160 Pages 73 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    160 Pages
    by CRC Press

    Confusing, inadequate instructions for setting up and using consumer products are not only unhelpful, but potentially dangerous. They may contain wrong information, poor warnings, and no pictures or illustrations. Standards are either non-existent or little known, even though the U.S. government has developed and tested standards for the past thirty years. This book presents a set of guidelines written by The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society that have been tested by human factor specialists. This expert advice is applicable to writing assembly procedures, operational procedures, and user, shop, and repair manuals.

    INTRODUCTION

    GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
    Expected Mode of Use
    Basic Units of Instructions
    Considerations for Packaging Information
    Components of Instructions

    GENERAL PRESENTATION PRINCIPLES
    Summary of Principles
    Short-Term Memory
    Consistency and Fixed Syntax
    Text-Graphic
    Figure-to-Ground Ratio
    Sequence
    Multilingual Format

    INFORMATION TO PLAN THE WORK
    General
    Configuration
    Prerequisite Conditions
    Safety
    Help Required
    Tools, Equipment, and Supplies
    Table of

    GRAPHICS
    Locators
    Detailed View
    Types of Graphics
    Captions
    Callouts
    Application Guidelines

    LANGUAGE CONTROL
    Rules for Command Verbs
    Command Verb List
    Command Verb Dictionary
    Non-Command Verbs
    Nouns and Nomenclature
    Other Parts of Speech
    Abbreviations

    TEXT AND FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS AND RULES
    Headings
    Command Steps
    Sequence of Tasks and Steps
    Callouts in Text
    Sub-Procedures (Procedures within Procedures)
    Tables to Supplement Instructions
    Guidance and Routing Information (Notes)

    PREPARING INSTRUCTIONS
    Set Ground Rules
    Gather Source Materials
    Conduct Analysis
    Design
    Write and Edit
    Conduct a User Test

    SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR MAINTENANCE
    The Inherent Structure of Maintenance
    Special Analysis for Troubleshooting
    Format for Troubleshooting Instructions

    APPENDIX: CHECKLIST FOR DEVELOPING EASY-TO-USE INSTRUCTIONS
    Planning Information
    Graphics
    Language Control
    Text and Format
    Preparing the Instructions
    REFERENCES
    INDEX

    Biography

    Kay Inaba, Stuart O. Parsons, Robert J. Smillie

    "I recommend this book to anyone interested in writing effective procedural instructions."
    -Ergonomics in Design

    "[This book] is a thorough, methodical manual, which delivers just what its title promises. The process of this very specific type of writing is clearly laid out in overview and broken down into manageable steps; clearly this same excellent process was utilized in the preparation of this volume. … Highly recommended for academic, special or public libraries supporting technical writers and those in need of assistance with developing technical materials; in addition, for its attention to detail and the planning process, this source would likely be useful to anyone who develops instructional materials for any audience."
    -E-Streams

    "In the past, when I have taught a course on task-oriented communication, I have used a [different] text book … . In the future, I will use 'Guidelines for Developing Instructions' instead."
    -Technical Communication