IEEE 26511

Description / Abstract: This International Standard supports the needs of software users for consistent, complete, accurate, and usable documentation. It provides requirements for strategy, planning, performance, and control for documentation managers. It specifies procedures for managing user documentation throughout the software life cycle. It also includes requirements for key documents produced for user documentation management, including documentation plans and documentation management plans.

This International Standard provides an overview of the software documentation and information management processes which are specialized for user documentation in this International Standard. It also presents aspects of portfolio planning and content management for user documentation. Specifically, it addresses the following:

• management requirements in starting a project, including setting up procedures and specifications, establishing infrastructure, and building a team, with examples of roles needed on a user documentation team;

• measurements and estimates needed for management control;

• the application of management control to user documentation work;

• the use of supporting processes such as change management, schedule and cost control, resource management, quality management and process improvement.

The works listed in the Bibliography provide guidance on the processes of managing, preparing, and testing user documentation.

NOTE 1: Related standards of value to documentation managers and others involved in the process include ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Systems and software engineering — Requirements for designers and developers of user documentation (also available as IEEE Std 26514-2010, IEEE Standard for Adoption of ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Systems and Software Engineering — Requirements for Designers and Developers of User Documentation); ISO/IEC 26513:2009, Systems and software engineering — Requirements for testers and reviewers of user documentation (also available as IEEE Std 26513-2010, IEEE Standard for Adoption of ISO/IEC 26513:2009, Systems and Software Engineering — Requirements for Testers and Reviewers of User Documentation); and ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512:2011, Systems and software engineering — Requirements for acquirers and suppliers of user documentation.

This International Standard is applicable for use by managers of user documentation projects or organizations with information designers and documentation developers. This International Standard may also be consulted by those with other roles and interests in the documentation process:

• managers of the software development process;

• acquirers of documentation prepared by suppliers;

• experienced writers who develop the written content for user documentation;

• developers of tools for creating on-screen documentation;

• human-factors experts who identify principles for making documentation more accessible and easily used;

• graphic designers with expertise in electronic media;

• user interface designers and ergonomics experts working together to design the presentation of the documentation on the screen.

This International Standard may be applied to manage the following types of documentation, although it does not cover all aspects of them:

• documentation for user assistance, training, marketing, and systems documentation for product design and development, based on reuse of user documentation topics;

• documentation of products other than software;

• multimedia marketing presentations using animation, video, and sound;

• computer-based training (CBT) packages and specialized course materials intended primarily for use in formal training programs;

• maintenance documentation describing the internal operation of systems software.

NOTE 2: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289:2011 provides more detailed content for life-cycle process information items (documentation).