Human factors and behavioral science: The UNIX™ Writer'S workbench software: Philosophy

Technology has dramatically increased the number and complexity of written documents. The Bell System spends over $100,000,000 annually on technical documents, with much effort devoted to review and revision. The UNIX™ Writer's Workbench programs assist documentation by automating copy editing and proofreading tasks. These programs deliver detailed measures and comments about text readability, punctuation, word use, abstractness, and other features. Authors use the system to evaluate draft documents, and many feel the programs improve their writing skills. The programs have been used for quality control and text research, and in writing courses. This paper discusses principles used in system development, introduces the two following papers, and suggests possible uses for automated language analysis aids.