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Subject:Re: Format for receiving document reviews From:Sarah Carroll <sarahc -at- INDIGO -dot- IE> Date:Mon, 22 Jun 1998 11:25:38 +0100
Hi,
I provide PDF documents for review, so reviewers can
work online or print and review hard copy.
What I also provide is a template for the reviewers
to submit their reviews. It takes them a bit longer,
but it does mean that they think seriously about
each comment/correction.
The template has fields including: Chapter: Page
Number: Status: Paragraph beginning:
Sentence beginning : Comment
In the status field they are asked to classify the
review note; i.e. is it critical - the wrong instruction
has been given; enhancement - good idea to add
more information about x or y procedure; graphic -
beta 3 is still in the title bar in the screenshot.
This saves the problem of trying to decipher
hand written notes, and since many of my reviewers
are in different countries across the globe, gives
them a way to electronically transfer the data.
When I've received all the comments back,
I paste all the templates into one document and
make a table out of them. I then sort by the
chapter and page number. You do get some
funnies, one persons critical classification is
another persons "typo" - but you also get to see
very quickly if lots of people have problems with
the same section.
My manager, who's the development manager,
however, refuses point blank to transfer his comments
from paper to screen. He reviews on the train, then
hands me the complete document with pages marked
up. I've just managed to get him to stop using pencil,
but he simply won't go as far as a red pen.
I don't think that you'll ever manage to get 100%
responsiveness from 100% of the reviewers. You can
make things easier by choosing reviewers who can't
wait to get a chance to correct you or your grammer <g>.
Give the reviewers a deadline, many of them will be
adrenalin junkies (if working in s/w development).
Best
Sarah
sarahc -at- indigo -dot- ie
At 14:39 19/06/98 -0400, Visnja Beg wrote:
>I was wondering if anyone out there in technical-writing-land has the
>magic answer to what is the best way to receive comments from
>developers/engineers on the documents you write.
