Content authors are typically trained to use DITA specializations effectively to ensure consistency and quality in their documentation. Here’s an overview of the training process:

Specialization Guidelines: Authors receive guidelines and documentation specific to the organization’s DITA specializations. These guidelines outline the purpose of specialized elements, rules for their use, and any associated attributes. Authors should be familiar with these guidelines.

Authoring Tools Training: Content creators are trained to use authoring tools that support DITA and provide real-time feedback on specializations. They learn how to create content, apply specialized elements, and use associated attributes within the authoring environment.

Best Practices: Authors are educated on best practices for using DITA specializations. This includes understanding when and how to use custom elements, attributes, and templates to achieve the desired outcomes in their documents.

Examples and Exercises: Training often includes practical exercises and examples that allow authors to practice using specializations. These exercises help authors gain hands-on experience in applying specializations effectively.

Documentation: Organizations maintain up-to-date documentation on their DITA specializations. Authors are encouraged to refer to this documentation when they have questions or need guidance on specialized elements and attributes.

Continuous Education: Training is an ongoing process, and content creators receive regular updates and refresher courses to stay informed about any changes or additions to the organization’s DITA specializations.

Example:

Suppose an organization introduces a custom DITA specialization for handling customer testimonials. Content authors are trained to understand the guidelines, authoring tool features, and best practices related to this specialization. Here’s an example of a training excerpt:

<!-- Training example for using a custom DITA specialization for customer testimonials -->
When creating a customer testimonial, remember to use the <custom-testimonial> element. Specify the customer's name using the <customer-name> element, and include the testimonial text within the <testimonial-text> element. Additionally, make sure to add the <date> attribute to indicate the testimonial date.