Tutoring Guide for Technical Writing: User Manuals The Assignment in General A user manual remains one of the largest documents a technical writer can create. A user manual serves to inform or teach a user how to use a product or perform a task. A tutor should not confuse liter-ary and language skills with documentation skills.
Instruction sets are common technical documents for many disciplines and occupations. Employees read instructions to learn how to assemble a product or complete a procedure. Supervisors write out company policies that often serve as instruction sets. Customers read instructions for using a product. For this assignment, you will develop a set of instructions advising users how to perform a specific task.
Before you begin to write, consider the rhetorical situation for your instructions. Use the planning worksheet to help you determine the purpose, audience, context, and content for your instructions.
Choosing a Topic
Oct 15, 2006 Process of Writing a Technical Manual. By Ron Kurtus (revised 15 October 2006) The process of producing a technical manual usually is a team effort. In most situations, a Technical Communicator is only given one portion of the whole project. Understand the difference between technical writing and other genres of writing. Use document and audience analysis, drafting, peer response/user feedback, and revision to create effective technical instructions. Reflect on their writing process, noting how this assignment will be useful to them in future writing. Back to top Session One. Rife's Tech writing class fall 2008. INSTRUCTIONS WITH ILLUSTRATION (OR A TUTORIAL) 35 POINTS (5 points peer review, 30 POINTS INSTRUCTIONS) DRAFT DUE 10/11, FINAL DUE 10/18. ASSIGNMENT: Write a set of instructions on how to use a computer or other application of 500-600 words (see below). At least two screen captures or images must be incorporated into your text (you may add more if.
Your instructions should help users to perform any kind of task that requires several steps or stages. Your task should also be something that students can perform in class (feel free to bring in materials). Here are some topic ideas (don’t be limited by them):
- How to iron a shirt
- How to add another component (CD-ROM, hard drive, sound card, etc.) to your computer
- How to juggle
- How to craft an object using Legos
- How to use a particular tool or piece of laboratory equipment
How to Choose a Great Topic:
Choose something with which you are very familiar. It can be something related to your field of study, or something related to a more general audience.
Choose an audience who, ideally, has never performed this task before.
Choose a task with an appropriate level of difficulty–neither too easy nor too hard to explain in the space allotted. Your instruction set will be at least 3 pages, single-spaced, with both text and visuals.
Choose a task that can be performed in our classroom (we will be conducting usability tests).
Note: I will need to approve all topics (in order to ensure that you have selected a topic of appropriate size and scope).
Specific Requirements
Content
Depending on the nature of your task, you may wish to include most, if not all, of the following content:
Introduction or Background Information. Here you’ll provide your reader with the following information, as applicable:
- ·an overview of the steps needed to complete the task
- ·definitions of terms or concepts they need to know before they proceed
- ·cautions or warnings that apply to the task as a whole
- ·a sense of how long the task should take
- ·where readers should perform the task (ie. in a well ventilated area outside on a flat surface, etc…)
List of Materials or Ingredients Needed.
Visuals.Include diagrams, drawings, photographs, figures, and/or tables. Each visual should be numbered, labeled and titled. Also include captions and/or legends where necessary. Visuals should give a sense of scale and orientation.
List of Steps, in Chronological Order. Remember to:
- ·Use the “imperative mood” or “imperative voice.”
- ·Phrase each step clearly and concisely.
- ·Provide “feedback” that informs the reader what will happen after they complete each step.
- ·Include warnings or cautions before readers will encounter problems.
- ·Break long lists into sections with appropriate sub-headings.
- ·Make sure sub-headings and steps are phrased in parallel form.
Troubleshooting Tips, if appropriate.
Glossary of Key Terms and Definitions, if appropriate.
Organization
Instructions are normally in a chronological order. If there is no necessary chronological order for your instructions, then choose another rationale for the organization. For example, you could move from more to least important tasks, from general to specialized tasks, from most to least common tasks, and so on.
Format and Design
Technical Manual Writing Format
Your format and design should include:
A clear hierarchy of headings and subheadings.
Well-chosen fonts. For print documents, sans-serif fonts are usually best for headings; serif fonts are best for body text. (For online documents, the reverse is true.)
Numbered lists and bulleted lists, where appropriate. Know the difference. Make sure bullets and numbering are consistently formatted. Do not number or bullet lists with fewer than two items.
The right amount of white space–neither too much nor too little.
Effective use of alignment and proximity. Centered alignment may make it harder for users to skim headings and sub-headings; left alignment or indentations can be more effective for this. Visuals should be placed close to the text referring to them.
Effective use of contrast. Too much contrast means that nothing stands out; too little makes it hard for users to find what they need. Consider emphasizing elements like headings, key words, and warnings.
Consistency in design features. Decide which fonts, font sizes, and forms of emphasis you will use and apply them consistently.
Note: Length should be at least 3 pages single-spaced.
Evaluation Criteria
Audience Accommodation: The instructions are appropriate for the intended audience. They’re written from a user-centered, rather than system-centered, perspective and in the imperative mood. They anticipate the user’s questions, difficulties, and needs.
Content: The instructions include all of the information needed to complete the task at hand. Background information, warnings, and definitions are included where appropriate.
Organization: The instructions are organized logically. Items within numbered lists are organized chronologically. Sub-sections are clearly marked with headings.
Sample Technical Writing Documents
Format and Design: The instructions include each of the format features listed above. The overall design is clear and consistent. The instructions use fonts, white space, contrast, alignment, headings and sub-headings appropriately and consistently.
Writing Technical Manual Examples
Style: The instructions effectively create a professional ethos. The tone is effective for the audience.Instructions are written as active voice commands. Headings and numbered and bulleted items are in parallel form (that is, they use similar grammatical structures for each item in a list and for the text of headings). The document is free from typographical or grammatical errors.
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