Document
Development Cycle
TECO 63
M. Reber
1_05
1/6/2005
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Table of Contents
 The Document Assignment
 Proposal
 Functional Specifications
 Blueprint
 Drafts
 Reviews
 Final User Guide
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The Document Assignment
 The culminating product of the assignment is a 30-35
page camera-ready, portfolio-quality user’s guide
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Research, analyze, plan, schedule, design, write, and
evaluate a 30-35 page manual
 You function in two capacities in the creation of user’s
guide, as a content expert and as a writer
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You select a topic you are an expert on and the topic will
be assigned to a writer in the class who, with your help,
will create a guide on your topic
As a writer, you are assigned a topic you are unfamiliar
with and a content expert to help you create a user’s
guide
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Deliverables
Proposal
Functional
Specification
Blue Print
Draft – 1
Draft – 2
Draft - 3
Reviewed by
Reviewed by
Reviewed by
Content Expert
Content Expert &
Instructor
Peer
Final User
Guide
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Proposal
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Proposal Definition and Scope
 Proposal is the document where you specify
your content area of expertise and state the end
objectives, audience profile, and the key tasks
that you will explore in the manual
 You write a brief proposal providing explanation
of the topic you propose to be content expert on
to ensure that the topic is of appropriate
complexity
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Proposal Template
 Title of proposal
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Give a short title of your proposal
 Statement of proposal
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State in 2-4 sentences the subject you propose to
be a content expert for
Define the scope of your proposal indicating what
parts of the process you will cover and what parts
fall beyond the scope of the guide
Explain in detail you familiarity with the subject and
how you have gained your expertise in this area
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Proposal Template (Cont.)
 Processes involved
 Identify at least 5 separate tasks that are required
for your subject
 Definition of Main Concepts and Terms
 Ensure your topic is sufficiently complex
 Identify at least 8 key terms or concepts not
obvious to the average reader that would need to
be explained regarding your project
 Troubleshooting
 Describe any common problems that occur with
your topic and how they are resolved
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Sample Proposal
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Functional Specification
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Functional Specification
Definition and Scope
As a content expert, you will:
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create a functional specification to give a
clear understanding of your subject matter
explain in detail all that you know about
your subject
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Functional Specification
Template
 Purpose
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State in 1-2 sentences the purpose of the user guide
 Scope
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State clearly what the guide will cover and what it will not
cover
 Prerequisites/Requirements
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Identify who the audience for the guide is and their prior
knowledge on the subject
State the expected knowledge and experience assumed,
if you are writing for an advanced learner profile
List any tools or supplies that will be required for an
individual to complete the tasks outlined in the guide
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Functional Specification
Template (Cont.)
 Processes
 Identify what separate processes will need to be
covered in the guide to maintain sufficient
complexity
 Must have a minimum of 4 separate processes,
each with distinct steps
 Troubleshooting
 Anticipate common problems a user may encounter
that will need to be addressed
 Glossary
 List and define key terms that will be used and are
essential for accomplishing the purpose
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Sample Functional Specification
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Blueprint
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Blueprint Definition and Scope
 Blueprint serves as the fundamental
structure of the document
 You create a blueprint that outlines the
entire structure of your guide, including
heading at every level with a brief
explanation of the topic
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Blueprint Template
 Identify the people who will be involved as a writer, a
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content expert, and as a peer reviewer
Identify the timeline associated with each activity till
project completion
Maintain parallelism in the headings
Start each heading with a verb
Combine headings wherever appropriate and avoid too
many headings
Do not have Level 1 heading without a Level 2 heading
Do not have Level 1 heading with only a single Level 2
heading
Explain briefly what will be covered in each section and
do not write the entire content
Follow the Blueprint format
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Sample Blueprint
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Drafts
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Draft - 1 Definition and Scope
 You will create three drafts during the
documentation process
 For the first draft:
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Ensure your document contains all the details and
other related explanations and the information
presented is technically accurate (Macro level)
Ensure comprehensiveness of the document, a
step towards a complete guide with all sections and
steps written
Ensure the basic formatting elements are in place
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Sample Draft - 1
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Draft – 2 Scope
Ensure:
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the technical information is accurate at the
micro level
the document is reader-focused (usability)
the format is finalized
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Sample Draft - 2
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Draft – 3 Scope
 Ensure the manual:
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contains all the relevant graphics
is perfect in all aspects by your estimation
Is of camera-ready quality
 Create a mock-up version of the manual
including print, binding, cover, and overall presentation
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Sample Draft - 3
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Reviews
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Content Expert Review
 As a content expert, you will review the each
draft created by the writer assigned to your
topic
 You will ensure technical accuracy of the
content and improve the overall usability of the
document
 You will be graded by the quality of the
comments that you make to your writer
 Use the User Guide Style Guide checklist for
review
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Tips for Content Expert
Review
Look for:
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Technical accuracy of content
Adequacy of the technical content
Whether the content meets the objective of
the topic
End-user pre-requisite knowledge and
difficulty level in performing the tasks
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Peer Review
 You will review the guide of another classmate
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in addition to the guide you review as a content
expert
You will function as a potential user by
conducting a usability test
As a target audience, you will provide valuable
feedback to the writer to help communicate
effectively
You will be graded on the quality of the
comments you make to the guide
Use the User Guide Style Guide checklist for
review
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Tips for Peer Review
Look for:
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Parallelism in headings
Adequate white spaces
Consistent formatting
Run-on / incomplete sentences
Active voice
Correct punctuation marks
Grammatically incorrect sentences, such as
subject-verb match
End-user focused
Adequacy of technical content
Clarity of tasks
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Final User Guide
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Final User Guide
 The USER’S GUIDE, due at Final
 The guide will be graded on:
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Overall usability
Style
Presentation
Graphics
Accuracy
Fit to audience
Correct application of format, grammar, and
punctuation
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