RE: Tables inside numbered lists

Subject: RE: Tables inside numbered lists
From: "James Barrow" <vrfour -at- verizon -dot- net>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 21:12:46 -0800

Hi Christian,

I've had the same problem with managers who really didn't understand good
tech writing. I'm guessing that you're stubborn project manager is looking
at the step procedures in a completely linear fashion, and that going from
step 6 to step 1 would confuse the reader. That's what mine believed.

Although I can't find the source that I cited at the time in favor of
renumbering a subset of steps within a step procedure, I do know that Sharon
Burton (on this list) can articulate the reasons better than I.

This is, of course, what you're dealing with, a subset of the main step
procedure. If this subset is optional or changes depending on the actions
performed in the previous main step, then I think you should start that
subset at #1.

I'll continue looking for a source that backs this up. HTH.

- Jim


>Christian Walters wrote:

I've got a stubborn project manager, and I need help either finding ammo
to shoot her down with, or finding out that I'm wrong-headed about this.

We have a book of procedures, and many of those procedures have a table
inside. And some of those table cells have small embedded procedures.
So we're talking about something like this:

6. Continue with the following:
----------------------------------------------------------
| To... | Do this... |
----------------------------------------------------------
| Some action | Some step |
----------------------------------------------------------
| Some action | 1. Step one |
| | 2. Step two |
| | 3. Step three |
----------------------------------------------------------
| Some action | Some step |
----------------------------------------------------------
7. Next step.

To me, this is common sense. But this project manager is insisting on:

6. Continue with the following:
----------------------------------------------------------
| To... | Do this... |
----------------------------------------------------------
| Some action | Some step |
----------------------------------------------------------
| Some action | 7. Step one |
| | 8. Step two |
| | 9. Step three |
----------------------------------------------------------
| Some action | Some step |
----------------------------------------------------------
10. Next step.

So. Should I let her have her way? Or should I stand my ground on
readability? And if so, are there studies or anything I can show her
besides my insistence?

Thanks for any advice, y'all :)



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Follow-Ups:

References:
Tables inside numbered lists: From: Christian.Walters

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