What Kind of Quality Are We Ensuring with Document Draft Reviews?

"Quality Methods" also often called Total Quality Management (TQM) methods, are very popular in all kinds of organizations now. Writers and writing groups are being encouraged to adopt "Quality" methods such as Six Sigma and formal inspections. However, writers and writing groups have long been conducting draft reviews as part of less formal quality control procedures. This ethnographic study investigated the extent to which draft reviews improved the technical accuracy of two computer documents, and whether these draft reviews were similar enough to formal inspections to be considered TQM technique. The results of the study suggest that, although some improvements are made in technical accuracy during draft reviews, these draft reviews also provide technical reviewers a forum to make suggestions about all aspects of the text, even stylistic issues. At times, the writers were coerced into revising the text even when the revision may not have helped-and might have hindered-the users of the document. Therefore, I recommend that draft reviews (and perhaps even document inspections, given their similarities) be supplemented by numerous other quality control techniques such as user reviews and usability testing.