What is an "Evaluation Toolbox for Aviation Technical Writers"?

This toolbox has been developed as an aid to understand the process of evaluating the usability of the aviation maintenance documentation  -- from the initial development stage through the final pre-publication stage.

The Evaluation Toolbox provides techniques to help you better understand your users and tools to evaluate your documentation more effectively and efficiently. 

User-Centered Design - User-centered design is a basic premise of making documentation more usable.  It is based upon getting to know your user more completely -- how they work, how they "think", what information they need, and what they don't need.  Moreover, it's understanding how the documentation helps them complete their tasks successfully. 

Evaluation Methods - We have selected some key evaluation methods which were originally developed to aid the design and development of computer software.  These methods have been adapted to the specific needs of the aviation technical publication writer and empirically tested on maintenance documentation. 

Tools & Templates - This section provides several templates, guidelines, and forms you can adapt to your organization's individual project needs.  It is a "turn key" way for you to incorporate usability evaluation into your organizations technical process.