A Dual Path Approach to Developing Documentation  

The document development process is traditionally viewed as a series of steps along a single linear path. Instead, it is useful to view document development as consisting of activities along dual paths: one product-centered and one document-centered. Isolating a product-centered path reveals how much of your time is spent on activities other than writing--for example, learning about the product. It also highlights the ways in which the documentation is dependent on or shaped by the product.

Igel, Victoria E. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Methods