1 Technical & Business Writing (ENG-315) Muhammad Bilal Bashir UIIT, Rawalpindi

Outline 1. Reviewing Documentation 2. Guidelines for Managing Document Reviews 1. Review the document objectives from the documentation plan 2. Determine the type of review needed 3. Establish a review schedule 3. Summary 2

Getting Useful Reviews Lecture: 17 3

Reviewing Documentation To review documentation, you send it out to get the reactions of other people who are involved in the project Of all the activities associated with documentation production, reviewing may take more of your time and require more careful planning than any other To make the most of your investment, approach the review stage with great care and with the attitude that the review can really increase the usability of your document 4

Guidelines for Managing Document Reviews The reviewing process includes; 1. Review the document objectives from the documentation plan 2. Determine the type of review needed 3. Establish a review schedule 4. Plan the reviews 5. Write a cover letter with the questions for the reviewers 6. Prepare feedback materials for reviewers 5

1. Review the Document Objectives from the Documentation Plan List the objectives from the documentation plan that you need to validate through your review Review product specifications from the client or sponsors for objectives List policy and management objectives your document must meet Managers and supervisors review your documentation to make sure that it meets company policy 6

The Document Objectives to Review 7 Examples of ObjectivesReview Type Questions Answered Provide task oriented examples of processed images UserDo the example reflects real world tasks? Encourage use of online helpUserDoes the online help facility usable? Provide tutorial support for basic graphics conversion and basic screen capture UserDo the tutorial lessons take up too much time for the normal user? Provide extensive reference support for expert users in: (1) graphics file format (2) error messages (3) frequently encountered technicalDoes the reference section cover all existing error messages and image formats Provide background information about graphics files and types Subject matter Does the background section sufficiently explain graphics files

2. Determine the Type of Review Needed When you review, you send documents to other persons with cover sheets asking them to read or examine your material and respond to issues in their area of expertise Type of reviews;  Managerial Review Review by manager, supervisor, team leader For staying in budget, meeting document objectives, quality control  User Review By users, operators, system supervisors For ease of use, applicability 8

Determine the Type of Review Needed (Continue...) Type of reviews (Continue…)  Technical Review By programmers, developers For technical accuracy of procedures and functions  Subject Matter-Review By professionals from representative fields Accuracy of background information  Editorial Review By staff editors, editorial departments, team editors For meeting standards of grammar, organization and format  Sponsor review By clients, sponsor For meeting diverse user needs, getting value for money 9

Problems Encountered with Reviews 10 Review TypeProblems Managerial Review Making sure they review the document objectives in context of the whole software project User ReviewMaking sure reviewers represents the target users of the system Technical ReviewGetting programmers to pay attention to care about something outside the technical area Subject-matter Review Finding experts in specialized field willing to do the reviews Editorial ReviewMaking sure editors have clear understanding of user needs Sponsor ReviewScheduling time with busy professionals

3. Establish a Review Schedule It means you have to give your reviewers enough time to prepare their responses You need to select the right circulation strategy Circulation strategy refers to the way you circulate copies of your document to reviewers Methods of circulation  Sequential circulation  Simultaneous circulation 11

Sequential Circulation It entails making one copy of the document for each category of reviewer. Each reviewer reads the document and then either gives you back or passes it to the next person 12

Sequential Circulation (Continue…) Advantages  Low cost  Less hassle  Encourages team spirit Disadvantages  Spawn margin arguments  Early reviewers affects later reviewers  Causes political problems  Hard to control  Takes extra time 13

Simultaneous Circulation It entails making multiple copies of a document, one for each reviewer Each reviewer gets a fresh copy, reads, records and then gives it back to you Online circulation is simultaneous in that all reviewers can download and reviews at the same time 14

Simultaneous Circulation (Continue…) Advantages  Fast  Good for graphically diverse reviewers  Fosters a one-to-one relationship  Easy to control  Easy, when online Disadvantages  Expensive  Takes more of your time  Foster redundant comments  Causes version mix-ups with online 15

16 Summary Any Questions?