DOCUMENTS: an interactive online solution to four documentation problems

ABSTRACT

An adequate delivery system for user documentation addresses the problems of easy access, versatile publication, convenient administration, and good document quality. At the National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computer Center the DOCUMENT program helps solve these problems by providing a high level of service through strategies that can readily be exported to other contexts. Dividing machine-readable documents into keyword windows permits fully online, subject-oriented access to all passages. An adaptive, three-tier user interface extends flexible viewing control to novices and experts alike. DOCUMENT also supports online subject, title, and date catalogs, and provides on-demand output of hardcopy and microfiche. Several other document delivery systems are compared with DOCUMENT, and all have more rigid human interfaces, more structural display units for text, or more cumbersome output options.

REFERENCES

• 1: Bork, A. Learning with Computers. Digital Press, Bedford, Mass., 1981, Ch. 6 (Authoring Dialogs). This anthology collects articles on Bork's work at the Physics Computer Development Project, Educational Technology Center, Univ. of California, Irvine. Ch. 6 tells how Bork prepared student-computer dialogs.
• 2: California, University of, Division of Library Automation. User's Guide, University of California Prototype On-line Union Catalog. Berkeley, Calif., August 1981. This short pamphlet introduces the MELVYL program's interactive (LOOKUP) and COMMAND modes to users, with examples of the chief commands.
• 3: David R. Cheriton, Man-machine interface design for timesharing systems, Proceedings of the annual conference, p.362-366, October 20-22, 1976, Houston, Texas, United States [doi>10.1145/800191.805617]
• 4: Cohen, S. M., Schermer, C. A., and Garson, L. R. Experimental program for online access to ACS primary documents. J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 20, 4 (1980), 247-252. Describes an experimental online access program at Chemical Abstract Service. Display units include text sections, paragraphs, and individual sentences.
• 5: DOCUMENT (User's Manual}. UCID-11M13, National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computer Center, Livermore, Calif., Rev. Ed., Dec. 9, 1980. introduces users to DOCUMENT's VIEW and PRINT modes, its help packages, and its alternative levels of response. Sample user-routine dialogs are included.
• 6: Gebhardt, F. and Stellmacher, I. Opinion paper:. Design criteria for documentation retrieval languages. I. Am. Sec. Inf. Sei. 29, 4 (July 1978}, 191-199. Reports the authors' systematic, detailed comparison of design features for query languages in document retrieval programs. They also propose ways to handle tmdeoffs between apparently inconsistent features.
• 7: Gillespie, P. D. Document delivery for the on-line user--Near, medium, and long-term possibilities. Proc. of the Second International On/ine Information Meeting, London (Dec. 1978), 19-36. Discttss~ the impact of online citation retrieval on patterns of document ordering at European research centers.
• 8: Kehler, T. P. and Barnes, M. Design for an on-line consultation system. AEDS Journal 14 (Spring 1981), 113-127. Describes the author's LISP-based HELP/vIE documentation pmgram, which uses KWIC display units.
• 9: Lancaster, F. W. Information Retrieval Systems. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1980. Lucidly reviews basic research on all aspects of information retrieval. Both ASIS and the American Library Association awarded this book prizes.
• 10: Patterson, D. and Evitts, P. On-line documents: Haystacks or building blocks. Prec. of the 28th International Technical Communication Conf., Society for Technical Communication, Pittsburgh (May 20-23, 1981), A-59 to A-63. Suggests several "special writing techniques" needed to prepare documents for online retrieval systems with screenload display units.
• 11: Lynne A. Price, Using offline documentation online, Proceedings of the joint conference on Easier and more productive use of computer systems. (Part - II): Human interface and the user interface, p.15-20, May 20-22, 1981, Ann Arbor, MI
• 12: Sharma, D. K. and Gruchacz, A. M. The display text editor TED: a case study in the design and implementation of display-orianted interactive human interfaces. IEEE Trans. Comm. COM-30, 1 Jan. 1982), 111-119. Discusses the criteria used and the design tredeoffs encountered when the authors constructed the user interface for the TED editor.
• 13: Shneiderman, B. Software Psychology. Winthrop Publishers, Cambridge, Mass., 1980. The first book-length application of experimental psychology to all aspects of programming and software design, including user interfaces and documentation. Shneiderman also includes an extensive bibliography.
• 14: Winbrnsh, B. and McDowall, G. Testing: How to increase the usability of computer manuals. Technical Communication 27, 4 (1980), 20-22. Explains how both performance and attitudinal tests of trial users help increase the clarity, conciseness, and convenience of IBM documentation.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.2 Document Preparation
          Subjects: Format and notation

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.1 Project and People Management
          Subjects: Training

General Terms:
Documentation

Keywords:
help packages, information retrieval, keywords, online catalogs, user assistance, user interfaces