Re: Five Point Quality Test

[Charles Fisher <decrsc!charles -at- UUNET -dot- UU -dot- NET>]

Hi folks--

Len says -

> Now, if the programmers happen to be your primary audience, you could
> give them what they *expect*, and argue that this is what they *want*.
> However, if you give them something of a high quality that meets their
> needs, I doubt you'd hear many complaints regardless of their
> expectations.

If you can produce a document for your primary audience that meets their
needs and exceeds their expectations, then I argue that you have produced
a high quality document. Although we (as technical writers) may have
our own ideas about what makes up a 'quality' document, the audience for
the document must be the final judge. Aside from research-proven techniques
of writing to improve clarity, comprehension, and readability, everything
else in a document is 'up for grabs,' so to speak.

The $100 million powerball question, then, is this: What are your
audience's needs and expectations? The only way to get an answer to that
question is to ask it to your audience.

If you don't, you'll end up with something similar to the programmer's
reference guide with a beautiful, expensive cover that may exceed their
expectations but not meet their needs. You also run the danger of producing
content that does the same....   ;)

--
Charles Fisher
Senior Documentation Specialist
Program Manager/President-Elect, STC Washington, DC Chapter

Datatel, Inc.
4375 Fair Lakes Court
Fairfax, VA  22033
(703) 968-4588 (voice)
(703) 968-4625 (FAX)
charles -at- datatel -dot- com