Julia Byrd
Technical writers have long searched for a writing method that’s easy to implement and use and that results in formatted documentation that pleases management, developers, and users alike. While some writers may still be searching for a one-size-fits-all method, many have adopted the Information Mapping method of organizing and formatting documentation and other printed materials.
This article briefly explains the Information Mapping method and looks at its advantages and disadvantages, modifications to the method other writers have made, suggestions for implementing this method, difficulties encountered by writers when trying to implement this method at their companies, and resources for obtaining further information on the Information Mapping method.
Space constraints prevent us from discussing the Information Mapping format in depth; however, we have provided links to the Information Mapping, Inc. Web site as a resource for those who may not be familiar with the format.
Although the TE SIG isn’t recommending the use of this method for all writers, all documentation, or all companies, there are benefits for using this method — in whole or in part — that others may find useful in their daily work. For more information on this method, please refer to “References for Writers Using Information Mapping” on page 5.
What Is the Information Mapping Method?
According to the Information Mapping, Inc. Web site, “The Information Mapping method is a research-based approach to the analysis, organization, and visual presentation of information.
“The method is both subject matter and media independent; that is, it can be applied to the subject matter of any industry, and it can be presented on paper, on a computer screen, verbally, or in a multimedia presentation.
“Information Mapping is an integrated set of easy-to-learn principles, techniques and standards. It enables authors to break complex information into its most basic elements and then present those elements optimally for readers. The result is a set of precisely defined information modules that are consistent from author to author and document to document.”
Melanie G. Flanders, chief information architect for KnowledgeMasters, Inc., describes the Information Mapping method as “a structured writing methodology that incorporates principles surrounding the organization (chunking, relevance, etc.) and presentation (sequencing, hierarchical structuring of information, use of bullets and tables to organize info) of information. It’s a method that relies on thinking about how people will use information — what is the best way to organize and present the information in a way that is highly usable and easy to retrieve.”
Using this method involves more than just formatting and fitting information into the Information Mapping template. Melanie warns that if you’re just using the template — and not the principles of Information Mapping — you’ll end up with documentation that “is poorly organized, lacks structure, contains irrelevant information, and in the case of procedure tables, often contains information in an Action column that is not an action (often a result).”
Donna Marcotte, an independent consultant in Houston, agrees. “While Information Mapping does have a distinct format [for] displaying information, it is the methodology for how the content is chunked and labeled that is the real power of it; that is, it’s more than just a format.”
For more information on mapping information for retrievability, see “Mapping Information for Retrievability” on page 10.
Why Writers Like Information Mapping
Most writers we spoke with said that organization is the most important benefit of the Information Mapping method. Regrouping information, organizing it in a logical order, using headings and easy-to-see bookmarks, and formatting table information are some of the ways the Information Mapping method accomplishes the organization. See before-and-after examples on www.infomap.com/method/demos.htm for an illustration.
What Is Chunking?
Information Mapping, Inc. describes chunking as “grouping content into small manageable units. It involves making the information digestible either for memorization or comprehension.”
What Is the Hierarchy of Chunking and Labeling?
Information Mapping, Inc. describes Hierarchy of Chunking and Labeling as “organizing an accessible structure for content chunks by grouping them into larger chunks and labeling them. Chunks without a hierarchy and label are difficult to find and understand. This principle calls for creating a structure to provide accessibility to the chunks. This structure gives users a chance to see the ‘bigger picture,’ but also access progressive layers of detail.”
Information Mapping, Inc. states these benefits of using its method: “Mapping is a communication tool that provides writers with an approach to getting their message across in a way that meets their users’ needs. This approach also provides users with ways of scanning, skipping and retrieving information they need quickly and easily.”
Ken Jensen, then a writer with Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ 737/757 programs, was part of a group that converted all its manufacturing support services’ procedure manuals to the Information Mapping format. Ken says, “Technical reviewers came to appreciate the format because it was easier to find, read, and revise the information chunks. The information chunks also received high marks from users, as the topic headings became PDF bookmarks.”
Ken also found that as his group began to reorganize and regroup the information in the manuals, “it was easier to identify redundant and obsolete text. Integrated graphics also allowed us to break the cycle of page after page of attachments.”
Most writers we talked with also find that using the Information Mapping method helped significantly to organize, clarify and locate important information.
In fact, the ability to locate information quickly in an Information Mapped document was lauded most frequently. Emily Collis, a technical writer for Life Investors Insurance Company of America, says this about her clients, upon seeing Information Mapped documents: “They like the white space on the page, they like how easy it is to find information, they like that it’s concise and to the point, and most of all, they like the professional look and consistency it gives their documentation.”
Mike Boyd, a freelance editor and writer, and Donna agree that Information Mapping’s ability to organize information is a plus. Donna says, “One benefit of Information Mapping is that you can scan a page quickly and locate very specific information. Instead of paragraphs and paragraphs of text that a user must wade through, Information Mapping uses blocks and block titles to identify discrete content within a map (which is typically one to three pages of content),” she says.
Melanie finds that her clients would “rave about the procedure tables, and most of them like the organization, structure, and content maps because they find that suddenly their information is easy to locate, easy to use, easy to retrieve.”
Ironically, Melanie finds that one of the benefits of Information Mapping isn’t just organizing the information. She said that “in the course of creating documentation, it becomes (sometimes painfully) apparent where the holes are in the information (e.g., processes, procedures, facts, background info).”
Why Writers Don’t Like Information Mapping
While many writers agree that the Information Mapping method is helpful, some writers find that the Information Mapping format itself leaves something to be desired. Most complaints about the Information Mapping format center on the excessive white space and “dated” look.
Emily has received complaints about the block lines that separate paragraphs. “Recently, I received feedback that the block lines that separate paragraphs (blocks) were ‘too busy’ and ‘took up too much space’ on the page,” she says. “I have also received comments from individuals who found the ‘Introduction’ blocks at the beginning of each new map ‘redundant and unnecessary.’”
Holly Harkness, manager of IT Documentation at Mirant, says that while the “concepts of Information Mapping are good … the format, particularly the table structure, looks outdated and distracts from the content.”
Another TE SIG member has encountered a different problem with implementing the Information Mapping format. “We were all sent to Information Mapping class a number of years ago and [were] told that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, etc. What followed was the inevitable: everyone did it, everything looked identical, everyone was too bored to read it. In truth, much depends on the attitude of the managers who promote Information Mapping … whether they recognize it as one of many approaches or follow it like some kind of cult philosophy.”
This member continues by saying, “As a strategy, Information Mapping helps novice writers/editors/authors organize their thoughts and subject matter. As a practice, it isn’t always the most appropriate way to present the material. As a standard, it promotes a cookie-cutter appearance that eventually has a negative effect because readers don’t remember if they have read this particular material or are so jaded by the sameness that they pass it by entirely. As a tool, it makes some writers lazy because it reduces everything to a formula rather than requiring that they find creative ways to present the material.”
Another complaint is that it’s not always possible to fit all types of documentation into the Information Mapping format. When information doesn’t fit nicely into the format, it often requires extra work on the part of writers to manipulate the information — or the template — for a better fit.
Some writers criticize the Information Mapping format because it significantly increases the length of documents. For companies who distribute printed documentation, this size increase is sometimes prohibitive. The increased length is due to the larger amount of white space incorporated into the Information Mapping template and to the format of block titles. The blocks are formatted as tables, with the titles stacked at the left-hand side of the page and the block text appearing to the right of the title. According to Donna, “If the block titles are long (which is perfectly acceptable to clearly label information) the title almost appears as a list of words because the physical area for the title is quite narrow. This makes it difficult for users to read and locate information.”
Within Information Mapping’s blocks, concerns also surface about the length of block text (e.g., when a block is only a sentence or two). Donna has heard such comments as “‘it’s too small’ (compared to the other blocks in that map) or ‘it’s wasting space.’” In some cases, Donna says, this disproportion is just the way the content is. When given the choice to create a short block with a proper label or bury the content in an existing, less appropriate block, Donna always prefers the former.
When writers have encountered problems with the standard Information Mapping format, many have modified the format to meet their firm’s or their clients’ needs. For information on how others have modified the Information Mapping format — as well as suggestions for writers who are trying to implement the Information Mapping method — see the “Corrigo Supplement” section of the TE SIG Web site (www.stcsig.org/te/newsletter/supplement/index.asp).
References for Writers Using Information Mapping
Most writers are learning about the Information Mapping method from seminars, books, and Web sites.
Seminars
Many companies offer internally taught courses on Information Mapping, while other companies prefer to offer training through Information Mapping, Inc. Visit Information Mapping, Inc.’s Web site at www.infomap.com for information on this company’s training classes.
At Life Investors Insurance Company of America, Emily says that individuals are required to take an Information Mapping training seminar before they can receive the software. At the seminar, attendees received the Companion Handbook for Mapping Business Communications and Information Mapping Knowledge Solutions — Mapping Business Communications books.
Melanie also offers a two-day course (for details, please see www.knowledgemastersinc.com/courseware.html#writing) for those who are interested in learning more about the Information Mapping method.
Books
TE SIG members have recommended these Information Mapping publications:
• Mapping Hypertext, by Robert Horn (1989)
• Companion Handbook for Mapping Business Communications (full of helpful templates and suggestions)
• Information Mapping Knowledge Solutions — Mapping Business Communications (full of step-by-step procedures on how to use the software and information on why the Information Mapping method is beneficial)
Web Sites
You may also find these Web sites useful as you research whether the Information Mapping method makes sense for your documentation:
• www.stanford.edu/~rhorn/images/artcl/artclInfoMappingTraining.pdf
• www.bmia.be/mimnews-2000-1-Ceusters.html
• www.stcpmc.org/newsviews/2000/feat0101.html
Conclusion
While not everyone agrees that the Information Mapping method meets all documentation — and client — needs, many writers do agree that the principles of the Information Mapping method are sound and useful in developing quality documentation.
Whether or not you choose to implement the Information Mapping method in your documentation, it’s important to keep in mind the key reasons this method is so popular: it helps writers organize and lay out material, and it helps readers quickly find the information they need.
As writers and editors, we need to continue to be conscious of how we can improve our communication method to provide the most useful documentation to our clients. Learning about different ways to organize, structure, and lay out information can only help us achieve these goals.
Julia is a technical writer at SI International. She is also the managing editor of Corrigo. You can reach her at corrigo_editor@hotmail.com.