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Re: Need more info about 2 documentation references
Subject:Re: Need more info about 2 documentation references From:"Nancy S. Burns" <nburns -at- NOAO -dot- EDU> Date:Fri, 22 Jul 1994 11:30:10 -0825
On Thu, 21 Jul 1994 Peggy Thompson <Peggy_Thompson -at- CCMAIL -dot- OSTI -dot- GOV>
asked:
Can anyone tell me a little more about the books Marsha referred
to: _Managing Your Documentation Projects_ and _The
Documentation Development Methodology_? If I knew a bit more
about these, I could probably justify their purchase to my
division manager.
I recommended the book, "The Documentation Development Methodology" (DDM)
to Marsha. It is published by Sandra Pakin & Associates (SP&A), Chicago
(Tel. 312-271-2848) for about $35 (no credit cards). (SP&A also publishes
"The Journal of Documentation Project Management", a quarterly
publication.)
While the book is written for an MIS audience, I think it is applicable to
other types of documentation management ( I'm not in the MIS field, but
have found the book useful). This is an excerpt from the preface:
"...the DDM is a proven approach for developing all types of formal written
materials. It consists of ten tasks that structure the documentation
development process into containable units of work beginning with planning
and following through with writing, critical reviews of the writing,
graphic development, and production coordination. Each DDM task has a
definite product and builds on the output of the previous task."
The book is well writen and organized, and full of graphic examples. I
consider it a handy text in learning (or re-learning) all the important
steps in document development - and why the steps are important. OK, enough
free advertising. Call SP&A for more info.
Nancy S. Burns
National Solar Observatory
Tucson, Arizona
e-mail: nburns -at- noao -dot- edu
"Writing a poem is taking over the 200-inch telescope carefully focused on
the galaxies born at the beginning of the universe and turning it to look
at a child eating mystery meat and string beans 300 miles away." from
"Incantation to Overcome Writer's Block, Maybe" by Lisa Yount.
