Question 1

What is the difference between instructions and procedures?
A) Instructions provide readers step-by-step directions for how to perform a task or activity, whereas procedures only provide general guidelines.
B) Instructions are always much longer than procedures.
C) Instructions are only provided as PDFs.
D) Procedures are always much longer than instructions and only in paragraph form.

Accepted Answer

Procedures provide general guidelines for performing a task, while instructions provide specific, detailed actions. Procedures will often prove sufficient for experienced readers completing safe and simple activities, while instructions suit readers who need step-by-step directions, especially if the task is unfamiliar, complicated, or hazardous.

Question 2

Knowing who will use your instructions will help you determine…
A) What type of software you will use.
B) The delivery date.
C) How much information you should provide.
D) Whether to use bullets or numbered lists.

Accepted Answer

When planning how to compose instructions or procedures, you want to first determine who will be using your document: who are your readers? This insight will allow you to determine how much information you provide and the type of language you use. The format, choice of language, and use of visuals can determine the reader's level of attention to instructions or procedures.

Question 3

When designing instructions, illustrations in instructions…
A) should be used as often as possible
B) should not be used at all if they can be avoided.
C) should be as simple as possible.
D) should be complex for legal reasons.

Accepted Answer

Writing clear, accurate instructions and procedures is critical. Just like emails, when readers read instructions, they often want to understand immediately without having to read anything twice. Similar to any technical communication, there are common guidelines that you can use to help you compose and design effective instructions and procedures:
Use concise headings and subheadings to describe and highlight each section.
Leave plenty of white space around headings.
Use numbers for every step in a chronological process; use bullets for lists of conditions, materials, and equipment.
Use white space to make items in lists easy to find and read.
Highlight safety information and warnings. Distinguish between danger, warning, and caution.
Keep illustrations as simple as possible.
Locate illustrations at the point where the reader needs them. Don't expect readers to locate an illustration that is several pages away from the instruction to which it pertains.
Label every illustration, and at the appropriate point in the related text, write "See Figure X."
Do not begin an instruction at the bottom of one page and complete it at the top of the next page. Insert a "page break" and move the entire instruction to the next page.

Question 4

"The following tools are required" is an example of…
A) List of materials needed
B) Purpose of the step
C) Warning or caution
D) Necessary conditions

Accepted Answer

Instructions and procedures follow a common structure. Comprehensive instruction/procedure manuals will usually contain most of these elements, while shorter instructions/procedures may require fewer.
Introduction - The introduction should familiarize readers with the task they will perform. The instruction should specify what the instructions will allow readers to do and what skill level the person should have to perform the task successfully.
Theory governing the procedure or instruction - For some types of procedures, readers will perform tasks better if they have a general overview of the process. Providing knowledge of the process and background information may help users to understand when they have made an error and how to avoid errors. It also provides value and purpose in what they are doing.
Warnings, cautions, hazards, and notes regarding safety or quality - Given the wide variety of technologically complicated and potentially dangerous products available today, you really cannot "overwarn" readers. The warning section is a critical component of instructions and procedures and should be emphasized. Any failure to warn could have costly legal implications for your organization. Hazards should also be described followed by followed by the reason or the result, and make sure that all warnings, cautions, and notes are clearly visible.
Conditions under which the task should be performed - Some instructions, particularly laboratory instructions, may require you to describe the physical conditions required to perform a task: room size, temperature, time required for the entire process and for individual steps, specific safety processes. If time is a constraint, readers need to know how much time the task will take before they start the task.
Lastly, the steps; name of each step - For each step, give the following: purpose of the step; warnings, cautions, and notes; any conditions necessary for performing the step; time required to perform the step; and the list of materials needed for the step.
Place instructions in chronological order.
Number each step.
Limit each instruction to one action.

Question 5

You work in a laboratory and are using a new substance. You pick up the Safety Data Sheet for the product, in which section would you find out if the substance is toxic or harmful?
A) In the introduction
B) In the Hazards section
C) In the Material needed section
D) In the company contact information section

Accepted Answer

Instructions and procedures follow a common structure. Comprehensive instruction/procedure manuals will usually contain most of these elements, while shorter instructions/procedures may require fewer.
Introduction - The introduction should familiarize readers with the task they will perform. The instruction should specify what the instructions will allow readers to do and what skill level the person should have to perform the task successfully.
Theory governing the procedure or instruction - For some types of procedures, readers will perform tasks better if they have a general overview of the process. Providing knowledge of the process and background information may help users to understand when they have made an error and how to avoid errors. It also provides value and purpose in what they are doing.
Warnings, cautions, hazards, and notes regarding safety or quality - Given the wide variety of technologically complicated and potentially dangerous products available today, you really cannot "overwarn" readers. The warning section is a critical component of instructions and procedures and should be emphasized. Any failure to warn could have costly legal implications for your organization. Hazards should also be described followed by followed by the reason or the result, and make sure that all warnings, cautions, and notes are clearly visible.
Conditions under which the task should be performed - Some instructions, particularly laboratory instructions, may require you to describe the physical conditions required to perform a task: room size, temperature, time required for the entire process and for individual steps, specific safety processes. If time is a constraint, readers need to know how much time the task will take before they start the task.
Lastly, the steps; name of each step - For each step, give the following: purpose of the step; warnings, cautions, and notes; any conditions necessary for performing the step; time required to perform the step; and the list of materials needed for the step.
Place instructions in chronological order.
Number each step.
Limit each instruction to one action.

Question 6

A company who delivers incomplete or hard-to-understand instructions can be held responsible...
A) in a legal suit
B) for costs incurred by a customer
C) for customers returning products
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Instructions and procedures often carry legal liability. Most new products and processes have instructions attached. Instructions may also appear on product websites. When a product fails because instructions lack clarity, completeness, and/or adequate warnings, the manufacturer can be held responsible for costs incurred by buyers who, in good faith, attempted to follow the instructions. Even worse, when a customer or an employee is killed or injured because instructions did not provide complete, readable information and safety warnings, the company can be liable for the injuries or death. Companies that provide incomplete or hard-to-follow instructions for installation or assembly of their product can lose money when discouraged purchasers return the product. Conversely, well-designed, clear, complete, accurate instructions can improve the image of a product and its manufacturer and prove highly persuasive sales documents.

Question 7

When using illustrations in a set of procedures, where should you include the illustrations?
A) At the point where the readers needs it.
B) Several pages away from where it is mentioned.
C) In the appendix.
D) In the List of Illustrations

Accepted Answer

Writing clear, accurate instructions and procedures is critical. Just like emails, when readers read instructions, they often want to understand immediately without having to read anything twice. Similar to any technical communication, there are common guidelines that you can use to help you compose and design effective instructions and procedures:
Use concise headings and subheadings to describe and highlight each section.
Leave plenty of white space around headings.
Use numbers for every step in a chronological process; use bullets for lists of conditions, materials, and equipment.
Use white space to make items in lists easy to find and read.
Highlight safety information and warnings. Distinguish between danger, warning, and caution.
Keep illustrations as simple as possible.
Locate illustrations at the point where the reader needs them. Don't expect readers to locate an illustration that is several pages away from the instruction to which it pertains.
Label every illustration, and at the appropriate point in the related text, write "See Figure X."
Do not begin an instruction at the bottom of one page and complete it at the top of the next page. Insert a "page break" and move the entire instruction to the next page.

Question 8

What is one question you can ask to help you plan the composition and design of instructions or procedures?
A) Will the instructions need to have numbered lists?
B) Will the instructions need to be created in Word or PDF?
C) Will I have enough time compose the instructions?
D) Will the instructions be published online?

Accepted Answer

When planning how to compose instructions or procedures, there are several questions you can ask in order to determine how much information and what content you need and how they will be able to be used successful:
Who are the readers? What do your readers know about the subject? These questions will determine how much information you provide and the type of language you use.
What is your purpose? Successful instructions/procedures require that both you and your readers know your purpose.
What is the context in which the instructions/procedures will be used? Knowing how documents will be read can help you design effective documents.
Do your readers need to read the instructions/procedures before they begin? This will tell you if you must begin with a brief explanation of how to read the instructions.
Will the instructions be available online? For instructions available online, focus on readability of the material.

Question 9

Jax is the technical writer for an air conditioning company that manufactures portable air conditioning units. What type of document does Jax write that is always included with the portable air condition units?
A) Policies
B) Procedures
C) Reports
D) Instructions

Accepted Answer

Procedures provide general guidelines for performing a task, while instructions provide specific, detailed actions. Procedures will often prove sufficient for experienced readers completing safe and simple activities, while instructions suit readers who need step-by-step directions, especially if the task is unfamiliar, complicated, or hazardous. Most products and processes have instructions attached. A manufacturer can be held responsible for the failure of a product to work or for the injury of an individual due to poorly written instructions.

Question 10

Which of the following is a common format for lengthy, complex instructions?
A) Letter
B) Memo
C) Manual
D) Email

Accepted Answer

Instructions and procedures can appear in several formats: in letters and memoranda, in reports, in technical papers or notes, in videos, in stand-alone documents to accompany mechanisms or processes, or in complete manuals. Complex procedures and instructions usually appear as manuals, which use many of the elements exemplified in formal reports. If instructions or procedures are short and simple, email might be a suitable method of distribution, but variations in email applications could produce awkwardly formatted, unreadable text. Ordinarily, prepare your instructions or procedures as an email attachment (in a standard rtf, doc, docx, or pdf file) that can be printed or read on the receiver's computer or mobile screen.

Question 11

"Attaching the bolts will then allow section one to be connected to section two" is an example of…
A) purpose of this step.
B) warning or caution.
C) conditions necessary for performing the step.
D) list of materials needed.

Accepted Answer

Instructions and procedures follow a common structure. Comprehensive instruction/procedure manuals will usually contain most of these elements, while shorter instructions/procedures may require fewer.
Introduction - The introduction should familiarize readers with the task they will perform. The instruction should specify what the instructions will allow readers to do and what skill level the person should have to perform the task successfully.
Theory governing the procedure or instruction - For some types of procedures, readers will perform tasks better if they have a general overview of the process. Providing knowledge of the process and background information may help users to understand when they have made an error and how to avoid errors. It also provides value and purpose in what they are doing.
Warnings, cautions, hazards, and notes regarding safety or quality - Given the wide variety of technologically complicated and potentially dangerous products available today, you really cannot "overwarn" readers. The warning section is a critical component of instructions and procedures and should be emphasized. Any failure to warn could have costly legal implications for your organization. Hazards should also be described followed by followed by the reason or the result, and make sure that all warnings, cautions, and notes are clearly visible.
Conditions under which the task should be performed - Some instructions, particularly laboratory instructions, may require you to describe the physical conditions required to perform a task: room size, temperature, time required for the entire process and for individual steps, specific safety processes. If time is a constraint, readers need to know how much time the task will take before they start the task.
Lastly, the steps; name of each step - For each step, give the following: purpose of the step; warnings, cautions, and notes; any conditions necessary for performing the step; time required to perform the step; and the list of materials needed for the step.
Place instructions in chronological order.
Number each step.
Limit each instruction to one action.

Question 12

Which of the following would online instructions would NOT include?
A) An email attachment
B) Headings
C) Bulleted lists
D) Numbered lists

Accepted Answer

Online instructions need to follow the same readability considerations as those used in letters, reports, and stand-alone instructions. Otherwise, the instructions will create confusion for many users. Like print, hard copy instructions, online instructions should include simple, concise statements, headings and bulleted and numbered lists when appropriate, as well as illustrations if they support the comprehension of the user.

Question 13

The more complex your instructions are, the more important it is to…
A) Publish them on a website.
B) Design them for mobile devices.
C) Perform usability testing with representative users.
D) Suggest to not release the product if it is too confusing to users.

Accepted Answer

Because users of products and services typically resist reading instructions, their interpretations of your instructions could easily surprise you. Test your instructions on a group of representative users to determine the accuracy and consistency with which users decipher the intended meaning and take the appropriate action. The more complicated the instructions or the more dangerous the product or service, the more important it is to perform usability testing. Your objective is to make sure that users will be able to operate the product or service safely, correctly, and efficiently.

Question 14

In instructions and procedures, how is white space used?
A) To distinguish headings.
B) To make lists easy to find.
C) To highlight safety information.
D) Both a and b are correct.

Accepted Answer

Writing clear, accurate instructions and procedures is critical. Just like emails, when readers read instructions, they often want to understand immediately without having to read anything twice. Similar to any technical communication, there are common guidelines that you can use to help you compose and design effective instructions and procedures:
Use concise headings and subheadings to describe and highlight each section.
Leave plenty of white space around headings.
Use numbers for every step in a chronological process; use bullets for lists of conditions, materials, and equipment.
Use white space to make items in lists easy to find and read.
Highlight safety information and warnings. Distinguish between danger, warning, and caution.
Keep illustrations as simple as possible.
Locate illustrations at the point where the reader needs them. Don't expect readers to locate an illustration that is several pages away from the instruction to which it pertains.
Label every illustration, and at the appropriate point in the related text, write "See Figure X."
Do not begin an instruction at the bottom of one page and complete it at the top of the next page. Insert a "page break" and move the entire instruction to the next page.

Question 15

List two different contexts in which instructions or procedures could be used.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List two different contexts in which instructions...

Question 16

Under what conditions might oral instructions-or face-to-face instructions-be appropriate?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Under what conditions might oral instructions-or face-to-face...

Question 17

Briefly describe the importance of testing your instructions or procedures.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly describe the importance of testing your...

Question 18

You work for a CURBITandEAT, a new restaurant that allows people to order their food and remain in their car as they bring it out to them. People order from a mobile app. You are the technical writer for the company and must compose a technical document for consumers for how to use the app to order. This essay has two parts. In part one, describe which type of technical document would you compose and why. In part two, compose the instructions/procedures using the tips and guidelines provided in Chapter 10. You can create artificial instructions/procedures, but defend your design choices using content from Chapter 10.

Accepted Answer

The answer of You work for a CURBITandEAT, a new...

Question 19

The company you work for is about to launch a new heartrate monitor specifically for individuals who have chronic heart disease so they can monitor their heartrate. The previous instructions are not applicable to this new device, but your boss tells you to just use the old instructions them rather than create new ones for the new device. Write an essay in the form of a memo to your boss on the legal ramifications of not creating new, effective instructions.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The company you work for is about...

Quiz 10: Instructions, Procedures, and Policies

What is the difference between instructions and procedures?

Knowing who will use your instructions will help you determine…

When designing instructions, illustrations in instructions…

"The following tools are required" is an example of…

You work in a laboratory and are using a new substance. You pick up the Safety Data Sheet for the product, in which section would you find out if the substance is toxic or harmful?

A company who delivers incomplete or hard-to-understand instructions can be held responsible...

When using illustrations in a set of procedures, where should you include the illustrations?

What is one question you can ask to help you plan the composition and design of instructions or procedures?

Jax is the technical writer for an air conditioning company that manufactures portable air conditioning units. What type of document does Jax write that is always included with the portable air condition units?

Which of the following is a common format for lengthy, complex instructions?

"Attaching the bolts will then allow section one to be connected to section two" is an example of…

Which of the following would online instructions would NOT include?

The more complex your instructions are, the more important it is to…

In instructions and procedures, how is white space used?

List two different contexts in which instructions or procedures could be used.

Under what conditions might oral instructions-or face-to-face instructions-be appropriate?

Briefly describe the importance of testing your instructions or procedures.