Re: Chapter Overviews
The first answer is *always*: Ask your users! The list might add value for
some of them, and it probably won't reduce value for the others. It should
be easy to generate, and it doesn't duplicate the Table of Contents. Go for
it.
Well, I don't think that's the answer at all, in large part because I'd guess that if you *asked* users if they want such a section, many, if not most, will say "yes."
If you ask them if they use such a section in the books they have, many or most might even say "yes."
The only way to truly *know* is to watch your users, in their environment, on the occasions (rare as they may be) they actually use the manual.
But then, ethnographic (is that the right word?) studies are hard enough to get for the software or hardware itself, as important as they are to good design, so what're the odds that you'll get one for the manual?
Do you feel that a user guide, in the "About This Book" (or equivalent) section, should contain a high-level overview comprised of a list of chapters and a one or two line description for each?
Does this list add value for the user, or is it simply a repeat of information easily available via the Table of Contents and Index?
Here's a question: What could you possibly put in such a section that readers would think isn't under the umbrella of the book *title*: "Blah-De-Blah User Guide?"
Making it a bit more granular, I would assume that the chapter titles and section headings are clear an informative. Collected in the TOC, they provide a useful outline.
But here's a fundamental point: the "value" of a user guide is in its usefulness: whether users find the information they need, when they need it, where they expect it.
An "About This Book" section is an executive summary. But people aren't picking up the book to get an idea of what it's about. They are picking it up to get information. An executive summary in a user guide is management-think, not user-think.
Try this: Think about when you last when shopping (in a real bookstore, not online) for third-party technical books. When you pick one up, where to you go to get an initial idea of the book's contents?
A. The table of contents
B. An About This Book (executive summary) section
I can answer for me: in almost all cases, it's A.
Interestingly, when I shop online for books, the ansewer is almost always B, with a large portion of C (editorial and--especially--reader reviews) thrown in. But that may be in large part because many bookselling sites don't provied TOCs with their book information.
So what if adding an executive summary is easy to do? Just because you *can* do something doesn't mean that you should. Likely as not, such a section is unneeded clutter.
--
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net www.writeforyou.com
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
The day may come when the courage of Men fail, when we forsake our
friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day!
This day, we fight!"
- Aragorn
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
- Gandalf
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