1. How to Write Instructions
ENG 2314

2. What is the purpose of instructions?
Primarily
 To enable users to complete tasks
Secondarily
 To tell users the following:
 How to do something
 Why to do it
 What materials and equipment are necessary
 Where to begin
 What to do next
 How to recover from something gone wrong

3. Instruction Formats
 User manual
 Reference Manual
 Tutorial
 Quick Reference Guide
 On-line/hyperlinked documentation
 Procedures Guide

4. Why are instructions important?
 Prescription drug example

5. Total patients who Patients who
completed survey misunderstood
questionnaire dosing instructions
Prescriptions 71 55 (77%)
specifying dosing
instructions in
hourly intervals
Prescriptions with 429 4 (.99%)
dosing instructions
specifying daily
frequency
Taken from Burnett, Rebecca. Technical Communication 6th ed.

6. Why are instructions important?
 Prescription drug example
 Legal liability

7. Guidelines

8. Content Elements of Instructions
 Use a clear and limiting title

9. Bicycle Tune-Ups
How to Give Your Bicycle a Tune-Up
How to Change the Oil in Your Car
How to Change the Oil in a 2000 Mazda
Protégé ES

10. Content Elements of Instructions
 Be an informed author
 If you haven’t done it, how can you tell anybody
else how to do it?
 The paradox: you’re an expert, but the user isn’t.
How can you communicate so they’ll understand
you?

11. Content Elements of Instructions
 Use visuals

12. Content Elements of Instructions
 Use an appropriate level of detail and
technicality

13. Tips to Provide an “Appropriate” Level of
Detail and Technicality
 Provide background information so the reader
understands the need for instructions
 Provide “enough” detail
 Include enough steps and detail so the instructions can
stand alone
 Provide only what users need
 Instead of focusing on the product, focus on the task
 Omit steps that are obvious
 Divide the task into simple steps and substeps
 Allow users to focus on one task at a time

14. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Sequential order

15. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Sequential order
 Imperative mood

16. The student clamps the specimen onto the flat plate.
You should clamp the specimen onto the flat plate.
It is important to clamp the specimen onto the flat plate.
The specimen is clamped onto the flat plate.
Clamp the specimen onto the flat plate.

17. It is important to not type anything after the target drive name.
Do not type anything after the target drive name.

18. The lantern should be primed by pumping the lever for 15-20
seconds.
Prime the lantern pumping level for 15-20 seconds.

19. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Parallelism

20. Always Observe Safety Rules
Not Parallel Parallel
1. Wearing of safety glasses. Wear safety glasses.
2. Proper tool for the job. Use proper tool for the job.
3. Use only tools that are Use functioning tools only.
functioning.
4. Maintain a clean, organized Maintain a clean, organized
work area. work area.
5. Questions relating to Present questions relating to
procedures or the proper procedures or the proper
handling of tools should be handling of tools to group
presented to your group leader.
leader.

21. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Use a title, headings, and subheadings to
organize information

23. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Warnings

24. CAUTION

25. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Notes and Hazard Notices

27. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Visuals

29. Formal Elements of Instructions
 Separate steps visually