Information Types
Note
This page provides general guidance and examples for Information Types. Verify the correct and consistent guidelines for each product with your team.
The following sections describe information typing and provide prototypes that show how to apply this strategy to our documentation.
What is Information Typing?
Information typing categorizes content by type based on your audience's goals. Throughout the writing process, information typing helps keep the information that you write focused on those goals.
Additionally, information typing accomplishes the following goals:
Separate content into categories and delivers roughly one type at a time.
Account for the purpose of a page before you write it.
Answer the user question "why do I care?" or "what does this mean for me?" quickly.
Use a suggested format to help you get started on a blank page.
What Information Types Do We Use?
Note
DITA Document Types
The information types used in MongoDB documentation are similar to DITA Document Types. While we do not impose the same RST requirements that are used in DITA, the high-level purposes of corresponding content types are largely the same.
Currently, some teams use the following information types:
- Concept
- A concept page helps a user learn about a concept or new feature. The page intends to
answer the following questions:
"What is this?"
"Why do I care?"
"How does this work?"
- Reference
- A reference page delivers granular details about a topic. The audience includes experienced users. Reference pages may describe the use of a method, operator, or database command.
- Task
- A task page instructs a user on how to accomplish a particular goal. A task page can be written for users with any level of experience with MongoDB. Users might approach a task for the first time, have limited experience, or need a refresher. A task page should contain all the necessary information for someone to complete the task, any necessary conceptual information, prerequisites, steps, and expected results.