Principles for helpful sequence and their relevance in technical writings: A study

Abstract

A modest attempt is made in this paper to show how Ranganathan’s Principles for Helpful Sequence are relevant in technical writings as writers need to organise the knowledge in a helpful sequence. Instead of relying on intuition, a deliberate understanding of the Principles for Helpful Sequence as recognised by Ranganathan would be more useful in bringing out effective products. The paper first outlines the eight Principles for Helpful Sequence and then goes on to explore the relevance of each of these eight principles to a wide range of technical documents. The paper concludes that an understanding of these principles is part of the core competencies of technical writers even in the web environment.