AECMA 1000D - Goal and Reality

The contribution deals with the transposition of projects on the basis of the AECMA-1000D-specification. The author explains problems which exist outside aeronautics with the application of this specification.

Just, Stefan. TC-FORUM (2001). Articles>Documentation>Standards

Comparison of Online Help Formats

This article lists the basic differences between WinHelp version 4, Microsoft compiled HTML help, WebHelp and pure HTML help. Samples are available.

TechScribe (2003). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Help

Docbook Frequently Asked Questions

This is a collation of some Frequently Asked questions regarding Docbook. The initial focus will be on the XML version of the DTD, and the XSLT based stylesheets.

dpawson.co.uk (2005). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DocBook

Documentation for ISO 9000  

The ISO 9000 series of Quality Standards redefines how business will be conducted into the next century. The series is designed to measure the effectiveness of the Quality System in place, thereby ensuring both customer and company needs are always satisfied. The foundation of a robust Quality System is its documentation: problems in this area represent the largest single cause of registration failures. Quality System documentation also forms the basis upon which the 3rd party registrar builds the audit plan for your company.

Robinson, Ralph E. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Documentation>Standards>ISO 9000

Documenting ISO 9001 Compliance  

Describes how technical writers can make their documentation comply with ISO 9001, the latest quality management system from the International Organization for Standardization. The article includes a list of suggested readings.

Parr, Kelly A. Intercom (2002). Articles>Documentation>Standards>ISO 9001

Get Going With DocBook

A tutorial on writing documentation that will be used in a particular project.

Galassi, Mark. Galassi.org (1998). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DocBook

Getting Started with SGML/XML

This chapter is intended to provide a quick introduction to structured markup (SGML and XML). If you're already familiar with SGML or XML, you only need to skim this chapter. To work with DocBook, you need to understand a few basic concepts of structured editing in general, and DocBook, in particular. That's covered here. You also need some concrete experience with the way a DocBook document is structured.

Walsh, Norman and Leonard Muellner. O'Reilly and Associates (1999). Articles>Documentation>Standards>XML

The Importance of Software Documentation Standards

The look and feel of a help system can differ greatly from one product to the next, as can the writing. So how can the technical writing community emphasize the importance of software documentation standards and create a more unified help experience that users can adapt to?

Helpscribe (2008). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Software

Is DITA Going to Tip?

We seem to be heading in the right direction. The danger is that we keep talking to one another rather than evangelizing to a broader community.

Hackos, JoAnn T. Center for Information-Development Management (2005). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DITA

Lovely DITA, DocBook Fades?  

Makes the case for DITA and provides a compare-and-contrast of DITA and DocBook.

Dumbill, Edd. Intercom (2006). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DITA

Moving to DocBook  

DocBook is a powerful tool for creating and maintaining documentation. However, there are a number of factors you should consider before you move your documentation to DocBook. This article discusses reasons for and against making the switch to DocBook.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2002). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DocBook

Planning for DITA Success Part Two: How to Deploy DITA, Step-By-Step  

This paper, the second of a series, closes the loop by examining implementation issues from a technical perspective. It explores best practices within the five key steps of a successful transition.

Manning, Steve. Rockley Group, The (2007). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DITA

Proposing a Standard Method for Creating Operating Manuals  

Creating your operating manuals for technical devices includes attention to audience as well as to organization. Your highest priority is to deliver to the user an operation section with a safe and efficient sequence. After you have sorted information into audience-appropriate sections, the user suffers fewer interruptions during operation. In addition, your manual must support other audiences before the end user ever sees a technical device or your manual. The authors propose a standard method applied early in the process of creating your operating manual. The standard method is a tool for writers who must create manuals that simultaneously deliver uninterrupted sequence and meet worldwide requirements.

McDermott, B. and H.P. Wettl. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Standards

Raising the Standards

Experts from around the World are working on a new ISO standard for software documentation (Guidelines for the design and preparation of user documentation for application software). This article outlines how the standard is being produced, its current status and what it contains.

Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2003). Articles>Documentation>Standards

S1000D: A Standard for Technical Documentation  

S1000D is a military standard for the creation and delivery of technical documentation. Many companies can benefit from its methodology. Review its history and principal concepts, and learn important information to keep in mind when applying the standard to your work.

Weidenbrueck, Dieter. Intercom (2006). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Technical Writing

Setting Standards for Documentation Quality  

Managing for quality requires effective, enforced standards. Effective standards make it possible for everyone on the information team to be responsible for quality – for what J.M. Juran has called 'fitness for use.' This paper examines why standards improve quality and what actions are necessary to manage for quality by creating and using effective standards.

Bibus, Connie M. 'C.J.' and Jennifer Bown. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Standards

Standards in an Uncertain World    

Today, Help authors take HTML for granted. But XML is starting to displace HTML, bringing with it new technologies like DITA and Web 2.0, as well as the potential for disruption. Perlin examines how to prepare for the change through adhering to standards.

Perlin, Neil E. Intercom (2008). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Help

Strategies for Usability: Putting ISO Standards to Practice  

Is your documentation and training a solution for complex product design? Whether designing software, hardware, documentation, online help, or a telecommunication network, a strategy for usability is essential to user-friendly design. Every organization has a product life cycle but not every organization is user-focused because of absence of a usability process. Where do you begin? This paper describes two ISO standards that I have used as a strategy for usability, and accompanies a presentation that demonstrates how to put the standards to practice.

Dick, David J. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Documentation>Usability>Standards

Tackling IS0 9000 Documentation  

The IS0 9000 series of Quality Standards redefines how business will be conducted into the next century. The series is designed to measure the effectiveness of the Quality System in place, thereby ensuring both customer and company needs are always satisfied. The foundation of a robust Quality System is its documentation: problems in this area represent the largest single cause of registration failures. Quality System documentation also forms the basis upon which the 3rd party registrar builds the audit plan for your company.

Robinson, Ralph E. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Policies and Procedures

Tackling the ISO 9000 Documentation Monster  

The ISO 9000 series of Quality Standards redefines how business will be conducted into the next century. The series is designed to measure the effectiveness of the Quality System in place, thereby ensuring both customer and company needs are always satisfied. The foundation of a robust Quality System is its documentation: problems in this area represent the largest single cause of registration failures. Quality System documentation also forms the basis upon which the 3rd party registrar builds the audit plan for your company.

Robinson, Ralph E. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Standards>ISO 9000

Transforming DocBook with XFC

There are a number of tools available for transforming DocBook XML documents to various formats. All of these tools have strengths, as well as some noticeable weaknesses and drawbacks. This article looks at the benefits of using the XMLmind FO Converter, a graphical, highly configurable, and cross-platform application designed to transform DocBook XML files to any supported output format.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2005). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DocBook

What Managers Need to Know About DITA  

Product documentation is expensive--often, much more expensive than it needs to be. With DITA promising savings of 50% in product documentation preparation costs, and 80% in translation costs, managers need to know what DITA is and if it can work for their organization. This white paper distills the information that managers need to know about DITA.

Reichman, Katriel. Method M (2007). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DITA