Re: STYLE GUIDE FOR COMPUTER MANUALS

Subject: Re: STYLE GUIDE FOR COMPUTER MANUALS
From: Chuck Banks <chuck -at- ASL -dot- DL -dot- NEC -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1993 09:42:11 CDT

Hi, Janie, and welcome to the profession!

There are a number of style guides for software
manuals.

Writer's Digest Magazine sells one for about $20. If I
remember correctly it's entitled _Handbook_for_Writing_
Software_Manuals_. Check out your local newsstands
and libraries for a copy of the Writer's Digest Magazine.

The Society for Technical Communication (STC) sells a
_Guide_for_Preparing_Software_User_Documentation_ (133-88)
for $10 to members and $15 to nonmembers. Just mail your
request to:

STC/Publications
901 N. Stuart St., Suite 904
Arlington, VA 22203-1854

Prentice-Hall used to publish an expensive and somewhat
dated book _Data_Processing_Documentation:__Standards,
Procedures,_and_Applications_ by William Harper. The
copy I have is 1983 vintage.

One of the best general style guides/handbooks I've used
is _DDM:__Documentation_Development_Methodology_ by
Sandra Pakin Associates of Chicago. It's pricey, long,
and deep, but worth the read and the money.

Lastly, I just received _Procedure_Writing:_Principles_
and_Practices_ by D. Wieringa, C. Moore, and V. Barnes.
It's published by Battelle Press and costs about $38.
The address is:

Battelle Press
505 King Ave
Columbus, Ohio 43201-2693

This book has a very good model of how humans deal
with written communication during crises. It,
naturally, also has some very good pointers on preparing
written procedures. Suggestions and examples of
formats, language to use or avoid, etc.

Sorry I didn't have all of the publishers' addresses
handy, but my copies of some of these books are on
loan to other writers. If you want the addresses I
didn't provide, let me know and I'll chase them
down for you.

I hope these books help.

Best Regards

Chuck Banks

--
__ ________ ______
|\\ | || // Chuck Banks
| \\ | ||_______ || Senior Technical Writer
| \\ | || || NEC America, Inc.
| \\| \\______ \\______ E-Mail: chuck -at- asl -dot- dl -dot- nec -dot- com
America, Incorporated CompuServe: 72520,411


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