FW: Technical Document Evaluation

["Anna Langley" <alangley -at- ts -dot- checkpoint -dot- com>]

Dear CB Casper:

This comes from a member of my team, Barbara Vibbert
(bvibbert -at- ts -dot- checkpoint -dot- com):

Consider a feedback form where the evaluator rates
several statements on a 1-5 scale, indicating how
true the statement is of the document he is reviewing.
(1 is completely false, 5 is completely true.)
Examples of the types of statements that might be
included on the feedback form include:

The explanation of the technology is correct.
The explanation of the technology is useful.
The explanation of the technology is complete.
The instructions for performing tasks are accurate.
The instructions for performing tasks are complete.
The information provided is sufficient to understand the topic.
The document contains no unnecessary or irrelevant information.
The document uses clear, appropriate language.

Provide space for the reviewer to comment. Schedule time for
the writers and reviewers to discuss documents with low scores.


Ask the reviewers to suggest resources when a writer does not
display adequate mastery of a topic. The writer and his manager
should develop an action plan to correct the knowledge deficit.
The action plan should include a statement indicating how both
the writer and the manager will know the knowledge deficit has
been corrected. Initially, until the writers and the manager
become more technically savvy, including the reviewer in the
action plan formation process may yield better results.

Hope that helps.

Anna Langley
Courseware Team
Check Point Software Technologies, Ltd.


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-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-115068 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-115068 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of CB Casper
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 3:02 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Technical Document Evaluation



We are changing our writing organization to emphasize
the 'technical' aspects of our jobs. We are expecting
our writers to become SMEs, and one aspect of this
to farm out the editing, formatting, and font fondling
to another group, so we can focus on the technology
and presenting it to our sys admin customers.

We are contemplating including an Evaluation form with
our documents when we send them to the lab for a
technical review, similar to an instructor evaluation
form filled out after a training class.

Has anyone done anything like this?

What can be asked of a technical lab person concerning
technical documentation in order to elicit useful
information? The intent is to obtain feedback on both
the technical content of the documentation and the
technical skills of the writer. With this evaluation
we hope to show the writers their weaknesses so they
can get the training they need to become better SMEs.



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