Single Sourcing: Building Modular Documentation

Single sourcing is more than mechanical document conversion. It is an information development strategy. Although it is often confused with the process of converting paper-based documents into online formats, single sourcing is a writing strategy that enables technical writers to develop centralized information modules, then map them to distinct audiences and media.
For technical writers, single sourcing means modular writing and information mapping. Rather than developing information for a given format, such as a user guide or online help, technical writers develop information modules at the element (section, paragraph, and sentence) level. They then map these information modules to preselected audiences and media.

This guide explains in plain language and by example how to develop single source documents. It shows technical writers how to develop standalone information modules, then map these modules to a variety of audiences and formats using proven information mapping techniques. In essence, the guide provides a flexible framework for modular technical writing that can be applied to any audience in any medium.

Kurt Ament is a technical writer, editor and indexer with extensive experience in print and online publishing. Since 1988 he has developed automated indexing systems, corporate style guides, knowledge management systems, master glossaries, master indexes, and user interface guidelines for companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Hughes Aircraft Company, Symantec Corporation, and Xerox Corporation. A graduate with honors of philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley, he completed a five-year sequential program in technical communication at UCLA. He is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication.