1. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 1 Chapter 22 Instructions and Procedures Technical Communication, 10/e John M. Lannon

2. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 2 Formats for Instructional Documents  Brief reference cards  Instructional brochures  Manuals  Online documentation  Hyperlinked instructions

3. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 3 Faulty Instructions  Failure to instruct users in the proper use of a product  Failure to warn against hazards from proper use of a product  Failure to warn against the possible misuses of a product  Failure to explain a product’s benefits and risks  Failure to convey the extent of risk with forceful language  Failure to display warnings prominently

4. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 4 Elements of Usable Instructions  Clear and limiting title  Informed content  Visuals  Appropriate level of detail and technicality  Logically ordered steps  Notes and hazard notices  Readability  Effective design

5. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 5 Structure of Instructions Introduction/Lead in Body Conclusion

6. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 6 Introduction Definition, benefits, and purpose of the procedure Prior knowledge Brief overall description of the procedure Materials, equipment Working definitions Warnings List of major steps (your forecasting statement)

7. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 7 Body First major step Definition and purpose Materials, equipment, and special conditions for this step Definitions (as needed) Process and causal analyses (as needed) Second major step (and so on)

8. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 8 Conlusion Review of major steps Interrelation of steps Troubleshooting/Warnings

9. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 9 Be Sure to Include Examples Visuals (if needed) Paragraph transitions A clear, upbeat tone

10. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 10 Your Reader’s Questions Why am I doing this? How do I do it? What materials and equipment will I need? What do I do next? What could go wrong? See the Answering Your Reader’s Questions handoutAnswering Your Reader’s Questions

11. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 11 Now, to Work! Freewriting: List 10 things you do well. Check off two which are either especially easy for you or which you think others would be interested in learning.

12. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 12 Now, to Work! Now: Write a paragraph about the first time you attempted each activity. What did you find most difficult? What were some of the things you needed explained to you again and again? What specialized vocabulary did you need to learn? Were there things your brought to the table – prior experiences or knowledge – which helped you learn the new skill?

13. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 13 For Next Week: Doing Things the Dummies Way