Related Technologies & Tools

ISO/IEC/IEEE 26514 is the primary recruiter-facing record for the software and systems information-for-users standards family.

This consolidated record preserves the portfolio value of the related 26511, 26512, 26513, and 26515 family topics: information-management planning, acquirer/supplier expectations, testing and review, agile documentation, lifecycle maintenance, and user-focused information design.

Additional Resources:

• IEEE 26514
• ISO standards search for 26514

IEC/IEEE 82079-1 defines principles and general requirements for information for use of products.

It guides instructions, safety information, terminology, usability, review, and legally relevant documentation for products and systems.

Additional Resources:

• IEEE 82079-1

IEEE 1063 is a superseded but still recognizable software user documentation standard. It is retained for historical documentation-governance context because it helps frame older software manual requirements while newer ISO/IEC/IEEE information-for-users standards carry the current standards lineage.

Additional Resources:

• IEEE 1063-2001
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 26514

S1000D is an international specification for technical publications using a Common Source Database (CSDB).

It affects structured technical content through data modules, reuse, metadata, applicability, publication modules, controlled source content, and aerospace/defense maintenance information.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

DITA is an XML-based architecture for topic-based, structured authoring, content reuse, and technical-information delivery.

• Relevant to technical writing because it supports reusable topics, maps, conditional publishing, controlled information typing, and consistent enterprise documentation.
• It belongs here as a core structured-authoring capability and also under governance / standards.

Additional Resources:

• OASIS DITA Technical Committee
• DITA 1.3 specification
• DITA overview

OpenAPI Specification is a structured API definition format for describing HTTP APIs, endpoints, operations, schemas, parameters, responses, authentication, and machine-readable API documentation.

Additional Resources:

• OpenAPI Specification
• OpenAPI Initiative
• OpenAPI documentation

JSON Schema is a vocabulary for describing and validating JSON data structures, including object shapes, required properties, types, constraints, and machine-readable API or configuration contracts.

Additional Resources:

• JSON Schema
• JSON Schema documentation
• JSON Schema specification

ISO 9241 is a broad ergonomics and human-system interaction standards family covering usability, interaction principles, accessibility-related usability concerns, and human-centred design concepts. A separate ISO 9241-210 record was not created because the broader ISO 9241 record can represent the portfolio-relevant usability and human-centred design governance concepts without standards bloat.

Additional Resources:

• ISO 9241 search
• ISO 9241-210:2019

Section 508 is a U.S. federal accessibility requirement that affects how electronic information and documentation are authored, reviewed, and delivered.

• Relevant to technical writing because writers often prepare accessible procedures, PDFs, web content, and support documentation for public-sector or regulated audiences.
• It is retained as a limited accessibility-authoring exception and remains under Content Governance, Standards & Compliance.

Additional Resources:

• Official Section508.gov website
• Create accessible documents
• Revised 508 Standards

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are W3C accessibility guidelines for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities.

• Relevant to technical writing because web help, knowledge-base articles, embedded media alternatives, and developer documentation must often meet accessibility expectations.
• It is retained as a limited accessibility-authoring exception and remains under Content Governance, Standards & Compliance.

Additional Resources:

• WCAG 2.2 recommendation
• W3C WCAG overview
• How to meet WCAG quick reference

WAI-ARIA is W3C guidance for making dynamic web content and custom interface components accessible.

It matters to documentation and UX content where roles, states, names, labels, and assistive-technology semantics must be explained or validated.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

PDF/UA, ISO 14289, defines accessibility requirements for PDF documents and PDF-reading applications.

It affects tagged PDFs, reading order, headings, lists, tables, alternative text, form fields, metadata, and validation evidence for accessible documents.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

EN 301 549 is the European ICT accessibility standard for public-sector procurement and digital accessibility.

It affects web, software, documents, hardware, services, and accessibility conformance documentation for European public-sector contexts.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

The Federal Plain Language Guidelines provide U.S. government guidance for clear public-facing writing.

They support content governance by shaping audience analysis, organization, wording, headings, active voice, and review expectations for understandable content.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires U.S. federal agencies to use clear government communication that the public can understand and use.

It reinforces plain-language governance for forms, notices, web content, instructions, and public-facing procedural documentation.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

ISO 9001 is the international quality management systems standard.

It affects documentation through controlled processes, documented information, evidence of conformity, corrective actions, approvals, revision control, and audit readiness.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

ISO 15489 is the international records-management standard family.

It guides retention, disposition, authenticity, reliability, usability, metadata, accountability, and records governance for enterprise documentation.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

Document Control is the governance discipline for approving, distributing, revising, retiring, and preserving controlled documents.

It directly affects policies, SOPs, specifications, manuals, forms, version histories, review records, approval evidence, and audit trails.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

Configuration Management governs baselines, configuration items, controlled changes, release states, and traceability.

For documentation, configuration management keeps specifications, requirements, manuals, procedures, and system evidence synchronized with controlled product or system versions.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

Requirements Traceability links requirements to design, implementation, verification, validation, and evidence.

It affects traceability matrices, acceptance criteria, test plans, validation records, change impact analysis, and auditability of technical deliverables.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) is independent assessment of systems, requirements, processes, products, and deliverables.

It is not merely testing; verification and validation affects documentation quality, requirements traceability, risk identification, review evidence, and independent oversight.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) is the coordinated enterprise discipline for managing governance obligations, risk, controls, policies, and compliance evidence.

It affects technical writers through policy documentation, control narratives, procedures, accountability records, audit evidence, and compliance reporting.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is a U.S. corporate accountability law focused on financial reporting and internal controls.

SOX is not a writing style standard; it affects documentation through control evidence, change control, approvals, records retention, audit trails, and traceability of financial-system procedures.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

ISO 30401 is the ISO management-system standard for establishing, maintaining, reviewing, and improving organizational knowledge management. It fits content governance because it connects knowledge lifecycle, governance, process discipline, and continuous improvement for organizations that rely on managed expertise and reusable content.

Additional Resources:

• ISO 30401:2018
• ISO 30401 amendment

The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set is a compact metadata standard for describing digital and physical resources. As ISO 15836, it supports resource discovery, interoperability, taxonomy design, information architecture, and content governance practices that depend on consistent metadata.

Additional Resources:

• Dublin Core Metadata Element Set
• DCMI and ISO collaboration
• ISO 15836-1:2017

Adobe InCopy is Adobe's editorial workflow application for writers and editors collaborating with InDesign layouts. It supports copyfitting, review, publishing governance, and editorial production workflows where written content and design production must stay coordinated.

Additional Resources:

• Adobe InCopy
• InCopy user guide

ISO/IEC 27001 is the international standard for an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

It affects documentation through security policies, risk treatment plans, procedures, control evidence, statement of applicability, internal audits, and continual improvement.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a voluntary framework for managing and communicating cybersecurity risk.

It influences documentation for profiles, governance outcomes, risk management, policies, procedures, metrics, and executive cybersecurity communication.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

NIST SP 800-53 provides a catalog of security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations.

It drives system security documentation, control implementation statements, assessment evidence, policies, procedures, plans, and authorization artifacts.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

NIST SP 800-171 defines requirements for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in nonfederal systems and organizations.

It affects contractor documentation through security plans, policies, procedures, evidence of implementation, assessments, and CUI handling instructions.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

FedRAMP is the U.S. governmentwide program for standardized security assessment and authorization of cloud products and services.

It affects cloud security documentation, system security plans, control implementation evidence, policies, procedures, continuous monitoring, and authorization packages.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

CMMC is the DoD cybersecurity assessment program for defense contractors and subcontractors.

It affects documentation for CUI protection, control implementation, policies, procedures, evidence collection, assessment preparation, and supplier compliance.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

SOC 2 is an assurance reporting framework based on AICPA Trust Services Criteria.

It affects technical documentation through control descriptions, policies, procedures, evidence, service commitments, system boundaries, and audit-ready process records.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

HIPAA governs privacy and security protections for Protected Health Information (PHI) in healthcare contexts.

It affects documentation through Privacy Rule and Security Rule policies, Minimum Necessary procedures, Business Associate agreements, administrative safeguards, technical safeguards, and evidence of compliance.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource

The HITECH Act promoted health IT adoption and strengthened HIPAA privacy and security enforcement.

It affects documentation for breach notification, electronic health information exchange, security controls, enforcement evidence, and healthcare compliance procedures.

Additional Resources:

• Official / Authoritative Resource