Signal to noise ratio of information in documentation

The signal to noise ratio is a common concept in radio communications and electronic communication in general. For a radio, the static is the noise. Too much static and the storm report gets drowned out, or at least you must listen closely to understand the announcer. Unfortunately, information designers do not posses a clear cut set of techniques available to electrical engineers. For information systems, taking the raw data in a system and deciding what is signal and what is noise proves to be extremely difficult. This paper will examine how the concept of signal to noise ratio can be applied to documentation. It will consider how the need to address different tasks and audience forces compromises on the writer to meet those different needs, when each audience has different definitions of which information constitutes signal and which constitutes noise. Categories and Subject Descriptors

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: SIGDOC
• Authors: Michael J. Albers
• Keywords: Clear Cut Set, Common Concept, Information Constitutes Signal, SIGDOC 2004