글을 시작하고 나서 이런저런 다른 일을 하느라, 다음 글을 계속 못 올리고 있습니다.
이번에는 좀 목차만 살펴봅니다. 책 전체 목차가 따로 공개된 사이트가 없어서, 따로 정리를 했구요. 목차만 보면 대략적으로 이 책에서 어떤 내용을 다루는지 알 수 있습니다.
테크니컬 라이팅 강의을 시작하고 나서 이런저런 다른 일을 하느라, 다음 글을 계속 못 올리고 있습니다.
이번에는 좀 목차만 살펴봅니다. 책 전체 목차가 따로 공개된 사이트가 없어서, 따로 정리를 했구요. 목차만 보면 대략적으로 이 책에서 어떤 내용을 다루는지 알 수 있습니다.
테크니컬 라이팅 강의 "글로벌 글쓰기 표준을 통한 직장인들의 글쓰기 및 번역 기초"에서는 "1 Consistency 3 Easy 9 Quality Characteristics"라고 소개하고 있는데요. 그 틀은 1판부터 크게 변하지 않고 있습니다. 세부 목차에서 내용이 추가되거나 빠지거나 했을 뿐이죠.
Part 1. Introduction
1. Technical information continues to evolve
1.1. Embedded assistance
1.1.1. Progressive disclosure of information
1.2. The technical writer’s role today
1.3. Redefining quality technical information
2. Developing quality technical information
2.1. Preparing to write: understanding users, goals, and product tasks
2.2. Writing and rewriting
2.2.1. Planning what to write for different stages of product use
2.2.2. Deciding exactly what to write
2.2.3. Starting to write
2.2.4. Refining what you write
2.3. Reviewing, testing, and evaluating technical information
Part 2. Easy to use
3. Task orientation
3.1. Write for the intended audience
3.2. Present information from the users’ point of view
3.3. Focus on users’ goals
3.3.1. Identify tasks that support users’ goals
3.3.2. Write user-oriented task topics, not function-oriented task topics
3.3.3. Avoid an unnecessary focus on product features
3.4. Indicate a practical reason for information
3.5. Provide clear, step-by-step instructions
3.5.1. Make each step a clear action for users to take
3.5.2. Group steps for usability
3.5.3. Clearly identify steps that are optional or conditional
3.5.4. Optional steps
3.5.5. Conditional steps
3.6. Task orientation checklist
4. Accuracy
4.1. Research before you write
4.1.1. Hands-on experience and direct observation
4.1.2. Information plan, outline, and rough-draft reviews
4.1.3. Interviews
4.2. Verify the information that you write
4.2.1. Hands-on testing with interfaces
4.2.2. Technical reviews and technical ownership
4.2.3. Information in quality control tests
4.3. Maintain information currency
4.3.1. Keep up with technical changes
4.3.2. Avoid writing information that will become outdated
4.4. Maintain consistency in all information about a subject
4.4.1. Reuse information when possible
4.4.2. Avoid introducing inconsistencies
4.5. Use tools that automate checking for accuracy
4.5.1. Spell-checking tools
4.5.2. Grammar-checking tools
4.5.3. Link-checking tools
4.6. Accuracy checklist
5. Completeness
5.1. Make user interfaces self-documenting
5.2. Apply a pattern for disclosing information
5.2.1. Static text
5.2.2. Tool or icon assistance
5.2.3. Control-level assistance
5.2.4. Linking
5.2.5. Messages
5.2.6. Help display
5.3. Cover all subjects that support users’ goals and only those subjects
5.3.1. Create an outline or topic model
5.3.2. Include only information based on user goals
5.3.3. Make sure concepts and reference topics support the goals
5.4. Cover each subject in only as much detail as users need
5.4.1. Provide appropriate detail for your users and their experience level
5.4.2. Include enough information
5.4.3. Include only necessary information
5.5. Repeat information only when users will benefit from it
5.5.1. Helpful repetition
5.5.2. Unnecessary repetition
5.6. Completeness checklist
Part 3. Easy to understand
6. Clarity
6.1. Focus on the meaning
6.1.1. Proximity of verbs to their subjects
6.1.2. Long gerund phrases
6.1.3. Long coordinated phrases and clauses
6.1.4. Too many modifying phrases and clauses
6.2. Eliminate wordiness
6.2.1. Roundabout expressions
6.2.2. Redundancies
6.2.3. Unnecessary modifiers
6.2.4. Imprecise verbs
6.3. Write coherently
6.4. Avoid ambiguity
6.4.1. Use words as only one part of speech
6.4.2. Avoid empty words
6.4.3. Use words with a clear meaning
6.4.4. Write positively
6.4.5. Make the syntax of sentences clear
6.4.6. Use pronouns correctly
6.4.7. Place modifiers appropriately
6.5. Use technical terms consistently and appropriately
6.5.1. Decide whether to use a term
6.5.2. Use terms consistently
6.5.3. Define each term that is new to the intended audience
6.6. Clarity checklist
7. Concreteness
7.1. Consider the skill level and needs of users
7.1.1. Domain expertise
7.1.2. Skill levels of the audience
7.1.3. Cultural backgrounds of the audience
7.2. Use concreteness elements that are appropriate for the information type
7.2.1. Embedded assistance
7.2.2. Programmatic assistance
7.2.3. Text labels
7.2.4. Messages
7.2.5. Control-level assistance
7.2.6. Task information
7.2.7. Conceptual information
7.2.8. Reference information
7.2.9. Troubleshooting information
7.3. Use focused, realistic, and up-to-date concreteness elements
7.3.1. Focused elements
7.3.2. Realistic elements
7.3.3. Current elements
7.4. Use scenarios to illustrate tasks and to provide overviews
7.4.1. Task scenarios
7.4.2. Business scenarios
7.5. Make code examples and samples easy to use
7.6. Set the context for examples and scenarios
7.7. Use similes and analogies to relate unfamiliar information to familiar information
7.8. Use specific language
7.9. Concreteness checklist
8. Style
8.1. Use active and passive voice appropriately
8.2. Convey the right tone
8.2.1. Informal tone
8.2.2. Pretentious tone
8.2.3. Neutral tone
8.3. Avoid gender and cultural bias
8.4. Spell terms consistently and correctly
8.5. Use proper capitalization
8.6. Use consistent and correct punctuation
8.6.1. Commas
8.6.2. Colons
8.6.3. Semicolons
8.6.4. Em dashes and hyphens
8.6.5. Combinations of punctuation marks
8.7. Apply consistent highlighting
8.7.1. Text
8.7.2. Lists
8.8. Make elements parallel
8.9. Apply templates and reuse commonly used expressions
8.9.1. Templates
8.9.2. Commonly used expressions
8.10. Use consistent markup tagging
8.11. Style checklist
Part 4. Easy to find
9. Organization
9.1. Put information where users expect it
9.1.1. Separate contextual information from other types of information
9.1.2. Separate contextual information into the appropriate type of embedded assistance
9.1.3. Separate noncontextual information into discrete topics by type
9.2. Arrange elements to facilitate navigation
9.2.1. Organize elements sequentially
9.2.2. Organize elements consistently
9.3. Reveal how elements fit together
9.4. Emphasize main points; subordinate secondary points
9.4.1. Main points
9.4.2. Secondary points
9.5. Organization checklist
10. Retrievability
10.1. Optimize for searching and browsing
10.1.1. Use clear, descriptive titles
10.1.2. Use keywords effectively
10.1.3. Optimize the table of contents for scanning
10.2. Guide users through the information
10.3. Link appropriately
10.3.1. Link to essential information
10.3.2. Avoid redundant links
10.3.3. Use effective wording for links
10.4. Provide helpful entry points
10.5. Retrievability checklist
11. Visual effectiveness
11.1. Apply visual design practices to textual elements
11.1.1. Attributes of visually effective text
11.2. Use graphics that are meaningful and appropriate
11.2.1. Illustrate significant tasks and concepts
11.2.2. Make information interactive
11.2.3. Use screen captures judiciously
11.3. Apply a consistent visual style
11.4. Use visual elements to help users find what they need
11.4.1. White space
11.4.2. Tables
11.4.3. Callouts
11.4.4. Cueing graphics
11.5. Ensure that visual elements are accessible to all users
11.5.1. Alternative text for graphics
11.5.2. Color and contrast
11.5.3. Tables
11.6. Visual effectiveness checklist
Part 5.Putting it all together
12. Applying more than one quality characteristic
12.1. Applying quality characteristics to progressively disclosed information
12.2. Applying quality characteristics to information for an international audience
12.3. Applying quality characteristics to topic-based information
12.3.1. Applying quality characteristics to task information
12.3.2. Applying quality characteristics to conceptual information
12.3.3. Applying quality characteristics to reference information
13. Reviewing, testing, and evaluating technical information
13.1. Reviewing technical information
13.1.1. Reading and using the information
13.1.2. Finding problems
13.1.3. Reporting problems
13.2. Testing information for usability
13.2.1. Prototyping
13.2.2. Testing in a usability laboratory
13.2.3. Testing outside a usability laboratory
13.3. Testing technical information
13.3.1. Tools for testing
13.3.2. Test cases
13.3.3. Testing the user interface
13.4. Editing and evaluating technical information
13.4.1. Preparing to edit
13.4.2. Getting an overview
13.4.3. For embedded assistance
13.4.4. For task information
13.4.5. For conceptual information
13.4.6. For reference information
13.5. Reading and editing the information
13.5.1. Check for factual consistency
13.5.2. Check for organizational consistency
13.5.3. Check for appropriate level of detail
13.5.4. Check for appropriate visual elements
13.5.5. Check for consistent style
13.5.6. Looking for specific information
13.5.7. Summarizing your findings
13.5.8. Assigning problems to the quality characteristics
13.5.9. Assigning quality ratings
13.5.10. Conferring with the writer
13.6. Reviewing the visual elements
13.6.1. Preparing to review
13.6.2. Getting an overview
13.6.3. Reviewing individual visual elements
13.6.4. Summarizing your findings
13.6.5. Conferring with the editor or writer or both
