RE: Features of a well-written procedure

["Michael West" <mike -dot- west -at- oz -dot- quest -dot- com>]

Clear? Definitely.

Short? Well, that's relative.

Title? Well, a label of some sort, certainly.

Clearly defines the task at hand? I don't know what that means.

Clearly states the outcome? Yes. Preferably, at the beginning.

Is numbered? If that means broken into numbered steps, yes.

Lists one action per step? Not really. There is room for debate about what
"one action" means.

Uses parallelism? Sure.

Five to seven steps? Not necessarily, but it's a good target.

Uses active voice? Yes, usually. Active voice, imperative mood.

Uses graphics where appropriate? Ah, there we go again! Who decides?

Has a conclusion? No. A conclusion (as I understand the term) isn't needed.
But remember to tell
them what to do next if it matters.


--
Michael West
Technical Writer
Melbourne


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