Types of documents

User interface texts

UI strings, in-app copies, UX copies

User interface text appears on UI surfaces. This text includes control labels and static text:

• Control labels identify controls and are placed directly on or next to the controls.
• Static text, which is so called because it is not a part of an interactive control, provides users with detailed instructions or explanations so they can make informed decisions.

Online help

Online help is a topic-based document delivered together with software or operating systems. The document is designed to be displayed on the screen for immediate assistance when using IT products.

The purpose of online help is to provide the user with quick assistance directly from the application/module to which it refers.

Online help should consist of topics covering different aspects of a product itself and its possible usage patterns.

User guides

A user guide (or user manual) is a document designed to provide assistance for a particular aspect of a product or solution.

A user guide may serve different purposes and explain the product from different perspectives. Therefore, depending on usage context and identified audience needs, many different types of guides can be created, like:

• Administration guides – for assisting users in system management
• How-to guides – for guiding the users through a procedure to achieve a specific goal
• Implementation guides – for explaining the procedure of enabling a solution
• Installation guides – for guiding through a product installation process
• Quick start guides – for assisting in first-time use of a product
• Technical guides – for covering low-level procedures

Since a user guide is designed to be read as a whole, it typically has a book-like structure and is divided into regular chapters supported by images and diagrams.

Mobile apps help

This type of documentation is used in the case of software running on mobile devices: smartphones, tablets, e-book readers, etc.

The purpose of mobile application help is to provide users with instant assistance concerning the software they are using. This type of documentation makes it possible to adapt the way content is presented to the specific character of the user’s device, mainly with respect to a screen size and navigation possibilities.

Since this type of documentation is presented on specific devices, the structure of the help should be adjusted to their limited field of view and navigation options. In the case of smaller applications, the documentation may be limited to only a couple of questions and answers or a single quick start topic.

Knowledge base

A knowledge base is a web-based system for gathering information on a specific subject, including frequently asked questions (FAQ), installation procedures, quick start articles, usage instructions, etc.

The main purpose of this type of documentation is to gather all available knowledge on a specific product in one place accessible for end users.

This type of documentation is very flexible in terms of structure, and can be implemented according to the specific needs of the intended audience. Depending on the needs, a knowledge base can be divided into different types of content, like FAQs, articles, forums, tutorials.

Release notes

This type of documentation provides an overview of changes in a particular version of a software product. It does not explain features in such detail as other documentation types.

The purpose of the release notes document is to communicate changes introduced in a specific version of the product to end users. The changes may include feature additions and removals, as well as bug fixes and known issues.

The structure of release notes is typically designed individually in each organization depending on the requirements and the type of information to be conveyed. The most popular structure consists of a short introduction followed by a bulleted list of modifications and/or known issues, together with the description of their impact on the product that each change entails.

API documentation

API documentation is a deliverable providing information on how to use and interact with an application programming interface (API). It is a concise guide to an API’s endpoints, their expected parameters and their data types, as well as possible return values and formats. API documentation also frequently includes end-to-end tutorials and detailed example scenarios.

There are two key objectives of API documentation:

• To explain the functionality and business value of an API, along with possible use cases
• To provide a quick reference for those working with an API

Since API documentation is primarily a source of reference information, it needs to be easily searchable and is therefore web-based.

This type of documentation is typically produced from code, either completely automatically or semi-automatically.

AR/VR

Virtual reality (VR) implies a complete immersion experience that shuts out the physical world. Using VR devices, users can be transported into a number of real-world and imagined environments.

Augmented reality (AR) adds digital elements to a live view, often by using the camera on a smartphone. It’s simpler than VR and doesn’t require such complex software and hardware in most cases.

Chatbots

A chatbot is a software application used to conduct an on-line chat conversation via text or text-to-speech, in lieu of providing direct contact with a live human agent. A chatbot is a type of software that can automate conversations and interact with people through messaging platforms. Designed to convincingly simulate the way a human would behave as a conversational partner, chatbot systems typically require continuous tuning and testing, and many in production remain unable to adequately converse or pass the industry standard Turing test.

Chatbots are used in dialog systems for various purposes including customer service, request routing, or information gathering. While some chatbot applications use extensive word-classification processes, natural language processors, and sophisticated AI, others simply scan for general keywords and generate responses using common phrases obtained from an associated library or database.

Most chatbots are accessed on-line via website popups or through virtual assistants. They can be classified into usage categories that include: commerce (e-commerce via chat), education, entertainment, finance, health, news, and productivity.

Infographics

Infographics (a clipped compound of “information” and “graphics”) are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends. Similar pursuits are information visualization, data visualization, statistical graphics, information design, or information architecture. Infographics have evolved in recent years to be for mass communication, and thus are designed with fewer assumptions about the readers’ knowledge base than other types of visualizations.

Presentations

Presentations are training and/or informative materials displaying information in the form of a slide show.

They are used as reference when conducting training sessions or when presenting information on a particular subject. This type of materials helps the trainer or presenter maintain a fixed structure of the session and helps the attendees visualize, understand and memorize the information to be learned.

Classroom trainings

Classroom training materials are created for teaching groups of users gathered in one room.

They are designed to teach attendees how to use a product by explaining theoretical aspects and conducting practical exercises with the supervision of a trainer. This kind of training often offers live usage of a product, which provides possibilities of serving both education and marketing purposes.

eLearnings

E-learning is a form of education via the Internet or from physical media. It makes it possible to complete a course, training session, or even university education without the need for physical presence in a classroom.

The purpose of e-learning is to provide the attendees with training possibilities whenever classroom session is not possible or inconvenient to be organized. This type of training also helps achieve better cost-efficiency, since it does not require the organizers to involve trainers, to book a venue or to ship environments. Moreover, e-learning is designed to be the most accessible form of training – if the technological requirements are met, it can be completed at any time and any place chosen by the trainee.

Webinars

A webinar is an Internet seminar conducted with the use of a webcast technology providing bi-directional communication between the trainer and trainees.

Webinars are used for training purposes whenever a classroom session is not possible and e-learning limitations make it difficult to explain a subject in a sufficient manner. The interaction with a trainer possible in webinars provides the attendees with the opportunity to clarify any doubts they might have in reference to the subject of the training. This type of communication is also commonly used for demo purposes, as well as for business contacts.

This type of training may be provided in the form of an online lecture with audio/video, often accompanied by a presentation.

Project documentation

Project documentation is a deliverable required to be created and approved before work on a project can be started. Examples of such documentation include project proposals, requirement specifications, feasibility studies, business cases, etc.

The purpose of the document is to identify the scope of work required to complete a project, to explain why the project is necessary, and to propose ways of accomplishing it.

Project documentation is similar to user guides and has a book-like structure. The main sections that should be present in the document include problem statement (motivation), objectives (what should be done), problem solution (how to do it), and project management (who should do it and when it should be done).

Policies and procedures

This type of documentation refers to a set of rules, principles and guidelines created or implemented by an organization in order to achieve its goals.

Policies and procedures are created in order to systematize the way an organization should be functioning.

This type of documentation may follow the structure of a short user guide.

Reports

A report is an analytical document written to provide data on a particular subject to a specific audience.

Reports are most commonly requested by managers, business partners, existing and prospective customers, etc.

The structure of this type of document depends primarily on the purpose and target audience of the report.