Facilitating the reuse of standardized geological documentation modules across different mining projects, geological formations, and exploration sites is a valuable capability of DITA. This approach helps mining organizations streamline their documentation processes, improve consistency, and save time and effort when creating documentation for new projects or sites.

Modular Documentation

DITA allows mining organizations to create geological documentation in a modular fashion. Instead of creating long, monolithic documents, geological content can be broken down into reusable modules or topics. For example, there can be separate modules for geological survey methods, sample analyses, safety procedures, and more. Each module contains specific information and can be reused across various projects and sites as needed.

Content Reuse

Content reuse is a fundamental concept in DITA. Mining organizations can easily reuse entire modules or individual topics across different projects. For instance, if a standardized safety procedure module exists, it can be reused across multiple exploration sites, ensuring that consistent safety protocols are followed. When updates are required, changes made to a module automatically propagate to all instances where it’s used, maintaining consistency while minimizing redundancy.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA facilitates content reuse in geological documentation:

<topic id="geological_survey_methods">
  <title>Geological Survey Methods</title>
  <version>1.0</version>
  <content>...
</topic>

<topic id="sample_analyses">
  <title>Sample Analyses</title>
  <version>1.0</version>
  <content>...
</topic>

<map>
  <title>Geological Documentation for Site A</title>
  <topicref href="geological_survey_methods.dita" />
  <topicref href="sample_analyses.dita" />
</map>

<map>
  <title>Geological Documentation for Site B</title>
  <topicref href="geological_survey_methods.dita" />
  <topicref href="sample_analyses.dita" />

In this example, separate DITA topics for geological survey methods and sample analyses are created. These topics can be reused in documentation maps for different mining sites, ensuring that standardized geological information is consistently applied across multiple projects.