Are there guidelines for involving subject matter experts (SMEs) and maritime safety officers in DITA-based maritime content reviews?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Establishing effective guidelines for involving subject matter experts (SMEs) and maritime safety officers in DITA-based maritime content reviews is crucial to ensure the accuracy and safety of maritime documentation. Collaborating with SMEs and safety officers helps incorporate their specialized knowledge into the content, making it more reliable for maritime operations.

Involvement of SMEs

When involving SMEs in DITA-based content reviews, it’s essential to have a structured approach. Assign specific topics or sections to relevant SMEs based on their expertise. For example, maritime safety experts can review safety-related content, while navigation experts can focus on navigation procedures. Use DITA metadata to indicate the responsible SME for each topic, ensuring accountability and clear ownership.

Review Process

The review process should be well-defined and documented. Create a clear workflow that outlines the steps involved in the review, including SME involvement. Use metadata elements like <status> to track the review status of each topic. For instance, you can use “Under SME Review” to indicate that a specific topic is currently being reviewed by an SME. Establish deadlines for reviews to maintain the review’s progress and prevent delays in content delivery.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA can be used to involve SMEs in maritime content reviews:


<topic id="safety_guidelines">
  <title>Safety Guidelines</title>
  <body>
    <section>
      <title xml_lang="en">Shipbuilders' Safety Tips</title>
      <p xml_lang="en">Shipbuilders contribute safety tips for ship construction.</p>
      <author>John Doe</author>
      <status>Under SME Review</status>
    </section>
    <section>
      <title xml_lang="fr">Navigator's Checklist</title>
      <p xml_lang="fr">Navigators provide a checklist for safe navigation.</p>
      <author>Jane Smith</author>
      <status>Approved</status>
    </section>
  </body>

In this example, DITA elements like <author> and <status> are used to indicate the responsible author and the review status of each topic, helping streamline the review process involving SMEs.