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Subject:Re: number of help topics per day From:jlshaeffer -at- aol -dot- com To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:41:17 -0400
An average of 4 hours per topic has always served me well as an estimate. Of course, every topic is different, that's why it's an average. It also seems to allow time for tasks other than writing topics, such as coding and testing macros or processing screen captures. It's nice that it has written back-up in an "authoritative" source, as well.
Also, in the days of the typewriter, 8 hours per finished page was our guideline on government contracts. With modern technology, we can cut that down to an average of 4 hours per topic (and maybe 4 hours per page, but I haven't estimated in pages for ages).
Jim Shaeffer
-----Original Message-----
Paul Hanson wrote:
On page 170 in JoAnn T. Hackos' "Managing Your Documentation Projects,"
she uses the estimate of "4 hours per topic of help information" for
"context-sensitive help" and "4 hours per topic, including hyperlink
links" for "comprehensive help.
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