Context card
Six technical documentation models compared
How do topic-based, task-based, EPPO, semantic, minimalist and structured documentation differ?
The short answer
They answer different questions rather than competing. Topic-based documentation defines the unit of content, task-based documentation which content is needed, Every Page is Page One whether each page stands on its own, semantic documentation what content is about, minimalism how content supports action, and structured authoring the form in which content is written. Most documentation systems combine several of them.
For: Technical writers, information architects and documentation managers
Key points
- Topic-based: content is written in typed units and assembled by maps.
- Task-based: content is selected from an analysis of user tasks.
- Every Page is Page One: each page works as the reader’s entry point.
- Semantic: markup and metadata state what content is about.
- Minimalism: content supports action, real tasks and error recovery.
- Structured authoring: content follows a validated content model.
The context
Six questions
Each model addresses one aspect of technical documentation:
- Topic-based documentation — how content is divided: into topics of one subject each.
- Task-based documentation — which content is needed: the tasks users perform.
- Every Page is Page One — whether each page can be read first, without the pages around it.
- Semantic documentation — what content is about, expressed in markup and metadata.
- Minimalism — how content supports action, including recognising and correcting errors.
- Structured authoring — in what form content is written: to a schema that is validated.
Combined, not chosen
A documentation set built with DITA is typically topic-based, task-oriented and structured; with metadata from an information model it is also semantic. None of the models alone makes documentation correct or meets legal requirements for information for use.
Further reading
The subject area Technical documentation models compares the six models in a table; each has its own encyclopedia article.
Questions readers ask next
- Do I have to choose one documentation model?
- No. The models work at different levels and are usually combined, for example topic-based, task-oriented and structured content with semantic metadata.
- Is DITA a documentation model?
- DITA is a standard that implements several models at once: topic-based documentation, information types such as task, and structured authoring.
Sources
- Every Page is Page One — XML Press
- Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) Version 1.3 — OASIS
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