Focused conversation: Document types and templates

Join us for a focused and friendly conversation about document types and templates. Document types and templates can help us create good documentation by providing consistent structure and content for readers. Some writers consider them essential, while others use them occasionally or not at all.

First, let’s define our terms:

• What are document types and templates? Why are they used in technical writing?
• Please share a few examples.

Then, we can use these questions to get the conversation started:

• Do you use document types and templates? Why or why not?
• What document types do you use? Concept, task, and reference? Tutorials, how-to guides, technical reference, and explanation? Other?
• What’s included in your templates?
• Are your document types and templates adequate? Helpful? Too strict, or not strict enough?
• Do other people who contribute to documentation at your organization use document types and templates? Always, sometimes, or never?

Our Write the Docs community provides these helpful resources:

• Types of docs and how to use them | Write the Docs Newsletter – June 2020
• Templates for Concept Documentation | Write the Docs Newsletter – May 2022
• DITA vs docs-as-code | Write the Docs Newsletter – June 2019

Sample docs, templates, guides:

• The Good Docs Project
• The Gatsby Docs
• Map of needs by Diataxis

Bring your thoughts and questions, and attend for as long as your schedule allows. Our goal is to give you an opportunity to support and network with each other.
The discussion is on Zoom. We’ll post the links on the Meetup event by the previous evening. To attend, you must RSVP to the Meetup event. We use the attendees list to screen out Zoom bombers, so it's especially helpful if you have the same display name in Zoom as your name on Meetup.