12 characteristics of high-quality software technical documentation
12 characteristics of high-quality software technical documentation
Aspects that impact user's perception of quality product information
Quality is a subjective concept and depends entirely on context. Software documentation teams often struggle to determine whether they’re producing high-quality documentation. Reviews of academic literature uncover a dozen characteristics that can be used to help technical documentation teams aim to produce high-quality content.
12 characteristics of high-quality software technical documentation:
Understandability — how easily a person (usually a software developer, maintainer, or user) can comprehend how the software works, what it does, and how to use it
Clarity — how easy it is for the audience to comprehend the structure, organization, and presentation of information
Unabiguity — clearness in meaning; words and phrases have only one possible interpretation
Conciseness — keeping sentences short and to the point using simple language and avoiding jargon (unless necessary and adequately explained)
Retrievability — how easily a reader can locate the information they need without having to sift through irrelevant details
Traceability — the ability to describe and follow the life of a requirement in both a forward and backward direction (i.e., from its origins, through its development and specification, to its subsequent deployment and use, and through periods of ongoing refinement and iteration); aids in retrievability and modifiability of documentation
Modifiability — the ease with which the documentation can be edited or updated
Consistency — maintaining uniformity in the presentation of information, use of terminology, writing style, brand positioning, and formatting throughout
Correctness — the accuracy of the information
Completeness — providing all necessary and relevant information that might be needed to understand, use, or maintain the software effectively
Reusability — the ability to repurpose components of information across a set of technical documentation
Credibility — the reliability and trustworthiness of the information
