User Manuals come in all types, designs and formats.

This presentation is designed to show a few basic elements that will serve any user manual.

Not every manual will include each of these sections, or will organize them in this order.

A cover page should accomplish two things:

1. Name the product being discussed2. Explain the purpose of the manual. Consider that the cover page might

include a picture of the product featured or a company logo.

Stating potential risks, alerts, and safety guidelines are key components to a hazard alert page.

A hazard alert is crucial in order that employees are protected against potential danger.

An effective table of contents is just as important as the content of the manual.

Consider that your readers may want to go directly to a specific section, which requires a precise table of contents.

The introduction is a customer or employee’s first encounter with the company’s writing.

Using pronouns like “you,” “your,” and “our,” make customers or employees feel included and add a personal touch.

Remember that using upbeat words like “Welcome,” “Thank You,” and “pleasure” aid in establishing a rapport with the customer or employee early.

Since every company uses different jargon and abbreviations, it is imperative to define these terms early in the manual.

You may want to consider defining not only abbreviations but also acronyms and symbols as well.

In addition to a definition list at the onset of the manual, a glossary at the end is an option.

This section gives the employee or customer a detailed description of each part of a system’s components.

These descriptions aid the reader when later using instructions to assemble or fix a product.

In addition, this section might contain the exact specifications of a product like: “size, shape, capacity, capability and materials of construction.”

The warranty not only protects the customer but the manufacturer as well.

If a product malfunctions, the warranty will inform the consumer of his or her rights.

An important part of the warranty section are company disclaimers or caveats in addition to the terms of the warranty.

The accessory section may feature “additional equipment” that a customer may purchase to accompany the featured product or enhance it.

Theses additional accessories are not essential to the function of the product.

Included in the accessory section might be the specifications for the additional products.

This section, commonly referred to as “FAQs” is valuable because it not only saves the company time answering the same questions repeatedly, but it saves customers asking these questions.

The FAQs can address some customer concerns immediately, rather than forcing a customer to contact the company.

The section for Corporate Contact Info is essential to any user manual.

If customers or employees can not reach the company, then that company can not serve their customers well.

By providing contact address, phone numbers and email, the company gives consumers multiple outlets in which to contact the company.

Scenario: You need to write a manual for new employees in your office. This manual will inform them about the basic procedures of your office. Brainstorm the sections you would need to include in your manual.

Share your ideas with the participants in this workshop.

This presentation will outline the basics of writing reports.

This includes an explanation of the parts of a report: “heading, introduction, discussion and conclusion/recommendations”

In addition, it will provide examples of common types of reports.

The Heading section includes:› the date the report is written› the recipient (s) of the report› the subject of the report, including the topic

and the focus of the report The Introduction is general overview of

the report including:› The purpose of the report, › the people involved, › and the time period the report represents.

This section of the report is the largest. In the discussion section, you sum up

the activities and problems you run into at work.

When developing this section consider: › Whom is involved—be specific› When did the incident take place—provide

details› Why are you composing this report? › Where did the incident take place?› What exactly was the process?

This part of the report is the place to summarize what has been learned from work or incident or to share any decisions that have been made.

The recommendation allows you to share your opinion concerning any future action regarding the issue.

The style of each report varies, but consider “conciseness, simplicity, and highlighting techniques”

Remember to be concise. You may choose to use graphics to

illustrate a point. Be aware that using too much data will

overwhelm your reader.

Trip: job-related travel Progress: status of an activity Lab: status of and findings from a laboratory

experiment, procedure, or study Feasibility/Recommendation: studies the practicality of

a proposed plan and recommends action Incident: documents an expected problem Investigative: examines the causes behind an incident Meeting Minutes: document the results of a meeting Proposal: proposing a new service or product or selling

the benefits of a new offering (also includes title page, cover letter, table of contents, list of illustrations, abstract, glossary, and appendix)

Choose a report you will most likely write for your job.

Write an introduction for your report. Ask a peer to review your introduction. Discuss revision suggestions.

This material was taken from Technical Writing: Process and Product, 5th edition. Authored by Sharon J. Gerson and Steven M. Gerson