PLEASE FIND A PEN AND PAPER

LEVERAGING COGNITIVE SCIENCE TO IMPROVE TOPIC-BASED AUTHORINGLavaCon 2016Las Vegas, Nevada

EFFECTIVE TOPIC-BASED AUTHORING WITH DITA▪ Information Typing is

truly at the heart of DITA, yet it is one of the most poorly understood concepts behind creating effective DITA topics

▪ How DITA can naturally be extended to accommodate enterprise content?

▪ How can content be broken down and organized for better comprehension?

▪ How can we focus attention on greater precision with our content standards?

ROB HANNA▪ President of Precision Content Authoring

Solutions Inc. and a director of AIIM First Canadian Chapter

▪ Expert in structured authoring and content management practices and technology

▪ Instructor at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies – Metadata and Controlled Vocabularies

DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS SOLVING?▪ 5,900,000,000 Google searches

per day (who did we ask these questions of before Google?)

▪ 540,000 words in the English language – 5 times more than in Shakespeare’s time

▪ 90% of the world’s data has been generated in the last 2 years

In the year … Human knowledge doubled every…

1900 100 years

1945 25 years

2014 13 months

2020 12 hours

Did you know? Shift Happens 2014 Remix– YouTube.com

PUT INTO CONTEXTThere is more information in a single issue of the New York Times than a 17th century citizen would ever see in their lifetime.

CAN COGNITIVE COMPUTING SAVE THE DAY?Perhaps …

CAN WATSON HELP ME USE MY CONSUMER DEVICES?

WISDOM OF CROWDSNo problem!

WHAT ABOUT MASS SPECTROMETERS?

… NOT SO MUCHMuch smaller crowd!

WE NEED STANDARDS

▪ We need INTELLIGENT CONTENT that is▪ PORTABLE ACROSS SYSTEMS▪ USEFUL ACROSS APPLICATIONS, and▪ FINDABLE, USABLE, and REUSABLE

FOUNDATIONS IN XMLA technology platform for Intelligent Content

XML IS EVERYWHEREXML defines meaningful data structures for documents and data. It is a human-readable file format used to power• manufacturing assembly lines• medical devices• military applications, and• many other things.

SEMANTIC MARKUP

▪ Using semantic markup, we can▪ disambiguate content▪ search based on meaning▪ connect to other content, and▪ reuse or substitute new text.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DITA …

MEETING 2 SETS OF FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS

The Human Brain

Technology

Find

Understand

Use, and

Retain

Integrate

Search

Process, andReuse

Well-structured content helps

ORGANIZING INFORMATION

LET’S PERFORM AN EXPERIMENT…

YOUR INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXPERIMENT1. Put down your pen.

2. Concentrate on the list of 21 words for 20 seconds.

3. When the words disappear, pick up your pen and write down as many words as you can remember.

4. After one minute, count the number of words you wrote down.

EXPERIMENT #1: MEMORIZATION

OTTOMAN brake lounge staplerseatbelt hutch alternator wardrobe

calculators scissors ENGINE pedaldashboard pen tables marker tape

stools starter ruler credenza

How many words can you memorize in 20 seconds?

ottoman brake lounge stapler

dashboard pen table marker

seatbelt hutch alternator wardrobe

pedalcalculator scissors engine

tape stool starter ruler credenza

COGNITIVE PRINCIPLE: CONSISTENCY1. Filter out all of the noise

ottoman brake lounge stapler

dashboard pen

table

marker

seatbelt

hutch

alternator

wardrobe

pedalcalculator scissors engine

tapestoolstarter

ruler credenza

COGNITIVE PRINCIPLE: CHUNKING2. Break into smaller groupings

dashboardalternator pedalbrake seatbeltengine starter

marker

staplerscissorstape

pen calculatorruler

ottoman lounge hutch

credenzastooltablewardrobe

COGNITIVE PRINCIPLE: RELEVANCE3. Organize words by similarities

dashboardalternator pedalbrake seatbeltengine starter

marker

staplerscissorstape

pen calculatorruler

ottoman hutch

credenzastooltablewardrobe

Furniture Office supplies

Car parts

COGNITIVE PRINCIPLE: LABELLING4. Classify and label groups

lounge

THE RESULT

Furniture Office supplies Car partsautoman stapler brakelounge calculator seatbelthutch scissors dashboard

wardrobe pen enginetable marker alternatorstool tape starter

credenza ruler pedal

How well did you do?

THE FOUR COGNITIVE PRINCIPLES

1. Consistency 2. Chunking

3. Relevance 4. Labeling

EXPERIMENT #2: LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN

Vegetables Computer parts Instrumentspeas hard drive violin

endive sound card harpcarrots monitor pianospinach mouse trumpetcelery processor cello

broccoli flash drive flutetomato keyboard guitar

Now how many words can youmemorize in 20 seconds?

FEED THE BRAIN WHAT IT NEEDS WHEN IT NEEDS IT

LANGUAGE ARTSHow do you want your information to be perceived?

LEFT AND RIGHT HEMISPHERES OF THE BRAINAppealing to creativity or emotion versus logic

Language Arts for Information(LAFI)

Language Arts for Personal Response (LAFPR)

LANGUAGE ARTSLanguage Arts for Personal Response (LAFPR)▪ To emotionally engage the

reader

▪ Techniques:▪ narrative style▪ varied vocabulary & sentence

structure▪ withholding information

▪ Writer driven

▪ Meant to be READ

Language Arts for Information (LAFI)▪ To convey information that

readers need to use

▪ Techniques:▪ consistent modular structure

▪ concise, direct vocabulary

▪ use of graphics

▪ Reader driven

▪ Meant to be USED

IKEA INSTRUCTIONS: LAFI

IKEA INSTRUCTIONS: LAFPR ▪ If novelist Michael Ondaatje wrote Ikea instructions ….

“The eel-shaped talisman squirms inside the raspy recycled box. A series of quarter turns – clock hands marking time –

bonds back to base. An alphabet of connections in English and French. A into groove B. C slots into D. Chipboard credenza

communicating Swedish hegemony.”▪ Author/parodist: Geoff Thomas

Globe & Mail, August 27, 2009

COMPAREResume

▪ Information intended to be scanned

▪ Not addressed to anyone

▪ Parsed into HR database

▪ Distinct appearance

Cover Letter

▪ Information intended to be read by the hiring manager

▪ Addressed to the hiring manager

▪ Placed in a file

▪ Looks like any other letter

INFORMATION TYPESWhat are they good for

DITA INFORMATION TYPES

How do I change the

spark plugs?What is a traction control system?

What are my engine

specifications? Concept

Task

Reference

TOPICS MODELLED BY FUNCTION▪ Topic types are determined by the desired user response for

the information

▪ Types are based on how users read, comprehend, and recall information▪ REFERENCE topics are used when the reader needs to KNOW

something

▪ TASK topics are used when the reader needs to DO something, and▪ CONCEPT topics are used when the reader needs to UNDERSTAND

something.

MAPPING HUMAN MEMORY FUNCTION• Procedural

• Working• Semantic

Budson and Price, 2005, New England Journal of Medicine

TASK TOPICS AND PROCEDURAL MEMORY▪ Procedural memory is the most

accessible and robust type of memory we have

▪ By separating task information from other types of information, we can make it easier and more efficient to comprehend and retain task information

REFERENCE TOPICS AND WORKING MEMORY▪ Working memory is our short-

term, rapid-access memory we use to hold facts as needed to complete a task or further understanding

▪ Reference topics are intended to organize and present information as and when the reader needs it

CONCEPT TOPICS AND SEMANTIC MEMORY▪ Semantic memory is declarative

memory used to store conceptual information that is not based on experience but from understanding

▪ Concept topics represent the highest cognitive loading for the brain as the reader is being asked to compare and evaluate information based on what the reader already knows

A NEW CONTENT STANDARD FOR THE ENTERPRISEIntroducing Precision Content®It’s fun and anyone can do it!

CONTENT STANDARDS FOR THE ENTERPRISE▪ OASIS - DITA Enterprise Business Documents Subcommittee

▪ Established in 2007 by Ann Rockley and Michael Boses

▪ To develop and recommend guidance for organizations that intend to adopt DITA for enterprise business documents.

▪ Wrapped up in 2012

▪ The subcommittee examined several models for business documents

▪ One of the models examined was the Information Mapping® model developed by Robert Horn in the 1960s

▪ The subcommittee did not forward any formal proposals for adoption

FINDING BALANCEDITA/XML is…

▪ An agnostic structured framework for technical communication

▪ An open standard gaining rapid adoption

▪ Extensible across industries

▪ Lacking a consistent, robust authoring methodology

Information Mapping® is…

▪ An agnostic structured authoring methodology for the enterprise

▪ A tested standard with global reach and decades of research

▪ Teachable to any audience or practitioner

▪ Lacking modern technology delivery framework

ENTER PRECISION CONTENT®▪ The Precision Content methodology leverages the

strengths of structured, topic-based authoring using XML technology for▪ Broad-based content collaboration▪ Robust content lifecycle management▪ Content classification for rapid retrieval, and▪ Multi-channel publishing.

A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT CONTENTPrecision Content® is like software for the brain

ProgrammedLearning

Instructional Systems Design

Human FactorsEngineering

Documentation Writing Research

MessageDesign

CognitivePsychology

TOPICS AND BLOCKS▪ Precision Content

focuses writing at the block-level within topics

▪ The Primary Block supports the title of the topic

▪ Every block has an information type

Task Topic

Task title

Task body

Context

Purpose

Prerequisites

Steps

Post-requisites

Result

Primary Block

Blocks

REFERENCE

PRINCIPLE

TASK

PRINCIPLE

REFERENCE

STRUCTURED BUILDING BLOCKS OF INFORMATION

ADAPTED DITA TOPIC TYPES AND STRUCTURES▪ Concept, task, and reference are

simplified but essentially the same

▪ All topics are authored using blocks and titles

▪ New sub-blocks introduced

▪ Each block is assigned an information type

NEW PRECISION CONTENT TOPIC TYPESProcess

▪ Specialized from Task

▪ Introduces▪ Stages

▪ Actors, and

▪ Actions

Principle

▪ Specialized from Topic

▪ Introduces▪ Principle Statement

▪ Applicability

▪ Outcome, and

▪ Resolution

PRECISION CONTENT TYPES LISTED BY FUNCTION▪ Reference

▪ DESCRIBES things the reader needs to KNOW

▪ Task▪ INSTRUCTS the reader HOW TO DO

things

▪ Concept▪ EXPLAINS things the reader needs

to UNDERSTAND

▪ Process▪ DEMONSTRATES to the reader how

things WORK, and

▪ Principle▪ ADVISES the reader about what

they need TO DO or NOT DO and WHEN.

INFORMATION TYPES

Reference

Principle

Task

Process

Concept

“We will be flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet.”

“Always put on your oxygen mask before

assisting other passengers.”

“To open the emergency exit,

look out the window, pull the

lever, and push out the exit door.”

“In the event of loss of cabin pressure,

an oxygen mask will drop from the

overhead compartment.”

“On the left side of the plane you can see a typical example of a

cumulonimbus cloud.”Flight safety briefing

INFORMATION TYPE EXAMPLES

If the goal of the information is to …Then use the information type …

Reference

Concept

Principle

Process

Task

Principle

Reference

Task

• list the nutritional facts for Cherry Cola• explain what a soft drink is• warn you not to drop a Mentos in your Cola bottle• illustrate how Cola is bottled• instruct you on how to safely open your can of Cola• advise you on the best practices for recycling cans• tell the customer this week’s sale price for Cola• show you how you can turn your Cola can into a nifty craft project

INFORMATION TYPES INFORM WRITING STYLE▪ How topics and blocks are titled

▪ Block and topic construction

▪ Proper voice and tense

▪ Specific authoring models

▪ Rules for primary blocks/short descriptions

WRITING RULES BASED ON TYPEInformation Type Writing Style Writing TenseReference 3rd person Present/past/future tenseProcess 3rd person Present tenseConcept 3rd person Present tenseTask 2nd person Present tensePrinciple 2nd person Present/future tense

WRITING EFFECTIVE TITLES FOR BLOCKS AND TOPICS▪ Reference topic and block titles

▪ What is it about and what about what its about?

▪ “Bent or damaged needles”

▪ Concept topic and block titles▪ The term being defined in plural

form when possible

▪ “SSRI inhibitors”

▪ Task topic and block titles▪ Command, 2nd person active-voice

▪ “Dress the wound”

▪ Process topic and block titles▪ Activity described in gerund form

▪ “Admitting elderly patients”

▪ Principle topic and block titles▪ Should convey the weight of the

principle such as caution or guide

▪ “Danger due to needle stick”

DOES IT ACTUALLY WORK?

EXCERPT FROM A MEDICAL JOURNAL...▪ pN3 description only closely

mirrors descriptions for pN3a +pN3b + pN3c

▪ Use of footnotes confusing

▪ “Clinically detected” and “Not clinically detected” are not exact opposites, and

▪ Inconsistent enumeration of lymph nodes

SAME CONTENT AFTER APPLYING PRECISION CONTENT TECHNIQUES▪ 44.2% reduction in word count

▪ 20% reduction in passive voice

▪ 18.4% increase in Flesch Reading Ease score

▪ 30% increase in white space

▪ Elimination of footnotes, and

▪ Addition of labels and visual elements

LEARN MORE▪ We’re giving away 2

seats to the next public training class in Sunnyvale, California

▪ Visit us at Booth #6 and drop your card to WIN