Project 2: Revising an Existing Manual (Individual)

  Project 2: Overview

We have all encountered manuals that purport to help us accomplish tasks or use devices. We have also been disappointed by many of these manuals for all sorts of reasons. During our recent discussions we had an opportunity to consider both how we might formally attempt to define the characteristics and structure of specific kinds of information (or genre) and how readers might respond, in fairly typical ways, to various genre.

We said, for example, that readers seem to display an initial, perhaps subjective, reaction to a document (or information event) that seems to exert some influence over their subsequent behavior toward that information source. Let's review some of that discussion as a way of beginning to think about how we might revise a document.

At one level we said that a reader might open a document and decide that it was so typographically daunting (small type, "tightly" set, odd line lengths or justification technique, etc.) or complex (too many typefaces, sizes, postures, etc.) that they were intimidated. We argued that elements of document design-layout, typography, the character of non-textual elements, and the like-all provide the reader with some idea, some sense, of the information's organizing principles. That, in fact, readers often understand, almost immediately, something about the relationship between form and content.

We also agreed that the problems may be more difficult to discern. For example, a document may self-consciously declare that it supports a specific purposes: "This manual offers a brief tutorial that will show you how to get the best results from X product." Once a reader encounters such a statement an entire chain of expectations are put into motion: " I have used tutorials in the past and I expect them to have a specific structure, style, and tone." Based on that reaction the reader then begins the process of trying to use the manual for its declared purpose. While a variety of events might occur at this point, the most bizarre might be that the actual information bears no relationship to any known or supposed characteristics of its declared information type (or genre).

If the latter event does occur, what are the likely reactions on the reader's part? They can reject the text as unsupportive; they can try to understand the "actual" purpose(s) of the text; they can try to figure out how it can support a tutorial task; they can have any number of other reactions. Does this scenario seem like an activity a reader should have to undertake? How does this support their needs?

In such a scenario, your task (or the task of any editor) is considerably more complex than a simple language edit. You must decide what the purpose(s) of the document are, whether or not the current document supports those purpose(s), and, if not, how the document needs to be edited: does it need a complete revision (revision) or should the current contents be arranged and described in a different manner?
 
 

Project 2: Description

1. Click here for the text to revise for this project . If you have difficulty downloading this file, it is also available on reserve in the library.

2. Submit a one-page rationale that serves as a planning document for your revisions. Discuss the following:

• Document's purpose and audience
• Content
• Organization and indications of organization
• Style (textual aspects of words and sentences, for example)
• Visuals
• Layout and design

3. Demonstrate in no more than three to four pages that you know how to

• Create an introduction for this tutorial.
• Provide visual guidance that emphasizes the information's purpose and organization.
• Incorporate useful supporting visuals.
• Use effective layout principles (form supports content).

Use the manual as a basis for your project ... as a jumping-off point. Creating a scenario helps some students with this project. Pretend that the tutorial is for Grasak Corp that produces parts for dredging equipment. Level 1 and 2 staff (entry-level positions) use the databases as part of their jobs. The turn-over rate for these staff members is high. Although the positions are just-above-minimum wage positions, the job tasks require persons with computer abilities and baccalaureate degrees. As a result, those being hired frequently leave for better paying positions. Now how would you write the tutorial for that audience?

As with project 1, the three to four pages do not have to be sequential if what you submit demonstrates the above. You are not being asked to revise the entire manual so that it is no more than four pages. You are being asked to create passages typical of a tutorial: an introduction (minimal content = purpose of document, assumptions about audience, and plan of development indicating major sections in tutorial), background about the product that is appropriate for the audience, and instructions (the whole raison d'être of a tutorial -- i.e., French for "reason for being").

The technical accuracy of your revision will not be reviewed. You can "create" content. In addition, although you know that you need a screen capture "showing" what appears on the computer screen, without the program to practice with, you have no idea what should be on the screen. You can provide something similar to "[Insert screen capture showing what appears on the computer screen when this task is completed.]." Or for some parts you can refer to a visual in the sample: that is, "[Insert the visual appearing at the top of page 9 of the sample.]."

  Web Resources

Writing Task-Oriented Instructions

Employee Handbooks or Manuals (optional)

Click here to review a sample approach to writing the instructions for completing a task (and what exactly is the purpose of a tutorial?).

Look at the instructions on the web page appearing below the "your turn" teal button (teal on my computer). Skip the content before you reach that teal button. The writers of the tutorial use text and screen captures to explain how to complete tasks. [For your project, you simply indicate where you would insert screen captures. You do NOT actually insert or create a screen capture.]

Be aware of the four types of information appearing in the instructions: the headings, instructions, tips or notes, and screen captures (illustrations).  The headings.... To Set Up Your Default Topic or To Set Your Primary Target for WebHelp The instructions.... 1.Create a WebHelp folder where you can transfer files you will eventually upload to the location of your WebHelp system. For example, go to Windows Explorer and create a folder at the root of your preferred drive entitled:   _Webhelp.  or  3.Click on File, and select Project Settings. 4.Go to the Compile tab. The tips or notes... NOTE: This action will force the folder to reside among the first positions in Windows Explorer where it will be easier to find. or NOTE: This action will open the WebHelp General dialog. The illustrations or, in this case, the screen captures...       or

Sample Approaches Aspects of Project 2

 
Click here to review a sample approach that could satisfy Project 2.

Click here for a second sample approach that could satisfy Project 2.
 

 Last Modified: 09/21/01