Today’s Plan
- Generating Criteria for Writing and Evaluating Instructions
- Reviewing Your Drafts
- Reminder
Criteria for Instructions
I had you read a brief selection from Markel on documentation in preparation for today. I want to use that reading to generate a list of criteria. Let’s talk and write.
Reviewing Your Drafts
I asked you to print out a copy of your instructions for today (if you forgot, you can print from this lab for about 10 cents a page, assuming you have credit on Bear Print). I’d like to collect your drafts and have them reviewed by 3 different reviewers.
Reviewers: as you read, not only should you think about the material we listed, but close your eyes and imagine you trying to do the task described. Make not of where you have questions. Identifying ambiguity and places in which users might misinterpret instructions are key components of editing technical documentation.
Reminder
A reminder that Work List #2 is due before class on Wednesday. I’ll spend Wednesday’s class introducing Work List #3, “Promoting a Place.” Read Schroeppel Chapter 3 on the Basic Sequence–you’ll be using it for an in-class exercise next Wednesday.
