Developing Quality Technical Information: A Handbook for Writers and Editors

The #1 Guide to Excellence in Technical Communication—Fully Updated for Embedded Assistance, Mobile, Search, Multimedia, and More   Direct from IBM’s own content design experts, this guide shows you how to design product interfaces and technical information that always place users front and center. This edition has been fully revised to help you consistently deliver the right content at the right time.   You’ll master today’s best practices to apply nine essential characteristics of high-quality technical information: accuracy, clarity, completeness, concreteness, organization, retrievability, style, task orientation, and visual effectiveness.   Coverage Includes Advocating for users throughout the entire product development process Delivering information in an ordered manner by following progressive disclosure techniques Optimizing content so that users can find it from anywhere Streamlining information for mobile delivery Helping users right where they are Whether you’re a writer, editor, information architect, user experience professional, or reviewer, this book shows you how to create great technical information, from the product design to the user interface, topics, and other media. Thoroughly revised and updated Extensive new coverage of self-documenting interfaces and embedded assistance Updated practical guidelines and checklists Hundreds of new examples    

Table of Contents:
Preface     Acknowledgments    About the authors     Part 1. Introduction    Chapter 1. Technical information continues to evolve    Embedded assistance   Progressive disclosure of information    The technical writer’s role today    Redefining quality technical information    Chapter 2. Developing quality technical information    Preparing to write: understanding users, goals, and product tasks    Writing and rewriting    Reviewing, testing, and evaluating technical information    Part 2. Easy to use    Chapter 3. Task orientation    Write for the intended audience    Present information from the users’ point of view    Focus on users’ goals    Identify tasks that support users’ goals    Write user-oriented task topics, not function-oriented task topics    Avoid an unnecessary focus on product features    Indicate a practical reason for information    Provide clear, step-by-step instructions    Make each step a clear action for users to take    Group steps for usability    Clearly identify steps that are optional or conditional    Task orientation checklist    Chapter 4. Accuracy    Research before you write    Verify information that you write    Maintain information currency    Keep up with technical changes    Avoid writing information that will become outdated    Maintain consistency in all information about a subject    Reuse information when possible