Byrne Technical Translation

Usability Strategies for Translating Technical Documentation
1. Auflage 2006
ISBN: 978-1-4020-4653-7
Verlag: Springer Netherlands
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 280 Seiten

This introduction to technical translation and usability draws on a broad range of research and makes the topic both accessible and applicable to those involved in the practice and study of translation. Readers learn how to improve and assess the quality of technical translations using cognitive psychology, usability engineering and technical communication. A practical usability study illustrates the theories, methods and benefits of usability engineering.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Byrne, Jody

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Contents;5
2;Preface;8
2.1;Aims and Structure of this Book;9
2.1.1;Using this Book;11
3;1 Technical Translation;14
3.1;The Importance of Technical Translation;15
3.1.1;Some Misconceptions;15
3.1.2;The Reality of Technical Translation;20
3.1.3;The Aim of Technical Translation;23
3.1.4;The Translator’s Role;28
3.2;Theory in Technical Translation;34
3.2.1;The Trouble with Translation Theory;35
3.2.2;Source-Orientated Approaches to Translation;38
3.2.3;Functionalism;44
3.2.4;Target-Orientated Approaches to Translation;47
3.2.5;Skopos Theory;51
3.3;Conclusions;57
4;2 Technical Communication;59
4.1;The Nature of Technical Documentation;60
4.2;Typical Technical Documents;62
4.2.1;Proposals;62
4.2.2;Reports;63
4.2.3;Instructions;63
4.3;Software Documentation;64
4.3.1;The Audience for Software Documentation;67
4.4;Software User Guides;69
4.5;What is a User Guide?;71
4.6;The Function of User Guides;72
4.6.1;Other Functions;75
4.7;Software User Guides & Quality;76
4.7.1;The Cost of Inadequate User Guides;77
4.7.2;Tackling the Problem of Poor User Guides;78
4.7.3;What Makes A Good User Guide?;80
4.7.4;Appearance;82
4.7.5;Structure;90
4.7.6;Content;94
4.7.7;Language;95
4.8;Assessing User Guide Quality;104
4.8.1;Readability;104
4.8.2;Usability;106
4.9;Conclusions;106
5;3 Understanding Users;109
5.1;Usability;109
5.1.1;The Scope of Usability;111
5.2;The Human Cognitive System;112
5.2.1;The Human Input / Output System;113
5.2.2;Sight – The Visual Channel;113
5.3;Human Output;120
5.4;Perception;121
5.4.1;Sensory Data Filters;121
5.4.2;Ecological and Constructivist Approaches to Perception;123
5.4.3;Grouping and Organising Information;124
5.5;Memory;126
5.5.1;Sensory Memory;127
5.5.2;Short-Term Memory (STM);128
5.5.3;Long-Term Memory (LTM);129
5.5.4;Retrieving Information from Memory;133
5.6;Cognitive Processing;133
5.6.1;Cognitive Conscious and Cognitive Unconscious;134
5.6.2;Attention;134
5.7;Attention & Selection;136
5.7.1;Bottleneck Theories;137
5.7.2;Capacity Models;140
5.7.3;Performing Simultaneous Tasks;141
5.8;Learning;142
5.8.1;The Basis of Knowledge;142
5.8.2;The Components of Meaningful Learning;143
5.8.3;Acquiring New Information;144
5.8.4;Learning Processes;145
5.8.5;Learning & Cognitive Processes;147
5.8.6;Habits and Automatic Processing;148
5.9;Reasoning & Problem-Solving;150
5.9.1;Reasoning;150
5.9.2;Theoretical Approaches to Problem-Solving;152
5.9.3;Stages in Problem-Solving;155
5.9.4;Difficulties Involved in Problem-Solving;157
5.10;The Transition from Problem-Solving to Skill;157
5.11;Conclusions;161
6;4 Usability Engineering;163
6.1;Interfaces;163
6.2;Cognetics;165
6.2.1;Usability Objectives;166
6.3;Understanding How We Read User Guides;169
6.3.1;Assumptions about Reading User Guides;170
6.4;Implementing Usability Measures;172
6.4.1;Principles, Guidelines and Rules of Usability;172
6.4.2;Rules;175
6.5;Iconic Linkage;176
6.5.1;A Definition of Iconic Linkage;176
6.5.2;Origins of Iconic Linkage;177
6.5.3;Latent and Introduced Iconic Linkage;178
6.5.4;Types of Iconic Linkage;179
6.5.5;Examples of Introduced Iconic Linkage;180
6.6;Iconic Linkage as a Cognitive Strategy;183
6.6.1;The Benefits of Iconic Linkage;184
6.6.2;Potential Criticisms of Iconic Linkage;186
6.7;Conclusions;187
7;5 Assessing Usability;189
7.1;Empirical Usability Evaluation;189
7.2;Historical Problems in Document Usability Research;190
7.3;Approaches to Empirical Evaluation;191
7.3.1;Observational Evaluation;193
7.3.2;Interactive Observation;196
7.3.3;Verbal Protocols;197
7.4;Survey Methods;198
7.4.1;Interviews;199
7.4.2;Questionnaires;200
7.5;Participants in a Usability Evaluation;206
7.5.1;Background of Participants;206
7.5.2;Numbers of Participants;208
7.6;Usability Evaluation Procedures;208
7.6.1;Practical Usability Evaluation;209
7.6.2;Measuring Usability;209
7.6.3;Usability Evaluation Case Studies;211
7.7;Experiment to Test the Impact of Iconic Linkage;219
7.7.1;Pilot Study;219
7.7.2;Preparations;221
7.7.3;Test Environment & Tools;233
7.7.4;Participants;236
7.7.5;Session 1: Familiarisation;237
7.7.6;Session 2: Testing;238
7.7.7;Session 3: Post Test Survey;240
7.7.8;Findings of Pilot Study;240
7.7.9;Implications for Experimental Design;244
7.8;Results of Usability Evaluation;251
7.8.1;Analysis of Results;251
7.8.2;Task Times;252
7.8.3;Error Rates;254
7.8.4;Results of QUIS Usability Survey;256
7.9;Conclusions;261
8;6 Conclusions;265
8.1;Cognetics and Iconic Linkage;266
8.2;Future Directions;267
9;Bibliography;270
10;Appendices;281
10.1;Appendix 1: User Profile Questionnaire;282
10.2;Appendix 2: Consent Form;283
10.3;Appendix 3: Test Subjects Identity Form;284
10.4;Appendix 4: Task Event Log;285
10.5;Appendix 5: Post- Test Survey;286
10.6;Appendix 7: Error Rates and Criteria;289
10.7;Appendix 8: QUIS Satisfaction Data;290

Leseproben

Chapter 4 Usability Engineering (p. 151-152)

Accommodating the diverse human perceptual, cognitive, and motor abilities is a challenge to every designer…the presence of a computer is only incidental to the design, human needs and abilities are the guiding forces. (Schneiderman 1998: 18)
This chapter deals with usability engineering and how we can adapt user guides or "interfaces" to suit humans while making their work as simple and undemanding as possible. In essence, usability engineering allows us to put our understanding of human cognition into practice. The chapter will discuss how an understanding of cognition can inform the way we look at the translation of user guides to make them more usable and to ensure that users can work with a product effectively and efficiently. First of all it is necessary to define what we mean by interface and then apply this definition to texts. By treating user guides as a form of interface between users and a software application, we are able to draw on various principles of interface design and set clear usability goals which will guide the translation process. We will then explore ways of examining user guides from an interaction point of view to identify areas where we can make improvements.

This chapter will then introduce Iconic Linkage (IL) as one possible method for improving the usability of user guides. The chapter will present the origins and nature of IL and proceed to discuss the potential benefits of IL and how it can improve usability.

Interfaces

When we speak about user interfaces many people assume we are referring specifically to the graphical user interfaces (GUI) of modern computers. While GUIs are perhaps one of the most common and recognisable types of interface, they are precisely that – types of interface. The reality is that not all interfaces have windows, icons and menus: interfaces can be found on VCRs, mobile phones, digital watches, ATM machines and even microwave ovens. It is very easy to give examples of interfaces but actually defining interfaces is another matter. Card et al. (1983:4) state that it is easy to locate the interface between computer and human simply by starting at the CPU and tracing "a data path outward… until you stumble across a human being". This, however, by the authors’ own admission is less than clear and we are left with no real clue as to the nature or boundaries of the interface. Faulkner (1998:54) maintains that the human-computer interface mediates between the user and the computer system. Again, this is somewhat vague. Perhaps we should look to the function of the interface in order to understand what an interface is. Bødker (1991:77) proposes that "the basic role of the user interface is to support the user in acting on an object or with a subject". She continues by saying that a good user interface allows users to focus on the task at hand rather than on other objects or subjects. So, like the software system itself, the purpose of interfaces is to allow us to do something – in this case, to use the system. In other words, an interface is a tool or a means to an end. Such a view is echoed by Raskin (2000:2) who defines interfaces as "the way that you accomplish tasks with a product". Perhaps one of the clearest and most useful definitions of an interface is that provided by Preece (1994:13):

The user interface of a computer system is the medium through which a user communicates with the computer. […] the user interface can be thought of as those aspects of the system with which the user comes into contact both physically and cognitively (Preece 1994:13).