Designing, building and maintaining a coherent content model is critical to proper planning, creation, management and delivery of documentation and training content. This is especially true when implementing a modular or topic-based XML standard such as DITA, SCORM and S1000D, and is essential for successfully facilitating content reuse, multi-purpose conditional publishing and user-driven content. During this presentation we will review basic concepts and methods for implementing information architecture. We will then introduce an innovative, comprehensive methodology for information modeling and content development that employs recognized XML standards for representation and interchange of knowledge, such as Topic Maps and SKOS. In this way, semantic technologies designed for taxonomy and ontology development can be brought to bear for creating and managing technical documentation and training content, and ultimately impacting the usability and findability of technical information.

1. Modular Documentation Bringing the Pieces Together Joe Gelb Suite Solutions

15. Information Model Based on Topic Maps “ Subject Classification with DITA and SKOS,” Hennum, Anderson and Bird, October 2005