Barker Chapter 7
Getting Useful Reviews
This chapter is about what to do once your document is created and you want useful feedback. Many people do not even feel that reviews are beneficial, but Barker says the three purposes of reviews are: communication function, management function, and quality assurance function.
The most valuable suggestion Barker made was regarding cover letters. On page 225 he explains that when sending a document out for feedback authors should include a cover letter to help get the desired feedback. At minimum the letter should include a paragraph for each one of these things: asking for advice and comments, the necessary background information, telling the commentor how to comment, giving dates and places for return, and saying thank you.
posted by Jessica @ 12:57 PM
10 Comments:
I think feedback on documents is very important. Sometimes the writer may not have a clear idea of who their audience is, and by getting feedback, they are able to see if their document is designed for the particular reader or not. A good example of getting feedback is the usability project we're doing right now. By testing and reviewing the document, we are generating all kinds of feedback (whether it's wanted or not).
Reading this made me feel bad about all the surveys and cover letters I've carelessly tossed in the garbage over the years...
Ok, maybe not really, but it's obvious that feedback garners importance for everything. I think writers of any kind really like to see how their work effects other people, and more importantly, feedback provides great insight on how to change writing to make it work better for the people who use or read the material.
I think that feedback is the most important step in a document. Like I have said in previous blogs, being efficient is much different than being effective. You can have the most interesting, well-written document and it might not cover ANY of the information that the end user needs. Getting positive feedback can help you revise one or more times. Cover letters are a great way to get feedback - if you ask for it in the right way.
This chapter discusses the benefits of conducting reviews of your work during various stages of the production process. It talks about who you should have review the document - managers, users, and SMEs - and the ways in which you can conduct the review - simultaneously or sequentially. Bottom line is that you should conduct a review by someone prior to releasing the document to the intended users. It will allow you to see errors or trouble spots sooner and make the document that much more effective.
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I agree completely with Anjaka on this topic. As Anjaka says, getting useful feedback is definately a great way to improve your document during the design. However, I don't believe saying thank you is really needed, as most people are usually more than happy to give feedback, and sometimes you're really doing them a favor by asking for it.
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