Readability/Usability/Quality 1-02 (March 2002) by Chris Curwen The Original Article:RU31: Give them Printed Documentation, too!!!

In 1987, I presented my first public seminar dealing specifically with the writing of User Documentation for Computer Hardware and Software. Since then, I have repeated the seminar on many occasions, both at public and in-house sessions. One of the important issues I discuss in my seminar is the question of on-line (electronic) documentation, and its advantages and disadvantages. My conclusion was, and still is, that the disadvantages of on-line documentation far outweigh any possible advantages. And for that reason, I recommend that companies prepare proper printed manuals.

So, it was with considerable interest that I read the excellent article presented by Mike Starr in TC-Forum 04/2001. He has succeeded in putting across many of the arguments against on-line documentation. But I believe there are certain other important points that also need to be stated.

 

On-line documents make readers less productive

One important point that Mike appears to have missed in his article is the whole question of productivity. What so many people forget is that one of the most important reasons for writing manuals, and other kinds of documentation, is to make readers more productive. And most of the principles we teach to writers and illustrators are aimed at doing just that - making their readers’ jobs as easy as possible. What logic is there, then, in putting a lot of time and effort into producing a manual that is easy to read and easy to use, and then publishing it in a form that we know makes reading more difficult? And reading from a computer screen is more difficult than reading the same information on paper.

You are probably wondering how I can make that statement. But the answer is simple. Research has shown that it takes people from 20 to 30% longer to read the same material from computer screens than it does from paper. Not only that, but problem-solving is slower using information presented on computer screens rather than on paper. And readers of manuals are continuously trying to solve problems. That research was carried out some years ago, and was reported on by the Document Design Center of the American Institutes of Research in their journal "Simply Stated’ of February 1986. The same piece of research also showed that the quality of the screen had little effect on the difficulty that people had reading from it.

Some 15 years later, these limitations are still valid, despite the many improvements in screen design. Even respected organisations like the Microsoft Corporation recognise these limitations, as this extract from their manual "Microsoft Publisher 97 Companion" shows:

"...(It’s important to proofread the printed publication. Research shows that people catch far more errors on a printed page than they do on screen.)...".

So, it’s not just your readers who have problems with on-line documents. Editors and proofreaders will also have problems and will become less productive in the process.

 

What about updates?

The argument put forward by many people for using on-line documentation is that it is easier to keep up-to-date. The same people argue that their readers will always be working to the latest copy of the document as it can be downloaded instantly. However, the reality is very different. Most people will, in fact, be more likely to be working with out-of-date documentation. And the reason for that is because they make a print-out of the on-line document, because it is too difficult for them to read on screen. Having done that, they now have an uncontrolled copy of the document that will probably never be updated.

 

What about the costs of documentation?

Another argument put forward by many people for using on-line documentation is that they will be saving money. However, such an argument ignores, once again, the realities. The largest cost in producing any manual is the writing, editing, and illustrating of it. And this cost is the same, regardless of whether you publish the manual on-line or print it. So, the only money you save is the printing cost - a small portion of the overall cost. But, have you really saved that expense? In most cases, the answer is "No". All you have succeeded in doing is passing that cost from yourselves to your customers. And you will have increased their expense in the process.

If we use the figures that Mike quoted in his article, we can see how that happens:

Cost of printing 10 000 manuals = $65 000, or $6,50 each, a matter of a few cents per page. That is because bulk printing is still one of the cheapest methods of publishing information. But if that same manual had been supplied on a CD, or published on the company’s Intranet or on the Internet, the customer would have had to print out individual copies of it on a laser or ink-jet printer. And the cost to the customer would then be at least double, probably more. So, the $6,50 manual ends up costing the customer at least $13 per copy.

 

What about people who don’t have computers?

Much of this discussion has revolved around documentation for computers and software. Obviously, the readers must then have access to, or be using, a computer. But what about documentation for other products? What about a situation we see so often where a manufacturer of an item of equipment, like a piece of heavy earth-moving machinery, has decided to make all the manuals electronic? Such a decision ignores the needs of the customers.

Their customers may be operating the equipment anywhere in the world, including some of the most desolate regions in Africa. Suddenly, they are faced with a breakdown. The fitter is called out to rectify the problem and, knee-deep in mud and filth, he starts to investigate the problem.

Unfortunately, he is not too familiar with the workings of the machinery. So, he tries to find a workshop manual to help him. But there isn’t one. So, he wastes time trying to identify the possible fault on a trial and error basis. Having decided what he thinks is causing the problem, he decides that he must order some spare parts. But the only parts list available has been published on a CD, and he does not have a computer. Not only does he not have a computer, he has no intention of getting one as it would be completely impractical for him to use one in his job. What he needs is a printed workshop manual and a printed parts list. Without those manuals, the fitter cannot do his job properly.  

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