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Subject:How do you organize user manuals? From:Peggy Thomson <Peggy_Thompson -at- CCMAIL -dot- OSTI -dot- GOV> Date:Thu, 27 Jul 1995 16:38:00 -0400
When you organize your computer user manuals, do you put
everything in logical sequence--start-up, basic tasks, complex
tasks, appendices--or do you organize by frequency of use,
keeping the body of the book focused on basic tasks, with a
reference section for more esoteric tasks, and appendices that
include such one-time learning events as logging on and logging
off?
There's been a push here to chunk such one-time learning events
as logon and logoff into an appendix. But it drives my strictly
linear brain crazy not to begin a manual with start-up, discuss
basic tasks, explain how to get out of the system, then discuss
more complex tasks.
Please share your thoughts with me on how you organize user
manuals. (The budget dictates that we write manuals targeted
toward a multi-level audience and that are part tutorial, part
reference. I know that's not ideal, but those are the
constrictions under which I must work.)
You may reply directly to me: Peggy -dot- Thompson -at- ccmail -dot- osti -dot- gov
