dokumentationspflichtig

Dokumentation, in German and in English, refers to the collection, organization, and presentation of information that describes a system, process, or activity. It encompasses both the act of documenting and the artifacts produced. The primary goal is to communicate knowledge clearly, support reuse and maintenance, enable compliance, and provide an audit trail. Documentation is typically tailored to a specific audience, such as end users, developers, engineers, or regulators.

There are several types of documentation. Technical documentation covers API references, software manuals, system architecture, and installation procedures. User documentation guides how to install, configure, and operate a product. Process and project documentation records workflows, decisions, and changes. Legal and compliance documents address policies, risk assessments, and regulatory requirements. Archival or historical documentation preserves evidence and context for future readers.

Common components include the scope and purpose, audience, structure, glossary, metadata, version history, change logs, references, and maintenance notes. Documents may include diagrams, tables, code samples, and multimedia. Quality depends on accuracy, clarity, completeness, consistency, and accessibility. Standards and conventions, such as DITA or DocBook for structured content, and style guides for language, are often used. In many environments, documentation is produced alongside software development or engineering work and stored under version control.

The documentation lifecycle typically includes planning, information gathering, authoring, review, publication, and ongoing maintenance. Challenges include keeping content up to date, integrating content from multiple sources, localizing for different languages, and ensuring accessibility and searchability. Well-maintained documentation supports safety, interoperability, training, and quality assurance.