Editorial guidelines
An editorial guide , also known as an editorial manual, regulates the creation of technical documentation in an organization. It is particularly common in the documentation departments of large companies. The main purpose of an editorial guide is to ensure the consistency and quality of the technical documentation.
Content and design aspects
The following can be specified in an editorial guide:
- The target groups and users of the technical documentation
- Work instructions for contributors
- Description of the operations or process steps
- Types and media of the documents, for example under the aspects of
- Information context (operating instructions, maintenance instructions, installation instructions, etc.)
- Object of information (machine, object of use, software system, etc.)
- Type of information (text, illustrated instructions, film, wiki, animated learning program, etc.)
- Thematic structure and rules for the titles
- Layout and typography, ideally supported by examples. In particular, the integration of the corporate design , the use of company fonts and colors and the positioning and size of the company logo are specified in these specifications.
- Structure specifications, format templates or templates for DTP programs used or for multimedia documentation programs.
- Requirements for terminology , i.e. how and whether, for example, foreign words should be used or translated or how certain company products and parts thereof are to be named.
Procedural rules
In addition, an editorial guide typically contains:
- The departments and stakeholders who should or are allowed to contribute
- Sources of information, contacts and responsibilities
- External service providers who are involved in the creation, e.g. documentation offices, photographers, layout or repro companies
- Other relevant departments and stakeholders, for example company management, the marketing department or technical customer service
- Rules for production and publication, such as review and approval rules
- Rules and procedures for checking the topicality and the publication of errata , additions, updates or new editions
Legal framework
The technical rules of the VDI guideline series 4500 Technical Documentation , which are legally equivalent to a standard, consider in VDI 4500 Part 2 the fundamentals of goal and benefit as well as the structure of an editorial manual. A number of other legal regulations apply to the result, the instructions created. The creation of operating instructions is a legally defined main obligation of a product manufacturer. The manufacturer's warranty liability also applies to the documentation.
European laws and standards stipulate what must be in an operating manual and how it must be created, checked and published. The technical editor's legal obligations arise from, among other things, § 823 ff BGB , the Product Liability Act and various protective laws such as the Equipment and Product Safety Act , the Medical Devices Act and the Medical Devices Ordinance . When creating an editorial guide, particular attention should be paid to these legal framework conditions.
literature
- Walter Hoffmann, Brigitte G. Hölscher, Ulrich Thiele: Handbook for technical authors and editors , pp. 40–43 and pp. 19–23, VDE-Verlag, Offenbach 2002, ISBN 3-8007-2674-2 .
- Peter Oehmig: Editor's Guide : Foundation Stone for Documentation , Gft GmbH, Edition 1 (November 2004), ISBN 3-938334-31-2 .
- Alexander von Obert: The instructions for the instruction letter - editorial guidelines and style guides save costs
- VDI 4500 sheet 2 technical documentation; Organize and manage Beuth Verlag, Berlin 2006
Individual evidence
- ↑ Glossary for technical documentation. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
