Editing End user (section)

==End user documentation==
{{About|section=yes|generic system users materials|consumable guides to software|Software user documentation}}
[[File:Pravetz 8d with manual.png|thumb|1980s-era personal computer with end-user documentation]]
[[File:120625-F-UZ487-014 (7567150378).jpg|thumb|right|NATO official and Afghan colonel going through end-user documentation to transfer control of barracks to the Afghan army in 2009]]
The aim of end user [[Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance|documentation]] (e.g., manuals and guidebooks for products) is to help the user understand certain aspects of the systems and to provide all the answers in one place.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = 10 Examples of Great End User Documentation|url = http://blog.screensteps.com/10-examples-of-great-end-user-documentation|website = blog.screensteps.com|access-date = 2015-11-03}}{{self-published inline|date=December 2022}}</ref> A lot of documentation is available for users to help them understand and properly use a certain product or service. Due to the fact that the information available is usually very vast, inconsistent or ambiguous (e.g., a user manual with hundreds of pages, including guidance on using advanced features), many users suffer from an [[information overload]]. Therefore, they become unable to take the right course of action. This needs to be kept in mind when developing products and services and the necessary documentation for them.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Information Overload: An International Challenge to Professional Engineers and Technical Communicators|publisher = John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|date = 2012-01-01|isbn = 9781118360491|pages = 1–12|doi = 10.1002/9781118360491.ch1|first1 = Judith B.|last1 = Strother|first2 = Jan M.|last2 = Ulijn|first3 = Zohra|last3 = Fazal|editor-first = Judith B.|editor-last = Strother|editor-first2 = Jan M.|editor-last2 = Ulijn|editor-first3 = Zohra|editor-last3 = Fazal}}</ref>

Well-written documentation is needed for a user to reference. Some key aspects of such a documentation are:<ref name=":0" />
* Specific titles and subtitles for subsections to aid the reader in finding sections
* Use of videos, annotated [[screenshot]]s, text and links to help the reader understand how to use the device or program
* Structured provision of information, which goes from the most basic instructions, written in plain language, without specialist [[jargon]] or [[acronym]]s, progressing to the information that intermediate or advanced users will need (these sections can include jargon and acronyms, but each new term should be defined or spelled out upon its first use)
* Easy to search the help guide, find information and access information
* Clear end results are described to the reader (e.g., "When the program is installed properly, an icon will appear in the left-hand corner of your screen and the [[LED]] will turn on...")
* Detailed, numbered steps, to enable users with a range of proficiency levels (from novice to advanced) to go step-by-step to install, use and [[troubleshoot]] the product or service
* Unique [[Uniform Resource Locator]] (URLs) so that the user can go to the product website to find additional help and resources.

At times users do not refer to the documentation available to them due to various reasons, ranging from finding the manual too large or due to not understanding the jargon and acronyms it contains. In other cases, the users may find that the manual makes too many assumptions about a user having pre-existing knowledge of computers and software, and thus the directions may skip over these initial steps (from the users' point of view). Thus, frustrated user may report false problems because of their inability to understand the software or computer hardware. This in turn causes the company to focus on perceived problems instead of focusing on the actual problems of the software.<ref>{{Cite thesis|title = End-user documentation|last = Wilkinson|first = Paul Johnston|publisher = Durham theses, Durham University.|year = 2003|pages = 2–6|url = http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3134| type=Doctoral }}</ref>