A Metrics-Based Approach to Technical Documentation Quality

Abstract

Abstract-Technical documentation is now fully taking the step from stale printed booklets (or electronic versions of these) to interactive and online versions. This provides opportunities to reconsider how we define and assess the quality of technical documentation. This paper suggests an approach based on the Goal-Question-Metric paradigm: predefined quality goals are continuously assessed and visualized by the use of metrics. To test this approach, we perform two experiments. We adopt well known software analysis techniques, e.g., clone detection and test coverage analysis, and assess the quality of two real world documentations, that of a mobile phone and of (parts of) a warship. The experiments show that quality issues can be identified and that the approach is promising.

Improving situation awareness in crisis response teams: An experimental analysis of enriched information and centralized coordination

“…Many authors emphasize the dependence of information quality on a context across user and information perspectives (Ge and Helfert, 2007;Wingkvist et al, 2010). Particularly in crises, the context and situation can impose extreme conditions on users and systems that influence the quality of the information ( Van de Walle and Turoff, 2007).…”

“…Particularly in crises, the context and situation can impose extreme conditions on users and systems that influence the quality of the information ( Van de Walle and Turoff, 2007). Wang and Strong (1996) propose to differentiate between context dependent and context independent attributes and intrinsic, problem-centered, and representation criteria (Ge and Helfert, 2007;Wand and Wang, 1996;Wingkvist et al, 2010). Table 1 provides an overview of the most important information characteristics that we will use in this paper.…”

Rule-based Mechanism to Optimize Asset Management Using a Technical Documentation Ontology

“…Abramovici et al (2013) suggest an easy access to product information through the use of new information channels while integrating the technical documentation with product development. Wingkvist et al (2010) show how to define and assess the quality of information of technical documentations and demonstrate with real world documentation. Also, pattern recognition methods are demonstrated by Tombre and Lamiroy (2008) for querying and browsing technical documentations.…”

Information Quality Testing

“…The latter may be enforced by including analysis and restrictions in the editing systems [11]. The former is hard to guarantee by such means.…”

“…In this paper, we aim to extend testing practices used for quality assurance of hardware and software to also include information. We have previously worked on the quality assessment and assurance of technical documentation (e.g., Wingkvist et al [11]). Some aspects of information, such as facts and figures, can easily be verified or even automatically validated by the KMS.…”