Janet Smith Carmen Burth

Why is this Information Important to technical communicators?  Foundation for what we do as technical communicators.  It can distinguish a professional writer from an amateur.  It adds professionalism to our documentation.

Getting the Language Right Why is this Information Important to users?  Ease of Use Helps Users do what they want/need to do. Users are generally in a hurry. They turn to the documentation to find answers to problems.  Clarity We learn and remember easily when there are patterns and structure.  Confidence When a document is written this way readers are likely to have greater confidence in the document’s accuracy.

Getting the Language Right How can we ensure that our documentation is written using performance-oriented language?  It’s very important that we analyze our own writing and revise, revise, revise.  Ask a peer to look at the document. It’s always good to have another pair of eyes review the document from a fresh perspective.  Use a checklist during your review.

 Do your sentences emphasize actions the user can take rather than functions of the program?  Do your sentences use the active voice predominantly?  Have you reviewed your sentences to make sure they have first-reading clarity?

Checklist Cont.  Have you avoided overly long and complicated sentences?  Do your sentences contain easy-to-use parallel phrases?  Have you included clarifying operational overviews in your documents?  Do your sentences reflect a performance orientation?

Analyze your style to make sure you avoid the following problems:  Overused and unexplained acronyms and abbreviations.  Confusing synonyms.  Overlong paragraphs and sentences.  Emphasis on the computer rather than the program.

Checklist Cont.  Lack of connection between headings and topics.  Too formal tone.  Inappropriate humor.  Ambiguous task names.  Confusing statements of steps.  Omitted article