Single Sourcing for Technical Communicators

By Tharoor Gopalakrishnan

The cornerstones of Single Source Documentation today are WebWorks, FrameMaker and Robohelp. To trace back to Information Design and its implication on technical communicators, there is nothing better than Jason’s Master Thesis submitted to the University of Florida.

Ch 1: Introduction: Information on the Assembly Line

A comparison is brought out between Ford’s Assembly line techniques for manufacturing and availability of information. The focus lies on how companies use information effectively. To achieve this, companies need to examine their processes, break those processes down to their most basic components, and then develop more efficient ways of doing what they do and of managing their assets, both concrete and abstract. Information on the Assembly line looks at the opportunities for technical communicators to broaden their roles significantly.

Ch 2: A Brief Technical Communication Timeline

The increasing workload on technical writers with shrinking production cycles result in documents of varied formats. Each format caters to different user groups.

Earlier on, the focus was to write a document and send it across for printing. Focus on visual presentation and usability was non-existent.

The concept of “dress-metaphor” that allows the document to be dressed up for visual content is introduced here. Single sourcing is an opportunity for technical writers to rethink their processes and come up with new technologies to organize, store, and present information when required.

Ch 3: Defining Information Design

This activity has now grown from infancy and is catching the attention of technical writers the world over. After comprehensive trial and error methods, the technical writer is able to classify information into suitable capsules to suit the user’s convenience. It is not too long before Information Design becomes the key to documentation. A perspective on Information Design as a tool for document design is also available.

Ch 4: Single Sourcing as an Information Design Strategy

Single Sourcing is the key to organizing different information at one location. The focus is to break down the information to the element level (e.g., section, paragraph, sentence) and then write and compile all the elements into a single source file.

Write once, reuse several times is the key to Single Sourcing. The data to be organized is stored in databases and then reused according to the required format. To implement Single Sourcing is a costly affair but generates effective savings of 25-60% when content gets translated into several other languages.

The smart way of working with Single Sourcing is to organize the information and then streamline the information to help the organization cater to niche markets.

Single Sourcing case study and benefits to Technical Communicators are subsections worth reading here.

Ch 5: XML as an Information Design Technology

This section essentially showcases the uses of XML to effectively organize the information. One is able to appreciate the methodology used by XML to organize, store, and share information in a structured manner. The subsections in this chapter are using XML as an Information Design tool and the high learning curve involved for the writing community to bring XML into their daily work routine.

Ch 6: Leadership Opportunities for Technical Communicators

Every technical writer aspires to grow up the value chain to the coveted post of Information Manager. Adopting effective Single Sourcing mechanisms help Information Managers design a custom information design system. However, understanding an effective way requires the right technical know-how. Guiding the technical flow and focus on Knowledge Management are links within this chapter that add value.

Ch 7: Information Design's Humanistic Implications

An in-depth analysis on the need to create Knowledge-based Systems is delved into here. The key to a creative knowledge base is the need for creative people and not investment in tools. This will happen only when organizations, “create a workplace environment that effectively fosters human-centered endeavors such as communication, collaboration, creativity, imagination, problem-solving, experimentation, critical analysis, and abstract thought”.

This chapter also deals exhaustively with the need for a relational database system that helps users to create new data and use existing information. Fast-paced changes enable the technical writer to design new environments that allow him to work creatively. The stress is on adopting a participatory design approach to the database.

After learning the nuances of XML there is an equally good coverage on XML as a Critical Analysis Tool.

Ch 8: Conclusion: The Need to Learn Database Design Principles

The concluding chapter available on this site explores the point, “ the central goal of information design is to effectively organize and manage information”.

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