Coordinating index updates with content review and approval processes in DITA documentation is essential to ensure that the index accurately reflects the latest content and remains a valuable resource for users. Here are some strategies for achieving this coordination:

Integration with Content Management Systems (CMS)

One effective way to coordinate index updates is by integrating your DITA CMS with a content management system (CMS). A CMS can help manage the entire content lifecycle, including content creation, review, and approval. When a topic or document undergoes review and gets approved in the CMS, triggers can be set up to automatically update the associated index entries or regenerate the index. This ensures that the index is always in sync with the approved content.

Automated Indexing Workflows

Implementing automated indexing workflows is another approach. In this setup, as content is reviewed and approved, it can trigger automated indexing processes. These processes can parse the content, extract relevant index terms, and update the index accordingly. Automation reduces the risk of human error and accelerates the indexing process, ensuring that the index reflects the most recent content changes.

Example:

Here’s an example illustrating the coordination of index updates with content approval in a DITA CMS:

<topic id="new_feature">
  <title>New Feature</title>
  <content>...
  <status>Approved</status>
  <index-terms>
    <term>Feature</term>
    <term>Enhancement</term>
  </index-terms>

In this example, the DITA topic “New Feature” has been reviewed and approved, and it includes index terms. When the topic is marked as “Approved” in the CMS, it triggers an update to the index with the associated terms.