Documentation

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For a guide on using the documentation in Wikipedia templates,
see Template:Documentation
Documentation is any communicable material that is used to describe, explain
or instruct regarding some attributes of an object, system or procedure, such as
its parts, assembly, installation, maintenance and use.[1] As a form of knowledge
management and knowledge organization, documentation can be provided on
paper, online, or on digital or analog media, such as audio tape or CDs.
Examples are user guides, white papers, online help, and quick-reference
guides. Paper or hard-copy documentation has become less common.[citation
needed]
Documentation is often distributed via websites, software products, and
other online applications.
Documentation as a set of instructional materials shouldn't be confused
with documentation science, the study of the recording and retrieval of
information.

Contents

 1Principles for producing documentation

 2Producing documentation
 3Documentation in computer science
o 3.1Types
o 3.2Software Documentation Folder (SDF) tool
o 3.3Software tools for Network Inventory and Configuration
 4Documentation in criminal justice
 5Documentation in early childhood education
 6See also
 7References
 8External links

Principles for producing documentation[edit]

While associated ISO standards are not easily available publicly, a guide from
other sources for this topic may serve the purpose.[2],[3],[4][5]
Documentation development may involve document drafting, formatting,
submitting, reviewing, approving, distributing, reposting and tracking, etc., and
are convened by associated SOPs in a regulatory industry. It could also involve
creating content from scratch. Documentation should be easy to read and
understand. If it's too long and too wordy, it may be misunderstood or ignored.
Clear, concise words should be used, and sentences should be limited to a
maximum of 15 words. Documentation intended for a general audience should
avoid gender-specific terms and cultural biases. In a series of procedures, steps
should be clearly numbered.[6],[7],[8],[9]

Producing documentation[edit]
Technical writers and corporate communicators are professionals whose field
and work is documentation. Ideally, technical writers have a background in both
the subject matter and also in writing, managing content, and information
architecture. Technical writers more commonly collaborate with subject matter
experts (SMEs), such as engineers, technical experts, medical professionals, etc.
to define and then create documentation to meet the user's needs. Corporate
communications includes other types of written documentation, for example:

 Market communications (MarCom): MarCom writers

endeavor to convey the company's value proposition
through a variety of print, electronic, and social
media. This area of corporate writing is often
engaged in responding to proposals.
 Technical communication (TechCom): Technical
writers document a company's product or service.
Technical publications can include user guides,
installation and configuration manuals, and
troubleshooting and repair procedures.
 Legal writing: This type of documentation is often
prepared by attorneys or paralegals.
 Compliance documentation: This type of
documentation codifies Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs), for any regulatory compliance
needs, as for safety approval, taxation, financing,
technical approval, and all
 Healthcare documentation: This field of
documentation encompasses the timely recording
and validation of events that have occurred during
the course of providing health care.[10]

Documentation in computer science[edit]

Main article: Software documentation
Types[edit]
The following are typical software documentation types:

 Request for Proposal (RFP)

 Requirements/ Statement of work/ Scope of Work
(SOW)
 Software Design and Functional Specification
  System Design and Functional Specifications
 Change Management, Error and Enhancement
Tracking
 User Acceptance Testing
 Manpages
The following are typical hardware and service documentation types:

 Network diagrams
 Network maps
 Datasheet for IT systems (Server, Switch, e.g.)
 Service Catalog and Service Portfolio (ITIL)
Software Documentation Folder (SDF) tool[edit]
A common type of software document written in the simulation industry is the
SDF. When developing software for a simulator, which can range from
embedded avionics devices to 3D terrain databases by way of full motion control
systems, the engineer keeps a notebook detailing the development "the build" of
the project or module. The document can be a wiki page, MS word document or
other environment. They should contain a requirements section,
an interface section to detail the communication interface of the software. Often
a notes section is used to detail the proof of concept, and then track errors and
enhancements. Finally, a testing section to document how the software was
tested. This documents conformance to the client's requirements. The result is a
detailed description of how the software is designed, how to build and install the
software on the target device, and any known defects and work-arounds. This
build document enables future developers and maintainers to come up to speed
on the software in a timely manner, and also provides a roadmap to modifying
code or searching for bugs.
Software tools for Network Inventory and Configuration[edit]
These software tools can automatically collect data of your network equipment.
The data could be for inventory and for configuration information. The ITIL
Library requests to create such a database as a basis for all information for the IT
responsible. It's also the basis for IT documentation. Examples include XIA
Configuration.[11]

Documentation in criminal justice[edit]

"Documentation" is the preferred term for the process of populating criminal
databases. Examples include the National Counter-terrorism Center's Terrorist
Identities Datamart Environment ("TIDE"), sex offender registries, and gang
databases.[12]

Documentation in early childhood education[edit]

Documentation, as it pertains to the early childhood education field, is "when we
notice and value children's ideas, thinking, questions, and theories about the
world and then collect traces of their work (drawings, photographs of the children
in action, and transcripts of their words) to share with a wider community"[13]
Thus, documentation is a process, used to link the educator's knowledge and
learning of the child/children with the families, other collaborators, and even to
the children themselves.
Documentation is an integral part of the cycle of inquiry - observing, reflecting,
documenting, sharing and responding.[13]
Pedagogical documentation, in terms of the teacher documentation, is the
"teacher's story of the movement in children's understanding".[13] According to
Stephanie Cox Suarez in 'Documentation - Transforming our Perspectives',
"teachers are considered researchers, and documentation is a research tool to
support knowledge building among children and adults"[14]
Documentation can take many different styles in the classroom. The following
exemplifies ways in which documentation can make the 'research', or learning,
visible:

1. Documentation Panels (bulletin-board-like

presentation with multiple pictures and
descriptions about the project or event).
2. Daily Log (a log kept every day that records the
play and learning in the classroom)
3. Documentation developed by or with the children
(when observing children during documentation,
the child's lens of the observation is used in the
actual documentation)
4. Individual Portfolios (documentation used to
track and highlight the development of each
child)
5. Electronic Documentation (using apps and
devices to share documentation with families and
collaborators)
6. Transcripts or Recordings of Conversations
(using recording in documentation can bring
about deeper reflections for both the educator
and the child)
7. Learning Stories (a narrative used to "describe
learning and help children see themselves as
powerful learners"[13])
8. The Classroom as Documentation (reflections
and documentation of the physical environment
of a classroom).[13]
Documentation is certainly a process in and of itself, and it is also a process
within the educator. The following is the development of documentation as it
progresses for and in the educator themselves:

 Develop(s) habits of documentation

 Become(s) comfortable with going public with
recounting of activities
 Develop(s) visual literacy skills
 Conceptualize(s) the purpose of documentation as
making learning styles visible, and
 Share(s) visible theories for interpretation purposes
and further design of curriculum.[15]

See also[edit]
 Authoring
 Bibliographic control
 Change control
 Citation Index
 Copyright
 Description
 Document
 Documentation (field)
 Documentation science
 Document identifier
 Document management system
 Documentary
 Freedom of information
 Glossary
 Historical document
 Index (publishing)
 ISO 2384:1977
 ISO 259:1984
 ISO 5123:1984
 ISO 3602:1989
 ISO 6357:1985
 ISO 690
 ISO 5964
 ISO 9001
 IEC 61355
 International Standard Bibliographic Description
 Journal of Documentation
 Licensing
 Letterhead
 List of Contents
 Technical documentation
 User guide
  Medical certificate
 Publishing
 Records management
 Software documentation
 Style guide
 Technical communication

References[edit]
1. ^ "Documentation definition by The Linux Information
Project". www.linfo.org. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
2. ^ N/A (2003). "Guide to Documentation" (PDF). Archived
from the original (PDF) on 29 July 2007.
3. ^ CGRP. "A Guide to Documentation Styles" (PDF).
Retrieved 12 June 2009.
4. ^ N/A. "A guide to MLA documentation" (PDF). Archived
from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2006. Retrieved 12
June 2009.
5. ^ Berger, David. "Procedures and Documentation" (PDF).
Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011.
Retrieved 15 June 2009.
6. ^ Cropper, Mark; Tony Dibbens (2002). "GAIA-RVS
Documentation Procedures" (PDF). Archived from the
original (PDF) on 2 November 2005. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
7. ^ N/A. "GLNPO's Quality System Documentation Review
Procedures and Tracking" (PDF). Archived from the
original (PDF) on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
8. ^ UK Data Archive (2009). "Data Services Process Guides:
Documentation Processing Procedures" (PDF). Archived
from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 15
June 2009.
9. ^ UK Data Archive. "Data Services Process Guides:
Documentation Processing Techniques" (PDF). Retrieved 15
June 2009.[dead link]
10. ^ Springhouse (2008). Complete Guide to Documentation.
p. ix. ISBN 9781582555560. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
11. ^ "XIA Configuration Network Documentation Tool".
Retrieved 8 August 2017.
12. ^ Rader Brown, Rebecca (2009). "The Gang's All Here:
Evaluating the Need for a National Gang
Database". Columbia Journal of Law and Social
Problems. 42: 293–333.
13. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Susan, Stacey (11 May
2015). Pedagogical documentation in early childhood :
sharing children's learning and teachers' thinking. St. Paul,
Minnesota. ISBN 9781605543925. OCLC 909907917.
14. ^ "Documentation: Transforming our Perspectives | Project
Zero". www.pz.harvard.edu. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
15. ^ "ECRP. Vol 13 No 2". ecrp.uiuc.edu. Retrieved 26
October 2018.

External links[edit]
 Look up documentation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

 IEEE Professional Communication Society

 Documentation Definition by The Linux Information
Project (LINFO)
 Information & Documentation List of selected tools
 Library of articles on documentation: Technical
writing and documentation articles Archived 18 April
2010 at the Wayback Machine
 IRISH DRIVING LICENSE, Information &
Documentation

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