Test your basic knowledge |

Making Manuals

Subject : writing-skills
Instructions:
  • Answer 42 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. An outline allows you to determine the best ____ to use through visualization and modeling






2. ___ is the only means you have to know/prove the procedure you wrote will be effective.






3. Introductions (that cover the entire manual) - tables of contents - and lists of figures/tables are referred to as...






4. If your manual includes troubleshooting information - ___ sentences (questions) can be useful






5. A primary goal of technical writing...






6. A ___ is an example of a linear manual.






7. Glossaries can be either ___ - depending on where they are placed.






8. An alphabetical (linear) reference that that is typically used in a non-linear way






9. A ___ is a numbered series/sequence of steps or instructions for accomplishing something






10. Commonly used terms (jargon terms - definitions - abbreviations - etc.) that appear in the manual; could also be placed in an addendum






11. Repetitive information mentioned once in order to avoid repetition elsewhere.






12. CBS Method stands for...






13. Manuals help...






14. Your goal as a good technical writer is to force your reader to infer only one meaning from what you have written so avoid using...






15. Usability testing your procedures speaks directly to...






16. If your manual includes Cautions and Warnings - ___ sentences (sentences ending with !) can also be useful.






17. Having someone else perform (test) the procedure is usually best - but whichever testing methods you choose - they are collectively called ___.






18. A ___ is a series/sequence of procedures.






19. The two most common methods of development for manuals are ___ and general-to-specific.






20. Creating ____ can help you organize your manual.






21. Three primary purposes to writing manuals






22. Tables of contents - section headings - sub-section headings - headers - footers - and page numbers are examples of...






23. A ___ is non-linear.






24. The sections that appear in a manual depend on the manual's _________________ and purpose






25. Procedures and instructions must use active voice and ____ sentences






26. An entire manual will cover at least one of these - each with its own series of procedures.






27. ___ will make errors stick out






28. Figures (Illustrations) - tables - charts - graphs - etc.






29. Manuals provide readers the information necessary to do something - such as...






30. Above all - as you write a manual - it is best to keep in mind its goals and ___.






31. Use ___ everywhere its use is indicated: lists - procedures - headings - sentences - paragraphs - pages - etc.






32. ___ can aid a procedure and are particularly helpful when you are addressing a multi-cultural audience.






33. Appendixes and indexes are referred to as...






34. A list of the (sub)sections in the manual - with page numbers


35. Aspects that need to be done/considered/in hand before doing anything else; these could include tools - parts - and materials - as well as generic definitions of what Notes - Cautions - Warnings mean to readers and why these elements should be heeded






36. So - ___ is to a process as ___ are to a procedure.






37. ___ elements can play an important role in manuals - and how you use them will depend on the manual's intended flow.






38. Verbs or participles that end in 'ing'






39. Usability Testing has proven that well-written - usable manuals can contribute to...






40. The flow of a manual can be either ___






41. In the cookbook you might have an ______________ for beating egg whites - rather than repeating the sub-procedure everywhere egg whites need to be beaten - thereby saving page space.






42. A detailed description of what the manual discusses and - possibly - how the manual should be used.