Documentation testing

Recently I have done a review for installation and user guides. I came to know few basic issues. Document testing is very important for user guide and installation guides. It can bring few more values to customers. Generally testers are not interested to test the documents. You will change your mindset if you read David's article - Justification for Documentation Testing.

Documentation testing is nothing but testing concerned with the accuracy of documentation. Documentation meets its goal when it provides enough and necessary information to end users or customers. Below I have given a famous technical writer Richard Lippincott's comment.
Quote 1:

In recent years, usability has been recognized as an important
issue in documentation quality, and methodologies
have been developed to test and improve the user’s
speed, readability, and ability to find information.

Quote 2:

The documentation testing process can be considered the
test for the accuracy portion of the usability model.
It would fall under the key practice of quality assurance
activities as defined by Hackos in the Information
Process Maturity Model.

Testing Computer Software (ISBN: 0471358460) book talks about testing user manuals. It says that the effective documentation should have following benefits:

1. Improves Usability


2. Lowers customer support costs


3. Improves reliability


4. Increases Maintainability


5. Improves Installability


6. Enhances salability


7. Reduces liability