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Subject:Reader analysis From:geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA Date:Fri, 19 Dec 1997 10:04:57 -0600
Jim Snowden is <<doing a bit of readership analysis for our
next product>>, and looked for advice on some of the types
of information to collect.
None of what you listed is wrong, but here are a few more
pointed questions you can ask that will get you to the
answers more directly than the broader categories you're
working with (e.g., advanced vs. new user):
- what tasks to you need to perform with the tool?
- how often do you consult online help? printed manuals? If
you had a choice, which would you consult?
- what do you like least about online help? about printed
manuals?
- what do you like most about online help? about printed
manuals?
See where I'm going with this? Fine tune these (and add
more) as necessary or appropriate. The results will define
a typical user much better than an ad hoc category such as
"power user".
--Geoff Hart @8^{)} geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.
