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

Published by IBM Press (June 23, 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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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.

  • 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  • Avoid writing information that will become outdated   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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