Title :
Material culture analysis and technical communication: the artifact approach to evaluating documentation
Author :
Thayer, Alexander
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Tech. Commun., Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
fDate :
6/1/2004 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Usability testing and documentation review are vital components of every documentation release cycle; yet some project timelines and budgets overlook these essentials. The art history process of material culture analysis can help alleviate this oversight. Applied to documentation, material culture analysis can provide insight into the writer´s personal values to expose potentially detrimental mismatches between the values of the writer and of the intended audience.
Keywords :
information dissemination; information needs; information use; user manuals; art history process; artifact approach; document analysis; documentation release cycle; documentation review; evaluating documentation; material culture analysis; personal values; technical communication; usability testing; Art; Conducting materials; Cultural differences; Documentation; Global communication; Professional communication; Shafts; Testing; Usability; Writing; Document analysis; J. D. Prown; material culture analysis; usability;
Journal_Title :
Professional Communication, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TPC.2004.828209