Developing Quality Technical Information: A Handbook for Writers and Editors, 3rd edition

Published by IBM Press (23 June 2014) © 2014

  • Michelle Carey
  • Moira McFadden Lanyi All of IBM, San Jose, California
  • Deirdre Longo both of Santa Teresa Laboratory, San Jose, California
  • Eric Radzinski IBM Santa Theresa Labs., San Jose, California
  • Shannon Rouiller All of IBM, San Jose, California
  • Elizabeth Wilde
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Products list
$49.99

Price Reduced From: $49.99

Details

  • A print text
  • Free shipping
  • Also available for purchase as an ebook from all major ebook resellers, including InformIT.com

Title overview

Drawing on IBM's unsurpassed technical communications experience, readers discover today's best practices for meeting nine quality characteristics: accuracy, clarity, completeness, concreteness, organization, retrievability, style, task orientation, and visual effectiveness. Packed with guidelines, checklists, and before-and-after examples, Developing Quality Technical Information, Third Edition is an indispensable resource for the future of technical communication.

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   

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