A proposal for user centered system documentation

Authors:
C. O'Malley;P. Smolensky;L. Bannon;E. Conway;J. Graham;J. Sokolov;M. L. Monty
Affiliations:
Institute for Cognitive Science, University of California at San Diego;Institute for Cognitive Science, University of California at San Diego;Institute for Cognitive Science, University of California at San Diego;Institute for Cognitive Science, University of California at San Diego;Institute for Cognitive Science, University of California at San Diego;Institute for Cognitive Science, University of California at San Diego;Institute for Cognitive Science, University of California at San Diego
Venue:
CHI '83 Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Year:
1983

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Abstract

This paper outlines a set of proposals for the development of system documentation based on an analysis of user needs. It is suggested that existing documentation is not sensitive enough to the variety of levels of user expertise, nor to the variety of contexts in which on-line help is required. We outline three specific proposals for fulfilling these needs: a quick reference facility, a command-line database, and a facility for full explanation and instruction, and suggest a number of ways in which users might access these facilities. Finally, we suggest a way of combining these facilities into an integrated structured manual, offering more effective user support than is currently provided.