The Method

Based on over 40 years of communications research, the Structured Writing Method is a tightly integrated set of principles,  techniques and processes for making dense and complicated information easy for the reader to understand and use. When properly applied, the Structured Writing Method greatly improves the usability of manuals, training materials and other business-critical communications.  While the Method is useful for individual writers, it’s organizational benefits are fully realized when adopted as an institutional standard where all knowledge workers and designers develop content using a common approach.

A different way to look at information

At the core of the DocuTools™ Writing System is the Structured Writing Method. The Structured Writing Method guides authors as they write, helping to answer questions like: Exactly who am I writing this document for and how will they use the information on the job? What is the ideal way to organize and sequence the information for my target audience? How should I break down and label the information so it is easy to navigate, scan and refer back to? What makes a procedure really clear and easy to follow? How should I separate my step-by-step instructions from other kinds of information, like policies, concepts and definitions?

At the heart of The Method are rules, guidelines and standards for analyzing and developing information.
Here's a preview:

The "7 Information Types"

Effective writing requires identifying the types of information needed in your document and treating
them accordingly. The 7 Information Types of structured writing are:

• Procedure
• Process
• Principle
• Concept
• Fact
• Illustration
• Classification

The Document Development Process

The DocuTools™ Writing System follows a trusted development process for authoring and testing documents.

The "7 Principles"

Authors using the DocuTools™ Writing System help ensure a high-quality doucment by adhering to
the Method's 7 Principles, listed below.

The Results :: 40 years of research findings and client feedback Benefits to authors Increase in writer productivity Decrease in document maintenance time Decrease in development time Benefits to readers Increase in learning and comprehension Increase in retrieval accuracy Decrease in reading time

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