Why subject matter experts can't write user documents
Sometimes, people ask whether someone who writes documentation must be a subject matter expert (SME). This article shows why it is usually better to use an external technical writer.
If the SME is skilled in producing documentation, the time needed to produce the documentation will be less than that needed by an external technical writer, because the SME will not need to learn new ideas and concepts.
A problem with using SMEs to write documentation is that because they know the terms (jargon), assumptions, and shortcuts in the subject area, they forget what it is like to be new to the subject:
- They make logical jumps that non-experts do not understand.
- They do not state things that are 'obvious', but they forget that the audience does not know the 'obvious'.
A major advantage of using technical writers who are not SMEs occurs when the readers are not experts. The technical writers are likely to make the same mistakes and assumptions as the readers, and they are likely to ask the same 'stupid questions' that the readers will ask. Capture these mistakes, assumptions, and questions, and you will improve the quality of your documentation and decrease calls to your service desk.
A research report that was commissioned by the Consumer Affairs Directorate of the DTI states on a related matter, "A writer who is initially unfamiliar with the product will be in the best position to take into account the needs of a first time user." Jeanette Croft & Freda Harris, Writing safety instructions for consumer products, The Qualitative Consultancy, November 1998. URN 96/768.
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