Guidelines Document

A Guidelines Document is a reference document that provides standardized procedures, principles, and instructions to guide actions and decisions in a specific context.

• AKA: Guide Document.
• Context:
  • It can (typically) provide Clear Information for user understanding.
  • It can (typically) establish Target Audience for content focus.
  • It can (typically) maintain Document Structure for information organization.
  • It can (often) include Step-by-Step Instructions for task completion.
  • It can (often) incorporate Visual Aids for explanation support.
  • It can (often) specify Best Practices for quality assurance.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Brief Guide Document to being a Comprehensive Guide Document, depending on its detail level.
  • It can range from being an Informal Guideline Document to being a Formal Guideline Document, depending on its formality level.
  • It can range from being a Physical Guide Document to being an Electronic Guide Document, depending on its format type.
  • It can range from being a Corporate Guidelines Document to being a Public Sector Guidelines Document, depending on its sector context.
  • ...
  • It can have Version Control Systems for content management.
  • It can maintain Information Currency through regular updates.
  • It can ensure Information Relevance to user needs.
  • It can be managed by SOP Document Management Tasks.
  • It can be used for Training Purposes.
  • It can support Professional Settings.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Content Guidelines Documents, such as:
    • Knowledge Base Guideliness, such as:
      • Wiki Content Guidelines for wiki platform management.
      • Documentation System Guidelines for documentation management.
      • Academic Repository Guidelines for scholarly content.
    • Editorial Guideliness, such as:
      • Publication Style Guides for content standardization.
      • Brand Voice Guidelines for messaging consistency.
      • Content Quality Guidelines for quality control.
    • Media Guideliness, such as:
      • Social Media Guidelines for online presence.
      • Digital Content Guidelines for web content.
      • Multimedia Guidelines for media production.
  • Corporate Documents, such as:
    • Internal Policy Guides, such as:
      • Employee Handbook for company policy guidance.
      • HR Policy Guidelines for personnel management.
      • Workplace Safety Guidelines for safety protocols.
    • Process Guides, such as:
      • Operations Manual for daily operations.
      • Quality Control Guidelines for quality management.
      • Project Management Guidelines for project execution.
    • Compliance Guides, such as:
      • Regulatory Compliance Manual for legal requirements.
      • Security Guidelines for data protection.
      • Risk Management Guidelines for risk control.
  • Technical Documents, such as:
    • Software Guideliness, such as:
      • Code Style Guide for coding standards.
      • API Documentation Guidelines for interface documentation.
      • Software Testing Guidelines for test procedures.
    • System Documentations, such as:
      • System Architecture Guidelines for system design.
      • Infrastructure Guidelines for system deployment.
      • Maintenance Guidelines for system upkeep.
    • User Documentations, such as:
      • User Manual Guidelines for end-user support.
      • Training Document Guidelines for skill development.
      • Troubleshooting Guidelines for problem resolution.
  • Specialized Guides, such as:
    • Research Guideliness, such as:
      • Laboratory Protocol Guidelines for experimental procedures.
      • Research Ethics Guidelines for ethical compliance.
      • Data Collection Guidelines for research methodology.
    • Professional Practice Guides, such as:
      • Legal Practice Guidelines for legal procedures.
      • Medical Practice Guidelines for clinical procedures.
      • Engineering Guidelines for design standards.
    • Industry-Specific Guides, such as:
      • Manufacturing Guidelines for production processes.
      • Healthcare Guidelines for patient care.
      • Educational Guidelines for teaching practices.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Advertisement, which focuses on product promotion.
  • Fictional Novel, which provides entertainment rather than instructions.
  • Raw Data Spreadsheet, which lacks explanatory context.
  • Personal Notes, which lack standardization.
• See: Standard Operating Procedure, Compliance Document, Regulatory Framework, Quality Manual.

---

---

References

2010

• http://www.cesm.ucar.edu/working_groups/Software/dev_guide/dev_guide/node5.html
  • QUOTE: The purpose of these document guidelines is to create a coherent set of documents that clarify the goals of the various software development teams and the functionality of the software they create. These documents are meant to be readily available not only to the development team members, but also to management and other interested parties.

    The creation of these documents is closely related to the software life cycle described in Section 3. For example, the existence of a reviewed requirements document demonstrates that the requirements definition phase of a project has been completed.

    Section 4.2 provides specific guidelines for each of the documents, suggests responsibility for their creation and maintenance, and describes how the documents are interrelated.

---