Toward a more precise definition of task-sufficient information

Abstract

"Improving the usability of programming publications," by Bethke et al. was a pioneering effort to transform computer documentation from a system-oriented to task-oriented design. To increase users' satisfaction with their manuals and ensure consistency in libraries, the authors realized that instructional information could not merely explain the inner workings and principles of a system for their own sake but that writers needed to shape information around users' taskrelated purposes, goals, and operational needs. Today, Bethke et al.'s views on taskorientation and usability stand as well-established principles in the field of documentation.