International Standards for Information Development and Content Management

Problem: Standards provide a substantive, internationally supported framework through which information can be managed, developed, reviewed, tested, maintained in a content-management system, and published in a variety of forms. Research question: Why are standards and standards development important for information development and management? Key concepts: (1) The International Organization for Standardization defines a standard as “a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.” (2) Several types of standards exist, such as unit standards (which describe measures), private standards reached by consensus and that most participants in an industry agree to, and public, de jure, or legally mandated standards. Standards exist for authoring and publishing tools. (3) Using a standard managed and controlled by a standards organization means gaining the insights of experienced individuals working through an internationally recognized body. 4) Standards are developed by consensus under the auspices of a major organization, such as IEEE, ISO, or OASIS. (5) Major standards affecting information development include technical standards for authoring and publishing, including portable document format, eXtensible markup language, Hypertext Markup Language, and content standards, such as Darwin information typing architecture (DITA), DocBook, and S1000D. Key lessons: (1) Use standards to manage content development. (2) Use standards to acquire services to support the development of content. (3) Use standards to review and test information. (4) Use standards to manage agile information development. (5) Use standards to manage the development of documentation through the software-development life cycle. (6) Use standards to select and implement a content-management system. (7) Hire information developers who understand the importance of using standards. Implications to practice: Standards provide a means for information developers to ensure that they are managing and developing content effectively. Implementing standards in an organization helps to ensure that technology choices made today will not restrict future technology developments.