Reconsidering Information Mapping and Its Ambiguities

Technical communicators employed as policy and procedure writers regularly seek innovative strategies to deliver quality documentation in the workplace. The task of writing an effective document is a progressive process that begins with identifying the audience, confirming the most appropriate type of document for the respective audience and ends with the publishing of a policy and procedure that audience is able to easily read, comprehend and implement. To achieve this goal, technical writers may adhere to internal documentation standards created by themselves, their organizations or external technical writing methods created by outside vendors. Over 300,000 technical communicators that write policies and procedures utilize the Information Mapping technical writing format, created by Robert Horn and marketed under Information Mapping, Incorporated. Aspects of the long-term technical writing standard may now be on the path to becoming obsolete due to lack of clarity and quality measures and the proliferation of technology and audience analysis strategies. This paper explores the ambiguities associated with Information Mapping utilized to create policies and procedures, such as its effectiveness, formatting techniques and one size all approach to documentation