Advanced Advanced Technical Technical WritingWriting

20082008

Session #10

Today In ClassToday In Class

►Analyzing Genres & Tasks (the Analyzing Genres & Tasks (the user perspective)user perspective)

►Content AuditContent Audit

Coming up: Guest speaker Pat Grabill;

Read Pat’s article (in Angel)

Today’s focus…Today’s focus…

Genre and features

A Focus on Sees the site as

Emphasizes the point of view of

Structure & Delivery

Production Models & Workflows

a text; or a collection of

texts

the reader/user

objects & actions; social

space

a workplace

the designers & developers

the admins and “authors”

“Genre as Community Invention” by Graham Smart

What is a What is a genregenre??

“…“…a distinctive profile of a distinctive profile of regularities across texts, regularities across texts, composing processes, and reading composing processes, and reading practices…”practices…”

They highlightThey highlight recurrent situationsrecurrent situations important connections with other textsimportant connections with other texts the shared expectations of readersthe shared expectations of readers the common practices of writersthe common practices of writers

What is a What is a WebWeb Genre? Genre?

Usability.gov Site on Collecting, Writing, and Revising Content http://usability.gov/methods/collecting_writing.html

Consider the following advice:

“Break the text into manageable pieces

Put in many headings

Write useful headings”

Why is this good advice for web-based writing?

What is a Genre What is a Genre Analysis?Analysis?

A process of identifying the comparative and contrastive features of a given information resource. Viewing the site as a text(s), emphasizing the reader/user point of view.

Genre Analysis Genre Analysis CategoriesCategories

•Authors

•Readers/Users

•Organization/Format

•Style

•Use of Visuals

•Range of Variation w/in Genres

Add the five W’s to these and you have a good start on the analysis process:

Who

What

When …and How!

Where

Why

Genres : recurrent Genres : recurrent situations, not necessarily situations, not necessarily

reusereuse

Why is the FAQ list so popular?

Or we might ask, more broadly…

What makes for good writing on the web?

Basic principles of Basic principles of web writing: #1 Task-web writing: #1 Task-

OrientedOriented

1.1. Effective web writing is task-Effective web writing is task-oriented. oriented. While it is not entirely true that While it is not entirely true that

people don’t read on the web, it is true people don’t read on the web, it is true that reading IS NOT usually their end that reading IS NOT usually their end goal. goal.

Good web writing aims to support Good web writing aims to support readers’ true goals and tasks.readers’ true goals and tasks.

Basic principles of Basic principles of web writing: #1 Task-web writing: #1 Task-

OrientedOrientedTask-Oriented, cont.Task-Oriented, cont.

Readers tasks may vary widely from Readers tasks may vary widely from

focused to open-ended; from “What focused to open-ended; from “What is the filing deadline for my is the filing deadline for my return, ” to “I wonder if it is return, ” to “I wonder if it is worth it to go ahead and my craft worth it to go ahead and my craft hobby a small business?”hobby a small business?”

Basic principles of Basic principles of web writing: #2 User-web writing: #2 User-

CenteredCentered

1.1. Effective web writing is User-Centered Effective web writing is User-Centered All good writing is tailored for its All good writing is tailored for its

intended audience, but on the web, that intended audience, but on the web, that “audience” is an active user, not just a “audience” is an active user, not just a passive reader.passive reader.

Basic principles of Basic principles of web writing: #2 User-web writing: #2 User-

CenteredCentered

User-Centered, cont.User-Centered, cont. Good web writing focuses on readers’ Good web writing focuses on readers’

specific needs, eliminating everything specific needs, eliminating everything that doesn’t address those needs well.that doesn’t address those needs well.

The best web writing gets tested for its The best web writing gets tested for its effectiveness in adressing user needs…effectiveness in adressing user needs…with real live users!with real live users!

Just the FAQ’s Ma’am: Just the FAQ’s Ma’am: Good Web HabitsGood Web Habits

You’ve probably seen them: lists of FAQ’s. Whether they are “Frequently Asked Questions,” or “Fabricated & Answered Questions,” they represent some of the good habits of successful web writers.

What is a FAQ?

FAQ’s have become popular ways to

•Target content to reader’s needs

•Guide reader’s to the specific info they need

•Chunk information for easy scanning and linking

FAQ Features

FAQ’s are well suited FAQ’s are well suited for the web because…for the web because…ODT Categories

• They are easy to scan. Readers can quickly skip over what they don’t want to read. Note: redundancy is ok!

• They are likely to address the readers’ concerns because they put the writer in the reader’s shoes. This works best if they are real Frequently Asked Questions.

• They are nicely broken up into visual chunks with a label – the question – to make everything identifiable

• They are short; long answers usually mean that more than one question has been addressed…best to break it into two or more!

From Facts to FAQs, 1From Facts to FAQs, 1

Go to the Ohio Dept. of Taxation Site and navigate to

RELEASES>INFORMATION RELEASES>ROUNDING (Sept. 29, 2000)

1. First, determine who your readers are likely to be; in this case, ours will be “taxpayers.”

2. Next, determine the questions that taxpayers would ask

3. Group the questions into categories, if needed, and put them in a logical order to make the list easy to use

How to Turn an Info Release into a FAQ List

From Facts to FAQsFrom Facts to FAQs

4. Note that the information in the press release is used to answer the questions

5. Additional information may be needed to provide a more complete answer.

Turn an Info Release into a FAQ List, part 2

How Did the Buckeyes Do How Did the Buckeyes Do it?it?

Now go to the FAQ page…assuming the role of your target audience members. Can you find the information from the Information Release on Rounding in the FAQ?

In how many different categories does it reside?

Try this:Try this:

1. Pick any news release issued by MSU lately…

http://msutoday.msu.edu

2. Turn it into a FAQ list

3. Propose a format for future press releases that would allow for easy re-purposing into a FAQ list

Refer to the genre analysis categories.

They’ll be a good guide.

What is a Content What is a Content Audit?Audit?

A process of identifying all of the various information types that are important to an organization.

The purpose? To determine how content is used, reused and delivered.

Often, reuse is done the old fashioned way…

Traditional Methods of Traditional Methods of ReuseReuse

1. Author finds a piece of content they want to reuse, usually in an existing document.

2. Cut and paste old content into a new file or edit an existing file.

3. Rewrite, add/delete material and re-format to fit with current situation.

Moving toward systematic Moving toward systematic reuse…the process of a CAreuse…the process of a CA

1. Determine scope of the audit

2. Gather sample materials

3. Analyze Content

• Top level identify common pieces of information

• In-depth study elements identified as similar in top-level

Two important matrices result…

Top-Level Analysis Top-Level Analysis MatrixMatrix

Information ProductsContent Unit

1. Logo

2. Contact Info

3. Course Description

4. Projects

5. Ethics Clause

Syllabus Schedule Website

Going in-depthGoing in-depthInformation ProductsContent Unit

1. Logo

2. Contact Info

3. Course Description

4. Projects

5. Ethics Clause

Syllabus Schedule Website

Are all these “projects” the

same?

Reuse MapReuse MapInformation ProductsContent Unit

1. Logo

2. Contact Info

3. Course Description

4. Projects

5. Ethics Clause

Syllabus Schedule Website

I DI

II

II

S/I ID

S/I I = identical S= source

D= derivative

Next Time…Next Time…

►Some practice doing a Content Some practice doing a Content Audit Audit

►Show and tell: FAQ exerciseShow and tell: FAQ exercise