Page 93 - DLIS105_REFERENCE_SOURCES_AND_SERVICES

Reference Sources and Services

Notes 9.2 Role of Documentation

Documentation is a general term for written information, media and other content used to support a
tool or a process. Documentation (to document) also refers to the process of providing evidence.
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 and managing content (information architecture). Technical writers more commonly
collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs), such as engineers, medical professionals, or other
types of clients to define and then create content (documentation) that meets the user’s needs.
Corporate communications include other types of written documentation that is required for most
companies.

Common types of documentation include user guides, white papers, online help,
and quick reference guides. It is less common to see hard copy (paper) documentation.
Documentation is distributed via websites, software products, and other on-line
applications.

Documentation Specializations:
• Marketing Communications 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.
• In Technical Publications Technical writers document a company’s project or service. Technical
publication includes user guides, installation manuals, and troubleshooting/repair/replace
procedures.
• Legal documentation This type of documentation is often prepared by attorneys or paralegals
that could be in private practice or retained as corporate council.
• Compliance documentation This type of documentation codifies Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs), for safety, financial, or other regulatory compliance needs.

Computer Science
The following are typical documentation types: Request for Proposal (RFP) Requirements Statement
of Work Software Design and Functional Specification System Design and Functional Specifications
Change Management, Error and Enhancement Tracking User Test and Acceptance (UTA). There
are many types of software applications used to create documentation tools which are available for
this purpose.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. The SDI refers to ...... used to keep a user informed of new resources on specified topics.
2. The SDI services include ......, ..... or ...... .
3. Alerts can be received a number of ways including ......, ..... and ...... .

9.3 Software Documentation Folder (SDF)

A common type of software document written by software engineers in the simulation industry is the
SDF. When developing software for a simulator, which can range from embedded avionics devices to

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