistent and appropriate punctuation. Write with the appropriate tone. Use an active style. Use active voice. Use the present tense. Use the appropriate mood. Follow template designs and use boilerplate text. Create and reuse templates. Use boilerplate text to ensure inclusion of necessary information. Create and follow style guidelines. Provide practical and consistent highlighting. Present list items consistently. Use unbiased language. In sum.

III. EASY TO FIND.

8. Organization.

Organize information into discrete topics by type. Organize tasks by order of use. Organize topics for quick retrieval. Separate contextual information from other types of information. Organize information consistently. Provide an appropriate number of subentries for each branch. Emphasize main points; subordinate secondary points. Reveal how the pieces fit together. In sum.

9. Retrievability.

Facilitate navigation and search. Provide a complete and consistent index. Use an appropriate level of detail in the table of contents. Provide helpful entry points. Link appropriately. Design helpful links. Ensure that a link describes the information that it links to. In similar links and cross-references, emphasize the text that is different. Minimize the effort that is needed to reach related information. Avoid redundant links. Make linked-to information easy to find in the target topic. In sum.

10. Visual effectiveness.

Use graphics that are meaningful and appropriate. Illustrate significant concepts. Avoid illustrating what is already visible. Choose graphics that complement the text. Use visual elements for emphasis. Emphasize the appropriate information. Ensure that your visual elements are not distracting. Use visual elements logically and consistently. Use a visually simple but distinct heading hierarchy. Maintain consistent placement of document elements. Ensure that the look and feel of multimedia presentations is consistent. Use icons and symbols consistently. Balance the number and placement of visual elements. Use visual cues to help users find what they need. Visually identify recurring alternatives or contexts. Ensure that visual cues are usable in all environments. Ensure that textual elements are legible. Use a legible typeface and size. Ensure that the text fits in the available space. Ensure that the contrast between text and background is adequate. Use color and shading discreetly and appropriately. Ensure that all users can access the information. In sum.

IV. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER.

11. Applying more than one quality characteristic.

Applying quality characteristics to task information. Applying quality characteristics to conceptual information. Applying quality characteristics to reference information. Applying quality characteristics to information for an international audience. Applying quality characteristics to information on the Web351 Revising technical information.

12. Reviewing, testing, and evaluating technical information.

Inspecting technical information. Reading and using the information. Finding problems. Reporting problems. Testing information for usability. Prototyping. Testing outside a usability laboratory. Testing in a usability laboratory. Testing technical information. Using test tools. Using test cases. Testing the user interface. Editing and evaluating technical information. Preparing to edit. Getting an overview. Reading and editing the information. Looking for specific information. Summarizing your findings. Conferring with the writer. Reviewing the visual elements. Preparing to review. Getting an overview. Reviewing individual visual elements. Summarizing your findings. Conferring with the editor or writer or both.

V. APPENDIXES.

Appendix A: Quality checklist.
Appendix B: Who checks which quality characteristics?
Appendix C: Quality characteristics and elements.

Looking at the quality characteristics. Looking at the elements. Resources and references. Easy to use. Easy to understand. Easy to find. Putting it all together.

Glossary.
Index.

商品描述(中文翻譯)

目錄:


歡迎。



這本書適合您嗎?如何使用這本書。
本書使用的慣例。本版的變化。


致謝。

1. 優質技術資訊。



什麼是優質技術資訊?
優質特性之間的關係。群組的順序。優質特性與元素和指南的比較。技術資訊的其他可能優質特性。使用優質特性來開發優質技術資訊。準備寫作:了解使用者、任務和產品。寫作和重寫。審查、測試和評估技術資訊。撰寫任務、概念和參考主題。建立可重複使用的單位。重組技術資訊。


I. 易於使用。



2. 任務導向。



為目標讀者撰寫。從使用者的角度呈現資訊。適當時指出資訊的實際原因。適當時將細節與任務相關聯。在任務主題中只提供必要的概念資訊。專注於真實任務,而不是產品功能。使用顯示任務的標題。將任務分為獨立的子任務。提供清晰的逐步指示。使每個步驟對使用者來說都是明確的操作。將步驟分組以提高可用性。清楚標識可選步驟。在條件步驟的開始處標識標準。總結。



3. 準確性。



只有在理解資訊後才撰寫,然後進行驗證。跟上技術變化。保持所有有關主題的資訊一致性。在可能的情況下重複使用資訊。避免引入不一致性並消除您發現的不一致性。使用自動檢查準確性的工具。檢查相關資訊的準確性。總結。



4. 完整性。



涵蓋支援使用者任務的所有主題,僅限於這些主題。對每個主題提供使用者所需的詳細資訊。包含足夠的資訊。僅包含必要的資訊。使用資訊模式以確保適當的涵蓋範圍。僅在使用者從中受益時重複提供資訊。總結。


II. 易於理解。


5. 清晰度。


專注於意義。避免模糊不清。使用具有明確含義的詞語。避免模糊的指代。適當地放置修飾詞。避免冗長的名詞串。以積極的方式書寫。使句子的語法清晰。保持元素簡短。刪除迂迴的表達和不必要的重複。選擇直接的詞語。保持列表簡短。連貫地書寫。以相似的方式呈現相似的資訊。適當使用列表。將資訊分段成表格。僅在必要且適當時使用技術術語。決定是否使用術語。一致使用術語。對目標讀者不熟悉的每個術語進行定義。總結。



6. 具體性。



選擇適合目標讀者和主題的示例。考慮使用者的水平和需求。在概念、任務和參考資訊中適當使用示例。使用聚焦、實際、準確、最新的示例。使示例易於找到。使用視覺提示來指示示例的位置。使示例成為使用者界面的一部分。清楚標示示例的開始和結束。使程式碼示例易於適應。使用場景```