Organization Suggestions for Non-context sensitive Online Help

["Victoria Mezydlo" <vmezydlo -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Hi all,

I am developing an online help system, using RoboInfo Enterprise, for a 
third-party web-based application. We purchased this web-based application 
with the understanding that we would use it "out of the box" as much as 
possible, meaning no significant modifications or customizations would be 
made to the software.

The creation of context-sensitive windows-level help falls under this no 
modifications category. However, we will place a button/link on the main 
application form that will launch our help system.

Our help system will contain information for 3 departments at the 
University: HR, Finance, and Student Services. Each of these departments has 
many sub departments to further break down the information. Because we 
cannot create context-sensitive help, when any user clicks on our help 
button/link, the help system they access will contain the information for 
all 3 departments.

The main content of the help system will be procedure/task help topics. The 
help system will also contain a link to an intranet site (maintained by 
another department) that will contain more information about the application 
(FAQs, Training Materials, etc.).

Does anyone have any suggestions about how I can organize the help system to 
reduce the number of clicks any user has to get to the information they are 
looking for? HR users won't be interested in the Finance information, so how 
do I get them where they want to go from the Home Page of the help before 
they lose interest in the help system and call the Help Desk?

Also, any suggestions for the button/link name? The application currently 
has a button and a menu item labeled "Online Help". We need to name our 
button/link something else that indicates to the users that they will get 
the University-specific procedure help if they click our button/link.

I have read the books "Standards for Online Communication" (Hackos,Stevens) 
and "Designing and Writing Online Documentation" (Horton), but many of those 
suggestions focus on context-sensitive help.

Any books, web sites, or other suggestions would be greatly welcome.

Thanks,
Victoria Mezydlo
Documentation Specialist
University of Illinois

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