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Technical & Business Writing

(ENG-315)
Shaukat Ali
UIIT, Rawalpindi
Outline
1. Reviewing Documentation
2. Guidelines for Managing Document Reviews
1. Review the document objectives from the documentation
plan
2. Determine the type of review needed
3. Establish a review schedule
3. Summary
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Getting Useful Reviews
Lecture: 17

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Reviewing Documentation
To review documentation, you send it out to get the
reactions of other people who are involved in the
project
Of all the activities associated with documentation
production, reviewing may take more of your time
and require more careful planning than any other
To make the most of your investment, approach the
review stage with great care and with the attitude
that the review can really increase the usability of
your document
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Guidelines for Managing Document
Reviews
The reviewing process includes;
1. Review the document objectives from the documentation
plan
2. Determine the type of review needed
3. Establish a review schedule
4. Plan the reviews
5. Write a cover letter with the questions for the reviewers
6. Prepare feedback materials for reviewers
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1. Review the Document Objectives
from the Documentation Plan
List the objectives from the documentation plan that
you need to validate through your review
Review product specifications from the client or
sponsors for objectives
List policy and management objectives your
document must meet
Managers and supervisors review your
documentation to make sure that it meets company
policy
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The Document Objectives to Review
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Examples of Objectives Review
Type
Questions Answered
Provide task oriented examples
of processed images
User Do the example reflects
real world tasks?
Encourage use of online help User Does the online help
facility usable?
Provide tutorial support for
basic graphics conversion and
basic screen capture
User Do the tutorial lessons take
up too much time for the
normal user?
Provide extensive reference
support for expert users in: (1)
graphics file format (2) error
messages (3) frequently
encountered
technical Does the reference section
cover all existing error
messages and image
formats
Provide background information
about graphics files and types
Subject
matter
Does the background
section sufficiently explain
graphics files
2. Determine the Type of Review
Needed
When you review, you send documents to other
persons with cover sheets asking them to read or
examine your material and respond to issues in their
area of expertise
Type of reviews;
Managerial Review
Review by manager, supervisor, team leader
For staying in budget, meeting document objectives, quality control
User Review
By users, operators, system supervisors
For ease of use, applicability
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Determine the Type of Review
Needed (Continue...)
Type of reviews (Continue)
Technical Review
By programmers, developers
For technical accuracy of procedures and functions
Subject Matter-Review
By professionals from representative fields
Accuracy of background information
Editorial Review
By staff editors, editorial departments, team editors
For meeting standards of grammar, organization and format
Sponsor review
By clients, sponsor
For meeting diverse user needs, getting value for money
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Problems Encountered with Reviews
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Review Type Problems
Managerial
Review
Making sure they review the document objectives
in context of the whole software project
User Review Making sure reviewers represents the target users
of the system
Technical Review

Getting programmers to pay attention to care
about something outside the technical area
Subject-matter
Review

Finding experts in specialized field willing to do the
reviews
Editorial Review

Making sure editors have clear understanding of
user needs
Sponsor Review Scheduling time with busy professionals
3. Establish a Review Schedule
It means you have to give your reviewers enough
time to prepare their responses
You need to select the right circulation strategy
Circulation strategy refers to the way you circulate
copies of your document to reviewers
Methods of circulation
Sequential circulation
Simultaneous circulation
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Sequential Circulation
It entails making one copy of the document for each
category of reviewer.
Each reviewer reads the document and then either
gives you back or passes it to the next person
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Sequential Circulation (Continue)
Advantages
Low cost
Less hassle
Encourages team spirit
Disadvantages
Spawn margin arguments
Early reviewers affects later reviewers
Causes political problems
Hard to control
Takes extra time

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Simultaneous Circulation
It entails making multiple copies of a document, one
for each reviewer
Each reviewer gets a fresh copy, reads, records and
then gives it back to you
Online circulation is simultaneous in that all
reviewers can download and reviews at the same
time
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Simultaneous Circulation (Continue)
Advantages
Fast
Good for graphically diverse reviewers
Fosters a one-to-one relationship
Easy to control
Easy, when online
Disadvantages
Expensive
Takes more of your time
Foster redundant comments
Causes version mix-ups with online
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Summary
Any Questions?