Is the Help Helpful? How to Create Online Help That Meets Your Users' Needs

Intended for technical writing students, project managers, writers, editors, and others involved in the production of online help, this guide presents the full cycle of help content development, regardless of the operating system running the application, the type of help being produced, or the tools used to produce it. The 10 most common complaints that users have with online help, the causes of these underlying problems, and ways to avoid them are discussed in detail. Eleven steps in the ideal help development process, their benefits, and the problems that arise when a step is left out are also included. Techniques for planning, writing, editing, reviewing, and testing online help are covered and sample specifications, outlines, and maps for a help project are provided.