Creating an essential manual: an experiment in prototyping and task analysis

Author

Watts, Doris R.

Author_Institution

San Diego State Univ., CA, USA

Volume

33

Issue

1

fYear

1990

fDate

3/1/1990 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

32

Lastpage

37

Abstract

The author describes the design and creation of a task-oriented user guide for students doing computer-assisted writing at San Diego State University. The project incorporated prototyping and task analysis techniques borrowed from systems analysis. A database provided a task dictionary which described 35 characteristics for each of the 66 tasks identified as necessary to perform simple word processing. The author discusses definition of user needs, selection of the documentation format, prototyping as a method for documentation development, putting the prototyping approach to work, devising a method for task analysis, and implications of using database techniques to task analysis

Keywords

computer aided instruction; system documentation; systems analysis; user manuals; computer-assisted writing; database; design; documentation format; manual; prototyping; systems analysis; task analysis; task dictionary; task-oriented user guide; user needs; word processing; Dictionaries; Documentation; Ink; Professional communication; Prototypes; Springs; Stress; Testing; Text processing; Writing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Professional Communication, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0361-1434

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/47.49070

Filename

49070