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NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS ALTERNATIVES FOR DEVELOPING USER DOCUMENTATION FORAPPLICATIONS SOFTWARE by Nancy K. Clark September, 1991 Thesis Advisor: Norman F. Schneidewind Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited T257792 UNCLASSIFIED ) SECURITYCLASSIFICATIONOFTHIS PAGE REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE la REPORTSECURITYCLASSIFICATION 1b RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS UNCLASSIFIED 2a SECURITYCLASSIFICATIONAUTHORITY 3 DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITYOFREPORT Approvedfor publicrelease;distributionisunlimited. 2b DECLASSIFICATION/DOWNGRADINGSCHEDULE 4 PERFORMINGORGANIZATION REPORTNUMBER(S) 5 MONITORINGORGANIZATIONREPORT NUMBER(S) 6a NAMEOF PERFORMINGORGANIZATION 6b OFFICESYMBOL 7a NAMEOFMONITORINGORGANIZATION NavalPostgraduateSchool (//applicable) NavalPostgraduateSchool 55 6c ADDRESS[City, State,andZIPCode) 7b ADDRESS{City,State,andZIPCode) Monterey,CA 93943-5000 Monterey,CA 93943 5000 8a NAMEOF FUNDING/SPONSORING 8b OFFICESYMBOL 9 PROCUREMENTINSTRUMENTIDENTIFICATIONNUMBER ORGANIZATION (Ifapplicable) 8c ADDRESS(C/ty, State,andZIPCode) 10 SOURCEOF FUNDING NUMBERS ProgramtlementNo ProjectNo WorkUnitAccession Number 11 TITLE (IncludeSecurityClassification) AlternativesforDevelopingUserDocumentationforApplicationsSoftware (U 12 PERSONALAUTHOR(S) Nancy K.Clark 13a TYPEOFREPORT 13b TIMECOVERED 14 DATEOF REPORT(year,month,day) 15 PAGECOUNT Master'sThesis From To 1991 September 132 16 SUPPLEMENTARY NOTATION TheviewsexpressedinthisthesisarethoseoftheauthoranddonotreflecttheofficialpolicyorpositionoftheDepartmentofDefenseortheU.S. Government. 17 COSATICODES 18 SUBJECTTERMS(continueonreverseifnecessaryandidentifybyblocknumber) FIELD GROUP SUBGROUP ComputerDocumentation,UserDocumentation, ApplicationsDocumentation 19 ABSTRACT(continueonreverseifnecessaryandidentifybyblocknumber) Thepreparationofsoftwaredocumentationisaniterativeprocessthatinvolvesresearch,analysis,design,andtesting. Thewritermusthavea solidunderstandingofthetechnicalaspectsofthedocumentbeingprepared,goodwritingskills,and,mostimportant,anunderstandingofthe needsoftheaudienceforwhomthedocumentiswritten. Thisthesisdescribesthetheoryandstepstakenindevelopingsoftwareuser documentationforapplicationssoftware. Thefinalproductsaretwoprototypesofuser'sguidesforapplicationssoftwareprograms,specifically WordPerfect5.1 anddBaseIV 1.1,installedonthenetworksintheAdministrativeSciences/InformationSystemsComputerLaboratoriesatthe NavalPostgraduateSchool. 20 DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITYOFABSTRACT 21 ABSTRACTSECURITYCLASSIFICATION Ej UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED ] SAMEASREPORT ] DTICUSERS UNCLASSIFIED 22a NAMEOFRESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL 22b TELEPHONE(IncludeAreacode) 22c OFFICESYMBOL NormanF.Schneidewind (408)646 2719 DD FORM 1473.84 MAR 83APReditionmaybeuseduntilexhausted SECURITYCLASSIFICATIONOFTHISPAGE Allothereditionsareobsolete UNCLASSIFIED Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Alternatives for Developing User Documentation forApplications Software by Nancy K. Clark Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy B.S., Southern Methodist University Submitted in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL September, 1991 ABSTRACT The preparation of software documentation is an iterative process that involves research, analysis, design, and testing. The writer must have a solid understanding of the technical aspects of the document being prepared, good writing skills, and, most important, an understanding of the needs of the audience for whom the document is written. This thesis describes the theory and steps taken in developing software user documentation for applications software. The final products are two prototypes of user's guides for applications software programs, specifically WordPerfect 5.1 and dBase IV 1.1, installed on the networks in the Administrative Sciences/Information Systems Computer Laboratories at the Naval Postgraduate School. 111 / AJC '2 6,1 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. PROBLEM BACKGROUND AND DEFINITION 2 B. OBJECTIVES 4 C. THE RESEARCH QUESTION 5 D. SCOPE 5 E. LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY 6 F. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS 9 G. ORGANIZATION OF THIS STUDY 9 II. LITERATURE REVIEW OF USER DOCUMENTATION DEVELOPMENT 11 A. OVERVIEW OF SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION FOR USERS 11 . B. RHETORICAL ORIENTATION IN THE WRITING PROCESS 15 . C. SOFTWARE USER DOCUMENTATION PURPOSES 17 D. TYPES OF SOFTWARE USER DOCUMENTATION 19 ... E. PROBLEMS WITH SOFTWARE USER DOCUMENTATION 22 F. CAUSES OF INADEQUATE SOFTWARE USER DOCUMENTATION 23 G. SURVEY FINDINGS REGARDING PAPER DOCUMENTATION 27 . III. FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN 30 IV