How are maritime DITA specializations documented and communicated within maritime organizations?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Documenting and communicating maritime DITA specializations within maritime organizations is essential to ensure that teams work cohesively and consistently with structured content. Here’s how this is typically done:

Documentation

Maritime DITA specializations are documented using DITA itself. Organizations create specialized DITA documentation that outlines the rules, guidelines, and structure specific to their maritime documentation needs. This documentation serves as a reference guide for content creators, explaining how to use DITA elements and follow the specialized rules. It includes details on content models, custom elements, metadata requirements, and any specific constraints that apply to maritime documentation. Below is an example of what such documentation might look like:


<topic id="maritime-specialization-guide">
  <title>Maritime DITA Specialization Guide</title>
  <body>
    <section>
      <title>Introduction</title>
      <p>This guide provides instructions on using maritime DITA specializations for creating maritime documentation.</p>
    </section>
    <section>
      <title>Content Models</title>
      <p>Maritime documentation must follow specific content models defined in this specialization.</p>
      <ul>
        <li>Section
          <ul>
            <li>Subsection</li>
            <li>Subsection</li>
          </ul>
        </li>
      </ul>
    </section>
    <section>
      <title>Metadata Requirements</title>
      <p>Each maritime document must include specific metadata, such as vessel type and voyage date.</p>
    </section>
  </body>
</topic>

Communication

Once the documentation is prepared, it’s crucial to communicate these specialized guidelines to relevant teams and individuals within the maritime organization. This can involve training sessions, workshops, or simply distributing the documentation to content creators, technical writers, and editors. Additionally, having a designated point of contact or expert who can provide guidance and answer questions related to maritime DITA specializations can facilitate effective communication and implementation.

Implementation

Maritime organizations implement DITA specializations by integrating them into their content authoring and management systems. They configure their authoring tools to support the specialized DITA elements and content models. Content creators then use these tools to create documentation that adheres to the maritime DITA specialization guidelines. This ensures that all maritime-related content follows a standardized structure and format, making it easier to manage, update, and ensure compliance with industry standards.