Software Development, QA and the Tech Writer

Subject: Software Development, QA and the Tech Writer
From: Stuart Burnfield <slb -at- FS -dot- COM -dot- AU>
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 16:37:33 +0800

Gina wrote:
> My company is just moving into the Software Development arena. For
> proposal purposes, I am trying to create a "blurb," which describes
> each team member's respective roles and responsibilities in terms of
> application development initiatives . . . I am presently trying to
> think of all of the POSSIBLE ways in which a technical writer could/
> would contribute to a software development project.

I've attached a list of software development roles that was written by
a fellow called Dick Miller.

Even the biggest companies probably don't have a different person for
each role, but *all* these functions are necessary for good software
development. It doesn't matter whether your team comprises a hundred
people, a dozen people, four people or a lone genius; each of these
hats should be worn by at least one person at some point.

The roles relating to QA are Usability Tester, Application Tester and
Document Tester. Technical writers are often put in the position of
being doing primary QA, because they're the first to get their hands
on the software after the developers have perfected it. Having TWs
do QA is much better than nothing, but it's also far short of ideal.
QA is best done by specialists; tech writers have their own job to do.

Ideally QA can and should start before any code is written. In this
sense I have a small disagreement with Joseph Gregg, who wrote:

"Q&A is quality assurance testing. You do it to verify that
the software works correctly. If you have a GUI app, you
should test every window and button and make sure they do
what they should."

To me this is an important but narrow function of QA. Software should
be designed around the tasks and requirements of its intended users.
Testing every window and button will tell you whether those windows
and buttons work, but not whether the software can be used to perform
useful work. For example, it won't tell you if a developer forgot to
(or decided not to) implement a key feature.

Regards
---
Stuart Burnfield "Fun, fun, fun
Functional Software Pty Ltd In the sun, sun, sun. . ."
mailto:slb -at- fs -dot- com -dot- au



Team Responsibilities -- Documentation and Usability
----------------------------------------------------

Role Responsibility
---- --------------

Needs Analyst Determines the need for the documentation,
including description of the target audience.

Task & Skills Analyst Describes the tasks supported by the document-
ation and the skills required for those tasks.

UI-Design Team Member Designs, prototypes and reviews the structure,
and characteristics of the user interface.

Usability Tester Co-ordinates usability testing of successive
designs, prototypes, beta versions and product-
ion releases.

Documentation Designer Designs the structure, features, and character-
istics of the documentation.

Writer Writes the document, following the documentation
design and appropriate style guides, and with
awareness of the results of the needs, task, and
skills analyses.

Editor Edits the document for style, voice, grammar,
punctuation, and spelling. Ensures compliance
with documentation design and any applicable
style guides.

On-line Help Developer Develops, tests, revises, and maintains on-line
help for the document.

Graphic Artist Develops, revises, and maintains graphical
elements of the document.

Content Expert Acts as resource on how the tasks are performed
and how the software is used to perform the tasks.

Project Manager Sets schedules, work assignments, and plans, and
negotiates changes in those with the Project
Owner. Is responsible for managing document
maintenance for the life of the document.

Project Owner Developer of the software for which the
documentation is being created.

Document Reviewer Reviews the document for accuracy, appropriate-
ness, usability, maintainability, accessibility,
and/or other characteristics.

Document Tester Uses the document in a simulated or actual use
of the software and reports on accuracy,
appropriateness, usability, maintainability,
accessibility, and/or other characteristics.

Document Producer Manages production of the final product.

Application Tester Tests functionality of application, compares to
specifications, and reports to Project Owner or
designees.




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