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

D.R. Watts

doi:10.1109/47.49070

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Mar 1990

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

D.R. Watts San Diego State University

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.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published: 1990-03-01
DOI: 10.1109/47.49070
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Open Access: Closed
Topics: digital rhetoric
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Creating an essential manual: an experiment in prototyping and task analysis

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

References (13) · 4 in this index

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