Task-oriented documentation research?

[dan roberts <dan_roberts -at- IBI -dot- COM>]

     My doc group is proposing a bit of a major change for the
     communication/db-access servers we document.

     Previously, *all* information was in 1 document - installation,
     configuration, daily console operations, environment administration.
     Everyone who had anything to do with the server had to use this one
     manual.

     We have a proposal to the developers to break this 1 document into
     severall documents - Install/config, Console operations,
     Administration. With this approach, we think that information might be
     to the folks that need it easier, w/o being encumbered by un-necessary
     information <ie, the network admin can use it w/o slogging thru a wad
     of install stuff>.

     We are meeting some resistance from some of our fellow writers and
     from some of the developers (mainly the old-line mainframe types). Can
     anyone point me to research or articles discussing task-oriented
     documentation and the advantages of this method of approaching
     documents?

     Reply to dan_roberts -at- ibi -dot- com privately, and I'll summarize for the
     list, if there is enough interest.

     Thanks!

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