Instruction guides, or instruction manuals, are a form of technical writing designed to provide step by step instructions for the performance of an act, assembly or use of a product, or acquisition of a skill. Instruction guides can take a wide range of forms. The most common is perhaps an assembly manual in which step by step instructions, frequently with a diagram or other illustration, explain how a product is to be put together by the end user. Another common form of instruction guide is a software manual which explains how to install, operate, and troubleshoot software. Similarly, the owner's manuals for an automobile, mobile phone, or desk lamp are still other forms of instruction guides.
It is common to think about instruction guides in terms of products and services, but they are also found in other areas. A book on learning Spanish as a second language is a form of instruction guide, as is any sort of teaching aid or guide. Similarly, the brochures that arrive with income tax forms explaining how to file taxes are still other instruction guides. What all of these materials have in common is the use of technical writing to provide a set of steps through which a desired goal can be accomplished. They differ in the goals each type of manual is intended to achieve and the steps needed to reach that goal.
