Chapter 17 Technical Instructions

1. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Chapter 17
Technical Instructions

2. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Instructions
‣ Are one of the most common workplace genres
‣ Can be simple or complex
‣ Are used to solve problems
‣ Can be textual or visual

3. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Ethics in Instructions
‣ Safety: be sure the instructions do not place
the readers in harm’s way
‣ Functionability: be sure the instructions help
a reader successfully complete their tasks
‣ Misuse of product: unclear or incorrect
instructions may allow a reader to misuse the
product leading to injury or damage

4. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
‣ Hazards even with proper use: make sure to explain what
risks are inherently involved in the product or process
‣ Troubleshooting: cover potential problems, and make
sure the solutions you provide are feasible, safe, and
accurate
‣ Product liability: be sure both the writer and the reader
understand their responsibilities and liabilities
Ethics in Instructions

5. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
‣ Putting something
together
‣ Repairing an object
‣ Operating a device
‣ Installing a device
‣ Making a product
‣ Solving a problem
Instructions Fit Needs
‣Maintaining an object
‣Unpacking or packing an
object
‣Working through a
process or procedure
‣Providing documentation

6. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Key Elements
‣ Title / title image
‣ Byline
‣ Date
‣ Introduction
‣ Alerts
‣Equipment needed
‣Parts list
‣Steps
‣Conclusion

7. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Title/Title Image
‣ Begins any good written document
‣ Often includes an image to show audiences
the product discussed in the instructions or
the problem the instructions solve
‣ Tells the audience what the instructions
accomplish, and what problems it solves
‣ Should be clear and concise

8. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Byline
‣ Acts as an on-going record
‣ Tells audiences who produced the document
so they can contact the appropriate person or
company should the instructions fail
‣ Can include information about the company
responsible for the instructions, rather than
the actual author’s name

9. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Date
‣ Informs the audience of the currency of the
instructions
‣ Keeps track of the relationships among
different documents produced at different
times

10. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Introduction
‣ Tells audiences the aims of the instructions
‣ Tells what problem the instructions help them solve
‣ Should let readers know what will be accomplished
‣ Identifies the organizational structure
‣ Includes discussion of any terminology or special
conventions used in the instruction manual
‣ May also include additional information about how
audiences can use the instructions

11. Alerts
‣ Inform audiences about particular safety
considerations such as
‣ Dangers
‣ Warnings
‣ Cautions
‣ Notes
NOTE
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.

12. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
‣ Use visually distinct icons that attract attention
and distinguish the different kinds of alerts
‣ Are not universal, but are generally
standardized for a particular industry
‣ Alleviate problems by ensuring that readers
and writers share common understandings
‣ Stand out from texts visually by using fonts,
shapes, colors, and position
Alerts

13. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Equipment Needed
‣ Describes what is needed to follow instructions
‣ Should be listed prior to beginning the first step of
the instructions
‣ Might also require how-to-use explanations
‣ Use a one-to-one corresponding list for tools and
their images
‣ Should present images clearly and offer written
lists with the images

14. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Parts List
‣ Functions much like an equipment or tools list
because it provides a detailed list of materials
‣ Includes all parts of the product the reader needs to
complete the instructions
‣ Identifies what each part looks like and the name it
is given so readers can easily identify it when needed
‣ Serves as a check list so the reader can confirm that
all parts have been included

15. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Steps
‣ Tell readers what to do and provide the
correct sequence of tasks
‣ Should be numbered
‣ Should be performed as they are drafted
‣ Should begin each step with a verb
‣ Should avoid highly condensed language

16. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
‣ Should use positive (affirmative) commands
‣ Should include only one action per step
‣ Should group similar steps together
‣ Should visually separate steps
‣ Should clarify steps with visuals
Steps

17. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Conclusion
‣ Offers troubleshooting advice
‣ Offers maintenance information
‣ Offers additional alerts

18. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Quick Reference Card
‣ Is an abbreviated set of instructions that
identify basic operations
‣ Draws from the larger set of instructions and
provides the fundamental tasks
‣ Gives readers quick access to information
about primary operation or function
‣ Should be written in clear concise steps and
consider audience’s needs

19. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Help Pages
‣ Are specialized technical instructions designed to
assist people with computer applications
‣ Are usually files embedded in a particular program
or on-line resources for users
‣ Allow users to search for a specific problem within
the pages
‣ Offer readers step-by-step solutions to the problem

20. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
‣ Should be concise
‣ Should be clear
‣ Should be thorough
‣ Should be direct, but friendly
‣ Should provide examples
‣ Should provide links to other information
Help Pages

21. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Usability Testing
‣ Lets writers determine which parts of the
instructions are effective and ineffective,
accurate and inaccurate
‣ Is a great method for solving problems
associated with the instructions before readers
run into them
‣ Should follow a heuristic or series of questions

22. Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Design
‣ Is determined by the needs the instructions fulfill
‣ Considers the problems they solve (their
purpose)
‣ Examines the way the audience is likely to use
them