22:
138:
User assistance provides information to help a person to interact with software. This can include describing the user interface, but also focuses on how to help the user to best apply the software capabilities to their needs. User assistance can be considered a component of the broader category of
228:
form or electronically. Typical features of a user manual include installation procedures, a guide to how to use the software, as well as a disclaimer stating the licensing status of the software. Details of a helpline may also be available.
125:
product. The phrase incorporates all forms of help available to a user. Assistance can also automatically perform procedures or step users through the procedure, depending on the question that the user asked. The term is broader than
218:
183:(SME) interviewing. Since the user assistance profession is directly involved with software development, the discipline often requires an understanding of
269:
188:
105:
321:
39:
86:
43:
58:
163:
equivalents), and user interface text. User assistance professionals also contribute to enterprise knowledge bases and
65:
164:
175:
Effective user assistance development requires a variety of communication skills. These include writing, editing,
32:
72:
160:
54:
224:
A traditional form of user assistance is a user manual, which is distributed either with the product in
180:
200:
326:
196:
192:
152:
79:
140:
264:
184:
315:
176:
239:
127:
21:
292:
156:
252:
122:
225:
15:
151:
User assistance employs a number of devices including help,
121:
is a general term for guided assistance to a user of a
130:, and includes procedural and tutorial information.
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
219:Instruction manual (computer and video games)
8:
286:
284:
251:For information related to this topic, see
217:For information related to this topic, see
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
293:"Key Trends in Software User Assistance"
238:For more information on this topic, see
280:
270:Internationalization and localization
7:
44:adding citations to reliable sources
14:
20:
31:needs additional citations for
1:
159:, printed manuals (and their
187:design, usability testing,
343:
165:content management systems
195:, instructional design,
322:Technical communication
203:, and accessibility.
181:subject-matter expert
40:improve this article
212:Instruction manual
193:quality assurance
116:
115:
108:
90:
55:"User assistance"
334:
307:
306:
304:
303:
288:
111:
104:
100:
97:
91:
89:
48:
24:
16:
342:
341:
337:
336:
335:
333:
332:
331:
312:
311:
310:
301:
299:
290:
289:
282:
278:
261:
248:
235:
214:
209:
173:
171:Skills required
149:
141:user experience
136:
119:User assistance
112:
101:
95:
92:
49:
47:
37:
25:
12:
11:
5:
340:
338:
330:
329:
324:
314:
313:
309:
308:
291:Joe Welinske.
279:
277:
274:
273:
272:
267:
265:User interface
260:
257:
247:
244:
234:
231:
213:
210:
208:
205:
172:
169:
148:
145:
135:
132:
114:
113:
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
339:
328:
325:
323:
320:
319:
317:
298:
294:
287:
285:
281:
275:
271:
268:
266:
263:
262:
258:
256:
255:
254:
245:
243:
242:
241:
232:
230:
227:
222:
221:
220:
211:
206:
204:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
177:task analysis
170:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
146:
144:
142:
133:
131:
129:
124:
120:
110:
107:
99:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
64:
60:
57: –
56:
52:
51:Find sources:
45:
41:
35:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
300:. Retrieved
296:
250:
249:
237:
236:
223:
216:
215:
189:localization
174:
150:
137:
134:What it does
118:
117:
102:
93:
83:
76:
69:
62:
50:
38:Please help
33:verification
30:
240:Online help
233:Online help
201:programming
191:, testing,
128:online help
327:Assistance
316:Categories
302:2018-06-28
276:References
66:newspapers
297:WritersUA
246:Helplines
197:scripting
157:tutorials
96:July 2007
259:See also
253:Helpline
123:software
153:wizards
147:Devices
80:scholar
179:, and
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
226:paper
207:Forms
87:JSTOR
73:books
59:news
199:or
161:PDF
42:by
318::
295:.
283:^
185:UI
167:.
155:,
143:.
305:.
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
