← Back to catalogue
Research draft

documentation

vr.tr.documentation · INF.KNW

Let an agent explain documentation as material and process, relay kinds, standards and practices from technical communication, archival and trade sources, describe the kinds the registry aliases name, and distinguish documentation from data, from a single document, from evidence in law and from metadata.

Thing Registry Information and virtual systems

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain documentation as material and process, relay kinds, standards and practices from technical communication, archival and trade sources, describe the kinds the registry aliases name, and distinguish documentation from data, from a single document, from evidence in law and from metadata.

A body of written or recorded material that describes, explains or records something, including technical documentation for products and software, API documentation and its browsers, protocols in the sense of formal records or procedures, shipping documents that accompany goods, archives of newspaper clippings and living documents that are continually updated; documentation also names the process of creating and managing such records.

What it is for: Recording and explaining information.

It can be explain kinds and process; relay standards and practices; describe named kinds; distinguish related concepts.

Distinguishing features

Explanatory records

Product and process

Many domains

Maintained over time

What it looks like

Not a visible object; manuals, files, archives and web pages.

Physical character

technical documentation standard: ISO/IEC/IEEE 26514 and related note

shipping documents: bill of lading, commercial invoice list

documentation science: Paul Otlet, early 20th century note

How it is recognised

Body of recorded explanatory material

Technical documentation, API documentation browser, protocol, shipping document, newspaper clippings archive, living document

Data are raw values; a document is one item; legal evidence has admissibility rules; metadata describes data

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

information

includes -

technical documentation

is contrasted with -

data

was theorised by - as documentation science

Paul Otlet

In practice

Families and kinds

technical and software documentation

API documentation

procedural protocols

trade and shipping documents

press clipping archives

living documents

Standards and regulation

Documentation standards such as ISO/IEC/IEEE 26514

Trade documentation rules such as Incoterms and customs

Records management standards such as ISO 15489

Failure modes and hazards

Outdated documentation

Missing trade documents causing delays

Registry aliases mixing products and processes

Also called

newspaper clippings archiveAPI documentation browsertechnical documentationprotocolshipping documentliving documenttechnical noteWelding documentationelectrical diagramtechnical documentation for medical productsmaintenance scheduleas-built documentationAktennotizFarnelmolecular sequence dataExtension requestscrisis documentationlanguage documentationtextual documentationmodelbuchfield notesrunbookdocumentation model (architecture)documentation of collection objectsmuseum documentationsoftware documentationmedical documentationbuilding documentsproject documentationMediaWiki Documentationstatic documentationBooks on buildingcookbookdesign documentationEuropean Union documentationsourcebooktrial master filedocstringstage of documentation

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Source repository Registry entry point

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What documentation is.

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is documentation, and how does it differ from data, a single document, legal evidence and metadata? definition
  2. Is the question about software, trade, archives, procedures or records management? boundary

Kinds

Kinds.

Kinds

Kinds.

  1. What are technical and API documentation, protocols, shipping documents, clipping archives and living documents? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific kind? action
Practice Practice.

Sources.

Writing

Writing documentation.

Writing

Writing.

  1. How are technical and API documentation written and maintained? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Records

Records management.

Records

Records.

  1. How do records management standards govern documentation? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Domains Domains.

Regulation.

Trade

Trade documents.

Trade

Trade.

  1. What documents accompany international shipments? provenance
  2. Which entry fits bill of lading? action

Archives

Archives.

Archives

Archives.

  1. How are clipping archives and documentation centres organised? provenance
  2. Which entry fits documentation centre? action
Context History.

Context.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did Otlet and La Fontaine develop documentation science? provenance
  2. Which entry fits Paul Otlet? action

Living

Living documents.

Living

Living.

  1. What is a living document, and how is it versioned? provenance
  2. Which entry fits version control? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should technical documentation and shipping document be separate primary entries?
  • How should standards sources be linked?
  • The registry alias protocol has several senses; how should it be recorded?
Draft as JSON