English 373: Creating Help with RoboHelp HTML

For this assignment, you'll construct your own Help system. You have two options. You may pick either, but I'd recommend that Professional Writing majors and those interested in the computer field select option 2.

Option 1: Create a Manual

In the RoboHelp HTML textbook, you've been creating various versions of a policy and procedure Help system. For your Help project, then, you may also opt to create a manual in a Help system format. Your audience would theoretically access this material from their own workstation or company intranet. Some previous projects students have created include a manual for operating a phone system, a manual for operating a cash register, a manual outlining company policies, and an online style guide. Of course, you don't have to pick from this list; these examples are meant only to spark possible ideas.

Option 2: Create Procedures for Computer Software

The primary purpose of Help is to provide computer documentation. For your Help project, then, you may try writing computer procedures. Pick a unified subject to write about, and then document a process or processes that lack easily accessible instructions. Previous projects have included how to create a newsletter in Publisher, how to use Word to send out mailings, how to work with Word 2007's new features, and how to make a Web site accessible.

To pick a subject, consider what you routinely do with a piece of software you're comfortable with. Perhaps you use a program at work, and colleagues often ask you how to perform particular tasks with it. Maybe you create bulletins, update Web pages, or construct newsletters for an organization. Consider using this small project as an opportunity to help these individuals on a few tasks. If you don't have any ideas for this assignment, ask friends, family members, co-workers, or even computer-lab users what software tasks they struggle with routinely.

Project Requirements

Regardless of which option you choose, you must write the material you submit. Copying information from an existing manual or Help system is plagiarism. If you want to revise an existing document significantly, I may allow you to do so, but you must get my approval first. In addition, you cannot use a project you created for another class. You must create the material from scratch for English 373. Moreover, I must approve your topic before you begin working on the Help system; I won't accept unapproved projects.

In addition, your Help project should

• Contain at least one book and ten topics. These topics need not be lengthy but should offer complete information and be logically divided.
• Include a top-level book that contains all the other books and topics.
• Use a style sheet that provides uniform and consistent design and color, appropriate typography practices (e.g., common fonts and single spacing after punctuation), etc. No topic should include manual formatting other than bold and italic emphasis if necessary.
• Avoid unnecessary, annoying, or detrimental features (e.g., background and non-essential graphics, sound, DHTML effects, etc.).
• Adhere to good writing practices, including those discussed in class about writing and formatting procedures.
• Use only necessary and appropriate-sized graphics or screen captures. Make sure your screen captures appear in the correct file format.
• Include a properly sorted, functional, and usable contents and index, as well as any other elements you feel will make your Help document more accessible (e.g., browse sequences or glossary). If you use the Smart Index Wizard, remove unnecessary entries and add necessary entries.
• Provide a properly sized document window with an appropriate window caption.
• Be generated in Microsoft HTML Help or WebHelp format. FlashHelp is not an acceptable layout for this assignment.

To give you a sense of scope your Help system, if printed, should be four or five pages. Remember that this assignment is an outside-of-class project, so you'll need either to work in the Pummill lab during open lab hours or to get a copy of the RoboHelp and SnagIt trials so you can work at home. (The trial versions require Windows XP or Windows Vista.)

On the due date, you'll turn in your entire project folder, which should include your generated output in the !SSL! folder, on your course CD.