TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Eric Haddock asked what folks call the documentation they write.
I write hospital software documentation. Here's how we name them:
--A book for hospital employees (clerks, nurses, techs) which describes
how to use an application is a "XXX System Users Guide." This can
include tutorials.
--A book for the IS employees (programmers) detailing the application's
screens, fields, and so on is a "XXX System Reference Manual." In small
applications this is sometimes combined with the Users Guide as an
appendix.
--Documents for hospital employees describing how specific departments
use the application is named "XXX System Procedures."
We also have a few other types of docs, such as Business Rules (used
during the application design process) and Quick References ("cheat
sheets"). But just about everything we write falls into these three
categories.
Nancy Kaminski, Fairview Hospital and Healthcare, Mpls.
TECHWR-L List Information
To send a message about technical communication to 2500+ list readers,
E-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send administrative commands
ALL other questions or problems concerning the list
should go to the listowner, Eric Ray, at ejray -at- ionet -dot- net -dot-