The Digital Technical Documentation Handbook

The Digital Technical Documentation Handbook describes the process of developing and producing technical user information at Digital Equipment Corporation. * Discusses techniques for making user information _more effective * Covers the draft and review process, the production and distribution of printed and electronic media, archiving, indexing, testing for usability, and many other topics * Provides quality assurance checklists, contains a glossary and a bibliography of resources for technical communicators

For writers of Technical documentation

Preface

Part I: Environment

Chapter 1. User Information Environment

1.1 Goal of User Information

1.2 User Information Team

1.3 Product Team

1.4 Changing Environment

Part II: Process

Chapter 2. Overview of the Information Creation Process

Chapter 3. Researching the Project

3.1 Analyzing the Audience

3.2 Analyzing the Product

3.3 Gathering Information about the Audience and Product

3.4 Special Considerations: Submitting to a Standards Organization or Consortium

Chapter 4. Designing the User Information Set

4.1 What Is Modular Information?

4.2 Identifying Modules

4.3 Identifying Information Types

4.4 Information Architecture

4.5 Relationship Between Methodology, Design, and Architecture

4.6 Design Case Study: DECproduct

Chapter 5. Developing the Information Plan

5.1 Purpose of the Information Plan

5.2 Master Plans and Component Plans

5.3 Who Writes the Information Plan?

5.4 When to Write the Information Plan

5.5 Before Writing the Plan: Scheduling, Staffing, and Budgeting

5.6 Information Plan Contents

5.7 Product and Packaging Plans

Chapter 6. Draft and Review Process

6.1 Steps in the Draft and Review Process

6.2 Facing the Blank Screen

6.3 Informal Reviews

6.4 Formal Reviews

6.5 Preparing for Formal Review

6.6 What Reviewers Look For

6.7 Additional Review Methods

6.8 Incorporating Review Comments

6.9 Field Test Review

6.10 Online Information Review

6.11 Final Signoff

Chapter 7. Production and Distribution

7.1 Submitting Hardcopy Reproduction Packages to Internal or External Suppliers

7.2 Submitting Electronic Files

7.3 Reviewing Film Master Proofs

7.4 Submitting Electronic Bookreader Files for Distribution on CD-ROM

7.5 Duplication, Printing, and Distribution Services

Chapter 8. Project Closure

8.1 Post-Project Review

8.2 Client Satisfaction Survey

8.3 Reader Comment Cards and Other Feedback

8.4 Archiving

Part III: Techniques

Chapter 9. Managing Terminology

9.1 General Principles for Managing Terminology

9.2 Translation and Terminology

9.3 Developing Style Sheets and Word Lists

9.4 Developing Glossaries

Chapter 10. Indexing

10.1 Characteristics of a Good Index

10.2 Parts of an Index Entry

10.3 Steps in the Indexing Process

10.4 Master Indexes

10.5 Editing an Index

Chapter 11. Online Information

11.1 Online Books

11.2 Online Help

11.3 Hypermedia

Chapter 12. Using Navigational Cues

12.1 Structural Cues

12.2 Design Cues

Chapter 13. Overview of Usability Studies

13.1 Deciding What to Test

13.2 Writing a Testing Plan

13.3 Working with Participants

13.4 General Process for Conducting Usability Studies

13.5 Questionnaires

13.6 Structured Telephone Interviews

13.7 Formal and Informal Usability Edits

13.8 Summary Tests

13.9 Read and Locate Tests

13.10 Contextual Inquiry

13.11 Other Usability Study Methods

13.12 Summary: Selecting a Usability Method

Chapter 14. Conducting Trademark Searches

Part IV: Appendixes

A: Quality Assurance Checklists

A.1 Researching Checklist

A.2 Information Plan Checklist

A.3 Online Book Checklist

A.4 Questionnaire Checklist

A.5 Telephone Interview Checklist

A.6 Reproduction Package Checklist

B: Publications Bookshelf

B.1 Standard Reference Works

B.2 Writing and Style

B.3 Computer Dictionaries and Glossaries

B.4 Multiplatform Information

B.5 Internationalization

B.6 Indexing

B.7 Editing

B.8 Usability

B.9 Online Information

B.10 Production and Manufacturing

B.11 Industry Standards

B.12 Engineering Process

Glossary

List of Trademarks

Index