How are changes tracked and documented for audit purposes in aerospace documentation projects using DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

In aerospace documentation projects using DITA, changes are meticulously tracked and documented for audit purposes. This is vital in an industry where safety and compliance are paramount. Here’s how this process is managed:

1. Revision Control: DITA allows aerospace organizations to implement revision control for documents. Each document is tagged with version information, typically in the metadata or attributes. For instance, the “product version” attribute can be used to specify the document’s version. This information is then tracked throughout the document’s lifecycle. It provides a clear history of changes, ensuring that the document’s evolution is well-documented. Below is an example of how version information can be included in a DITA document.

Example:

<topic id="engine-manual">
  <title>Engine Manual</title>
  <metadata>
    <product-version>1.0</product-version>
    <revision-history>
      <revision>
        <date>2023-01-15</date>
        <version>1.0</version>
        <changes>Initial Release</changes>
      </revision>
      <revision>
        <date>2023-03-10</date>
        <version>2.0</version>
        <changes>Updated safety procedures</changes>
      </revision>
    </revision-history>
  </metadata>
  <body>
    <p>This is the content of the engine manual.</p>
  </body>
</topic>

2. Change Logs: DITA documents can include change logs or revision history sections to provide a detailed account of modifications made over time. Change logs document the date, version, and nature of each change. These logs are essential for audit purposes, ensuring transparency and accountability in documenting updates to aerospace content.

Example:

<revision-history>
  <revision>
    <date>2023-03-10</date>
    <version>2.0</version>
    <changes>Updated safety procedures</changes>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <date>2023-05-20</date>
    <version>2.1</version>
    <changes>Revised maintenance schedule</changes>
  </revision>
</revision-history>

3. Metadata and Compliance Tags: DITA documents can utilize metadata to include compliance tags. Compliance tags indicate whether a document complies with relevant safety or industry standards. This metadata aids in quickly identifying documents that meet specific requirements, which is crucial in aerospace, where adherence to safety standards is of utmost importance.

In summary, aerospace organizations using DITA carefully track and document changes through revision control, change logs, and metadata. This meticulous tracking and documentation are essential for audit purposes, ensuring that aerospace documentation is compliant and safety-critical.