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Considerations for Your Software Documentation
These are the types of items that
we take into consideration when we author software documentation.
Evaluate your
documentation to see if the writer considered them.
Organization
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Is the material organized logically? Will users, of all knowledge levels,
be able to find what they are looking for? |
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Does the manual contain a table of contents, so that the user can see
"at a glance" what it contains? |
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Is the manual or help system indexed using multiple styles? Will it appeal
to users who think to look up the noun, as well as those who think to look up the verb? |
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Does
the documentation contain a glossary for the user to reference when the terminology
becomes confusing? |
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Does the manual contain a quick reference section to assist the user when
time is important? |
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Does the documentation contain a troubleshooting section to help the user
solve problems quickly without getting frustrated? |
Writing
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Is
consistent terminology used across all documentation? |
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Do the
elements in the windows of the software match what they are called in the documentation? |
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Does
the writing use active voice and conversational words? |
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Was
the document proofread, preferably by someone other than the author? |
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Are
all grammar and spelling errors eliminated? |
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Does
the documentation match the final version of the software? |
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Does
the documentation consider the end-user's expertise, thought process, and patience level? |
Design
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Does the layout of the pages follow good graphic design principles? |
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Is the documentation as user-friendly as possible? Does it use bullets,
visuals, and lists? |
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Does the documentation use a reasonable number of fonts? |
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Does the design of the documentation enhance what is written? |
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Is the help system designed to eliminate content redundancies? |
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