Gene name errors are widespread in the scientific literature

All:

Gene name errors are widespread in the scientific literature
    Mark Ziemann,
    Yotam Eren and
    Assam El-OstaEmail author
Genome Biology201617:177
DOI: 10.1186/s13059-016-1044-7
© The Author(s). 2016
Published: 23 August 2016

Downloadable from
http://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-016-1044-7

Most, if not all of the errors described in that study are the result of
the user not knowing how to correctly use their tools.

Question:
Which would be more useful:
a) A stand alone document that explains the errors made by that 20% of
researchers whose data was damaged because they don't know how to use
their tools;
b) A chapter in the Calc Guide describing how to avoid common errors
made by researchers;

jonathon

Probably not the practical solution, but both.
I found writing instruction manuals you need a comprehensive manual (your b)), but to avoid a higher incidence of customers making mistakes a separate document (your a)) with just those tricky items that resulted in a high incidence of support calls helped to reduce support needs.
I don't know if it is a psychological thing with a big manual that overwhelms people, too much foreign (to them) language to wade through, people too much in a hurry to pick up a big manual but it helps having both.

Possibly the user who can use a spread sheet with some ability, knows he knows more that nothing, looks at available information.
"Calc Guide" - a large document to wade through, I am doing ok, I will read it if I have problems (but only if I realise I am having problems).
"Avoiding Gene name errors in Calc" - might be pertinent, I will check it out.

I am sure someone has done a study on the search order and persistence of people and instructions. Everyone is in a rush or think they know enough, but you never know what you don't know until it is put in front of you.
Look at a list of applicable documents, choose and open a document, check the contents page, actually get into the text of the document.

Look at your appliance instructions today, fold out step by step pictures for the impatient, a brief written manual and a downloadable comprehensive manual if required.
My Nikon came with one 500 page printed manual in the box, navigable from the contents, highly cross referenced, comprehensively indexed.

My current strategy is 1 comprehensive manual with appendices that deal with specific aspects (that cross reference to the manual) and can be printed or PDFed as stand alone documents.
I have only 1 document to maintain but print 2+ PDFs from it. The specific case appendices are highly visible in the contents page.
steve

Steve wrote:

Probably not the practical solution, but both.

That makes writing the Calc guide slightly more difficult, but not
enough to not do so.

I found writing instruction manuals you need a comprehensive manual

(your b)), but to avoid a higher incidence of customers making mistakes
a separate document (your a)) with just those tricky items that resulted
in a high incidence of support calls helped to reduce support needs.

That makes sense.

Integration in the manuals will probably be:
* Explanation of process #1;
** Common Errors;
8 Explanation of Process # 2;
** Common Errors;

I will read it if I have problems (but only if I realise I am having problems).

What those researchers found, is that the users didn't even know that
their spreadsheet contained errors.

My current strategy is 1 comprehensive manual with appendices that deal

with specific aspects (that cross reference to the manual) and can be
printed or PDFed as stand alone documents.

Cross references within the book, and references to other material that
expands on the issue, are vital.

jonathon