TCUK 2012, Nolwenn Kerzreho, Metadata: Why Should Technical Communicators Care?

1. Metadata: Why Should The
Technical Communicator Care?
Find Thy Content!
ISTC Technical Communication UK
Newcastle 4 October 2012
#tcuk

2. • Nolwenn KERZREHO
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR &
KNOWLEDGE MANAGER
TEACHER CFTTR UNIVERSITY RENNES 2
CONSULTANT COMPONIZE SOFTWARE

3. The pit… catch
Marlin is the proud and
worried father of Nemo.
When Nemo is captured
Marlin tries desperately to
find him in the vast ocean…

4. ©Disney Entreprises, Inc/Pixar Animation Studios
ENVIRONMENT
EASY TO FIND IN A CONTROLLED

5. ©Disney Entreprises, Inc/Pixar Animation Studios
EASY TO FIND WHEN YOU KNOW IT WELL!

6. ©Disney Entreprises, Inc/Pixar Animation Studios
BUT THERE ARE TOO MANY FISH (and
other things) OUT THERE…

7. ©Disney Entreprises, Inc/Pixar Animation Studios
INFOBESITY?

8. Metadata… Find thy content!
a. Infobesity…
b. Do you use metadata?
c. Make the metadata work for you!
d. Tips and good practices

9. You Use Metadata
Searching in web sites with keywords
Authors & Company name in PDFs
and MS Word files
Filtering a product in an online store

10. You Use Metadata

11. You Use Metadata

12. You Use Metadata

13. You Use Metadata

14. MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU!
Metadata

15. Topic-based, Structured
Documentation
Topics Map (ToC) Document

16. DITA Uses uses metadata
DITA Data About Data
•
<task/> <title/>
<shortdesc/> <indexterm/>
<taskbody/>
<prereq/> <step/> <step/>
<uicontrol/>

17. DITA Links Data

18. DITA Links Data
Phrases and variables
reused
Images and icons
Segments
injected during
publishing
(captions, links,
signal words, …)
+
Filters
Relationship table

19. DITA Uses Metadata
<author>Nolwenn Kerzreho</author>
<publisher>Ocean</publisher>
<status="new">
<vrm="ISBN CODE">

20. What Can Metadata DO with DITA?
Help you manage content
– status, keywords, author, reviewer, proprietor
Create conditional publications
– conditional publishing (audience, product,
platform…)
Communicate with translators
– Translation=no, commenting, language…
Describe linked information
– parents, children, peers… in context

21. Structure The Information
Search in the work environments
categories, keywords, version
Expose what’s here: faceted search
Link connected information: inheritance,
status…
1

22. Manage The Documentation Library
Manage projects:
% completed, author topics, reviewed topics…
Plan updates: creation information, review
Control the production: author, reviewer,
translator…
2

23. Adapt the Publications
Reuse fragments, variables and media resources
Create conditional publications:
audience = novice
Translate and send for translation (language,
indexing, reading direction)
xml:lang = ja-jp
Control links: inbound and outbound
linking = target only
3

24. AND, on The Machine Side…
 Automate processes in the various
environments (action on metadata)
 Optimize the research and discovery of
elements,
the reuse,
the consistency,
the usability.
4

25. Wrapping Up…
TC should care about metadata because?
• They shape your work environment
• They help users access the right information
• They enable better control on content in the
development team
• They interface with machines

26. GOOD PRACTICES.

27. I. Check the Environments
Is the metadata enough outside of your working
environments?
> Are the metadata enough in and out of
context: included metadata?
> Are the metadata transparent on the final
formats (Web example)?

28. II. Define Your Style Guide and Process
Choose the metadata to use…
Choose your values
– Keywords, versioning…
Adapt your methods
– What is the impact when using New or Changed ?

29. III. Structure the Information
Think BIG…
What is the real scope of the information in the
document library? Today? Tomorrow?
What is the library scope?
Do you need in-house metadata?

30. IV. Let the Publishing Engine Do its Job
Sample for the Web

31. V. Don’t Panic!

32. Communicator… Metadata Champion!
Differentiation, categorisation, cataloguing:
• indexing
• terminology
• documentation information architecture
• online site architecture
• SEO and keywords maintenance

33. Questions?
nolwenn.kerzreho@componize.com
www.componize.com
©Disney Entreprises, Inc/Pixar Animation Studios
@componize
@nkerzreho