The development of technical manuals requires coordination of the expertise in the subject area and in writing and design skills as well as detailed knowledge of the audience and job context. In this research we examined the production process of five publication houses in an attempt to determine how or if these requirements for expertise are being met. A further goal was to determine what strategies in the production process may facilitate or detract from the production of effective documentation. Writers, managers, and illustrators were interviewed at each site. The work flow in developing a manual is described. Data on the use of specifications and guidelines, the revision process including quality control, validation and verification, are presented. The skills and duties of writers, illustrators, and government representatives are presented. Finally, the production process for technical manuals is interpreted in terms of a process model of writing and strategies for improving the quality of documentation is discussed.

The editor has invited me to serve as associate editor of the Transactions for papers on communication issues in software engineering. This will include papers on the design of user manuals, the development of online help and tutorials, and the documentation of software development. I am delighted to accept the position, because I see these issues as central to the continued advancement of computer applications.

Designing usable texts contains a wealth of information and advice for document preparation. The book covers theoretical and practical aspects of writing, editing, and evaluating a document and also includes information concerning the use of graphics in text design.