Part of the Communications Design Center's (CDC) on-going research on communication and document design, this report emphasizes the importance of a multi-level computer help system that goes beyond simple command descriptions to include assistance with goals and strategies within the application domain--in this case, automated authoring. The help system should be dynamic to at least some degree, basing its presentation of help options on the user's current activity. It is also suggested that an adequate help system would include both a mechanism for controlling the amount of information presented on a help request and an interactive facility to allow users to try out different features in a procedural fashion. Finally, the textual information contained in the help database must be carefully designed and structured to make the necessary assistance both accessible and understandable for maximum user efficiency. An introductory discussion of computer-based instruction (CBI) is followed by five sections: Defining the Audience; Prototype Help Systems; Factors in the Design of Help (Dynamism and Access); Information Requirements (Level of Explanation, Amount of Information Presented, Level of Detail, Categories of Information, and Tutorials); and An Evaluation of a Help System. A summary and a 42-item reference list complete the report. (THC)