Dokumentasjon

Dokumentasjon is the systematic recording of information that describes a product, process, or system to communicate its characteristics, usage, and compliance. It includes written documents, digital files, and metadata used to explain how something works, why it exists, and how it should be used, tested, maintained, or governed. The scope spans technical manuals, installation guides, design specifications, code comments, test reports, safety and regulatory filings, training materials, and archival records.

Its purposes are to enable proper use, support maintenance, prove quality and compliance, and facilitate knowledge transfer. It serves internal audiences such as developers and operators as well as external ones like customers, auditors, and regulators.

Documentation usually follows planning, creation, review and approval, publishing, versioning, maintenance, and retirement. Standards and templates promote consistency in structure and terminology. Digital documentation is stored with indexing, searchability, and access controls.

Standards such as ISO/IEC 26514 (software documentation) and ISO 9001's requirement for documented information guide content. Common formats include PDFs, HTML, and code references generated from source code. Tools include word processors, markup languages, documentation generators, wikis, and version control systems.

Keeping documentation up to date, ensuring accuracy, language quality, accessibility, and alignment with actual practice are ongoing concerns.

In software, documentation includes API references and user manuals; in manufacturing and science, it includes process descriptions and experimental records; in education and public administration, it includes policies and procedures.