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This wiki is a resource for the team of maintainers and contributors. Information intended for template users should go into one of the documents in code section.

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External resources

A collection of tech writing / docs -related resources we came across.

• Google Technical Writing Course

  A 1 hour long self-paced course. It is a must-read for every programmer.

• Microsoft technical writing guide

  A more formal guide on how to style and structure technical documentation. Recommended for those familiar with the basics of technical writing.

• How to edit your own copy

  Some good practical advice from a successful freelance writer. 7 min read.

• The documentation system

  Understand the difference between 4 types of documentation: tutorials, how-to guides, technical reference and explanation.

• Cherryleaf Podcast

  Interviews with leading technical writers and communicators.

• Grammarly style and grammar checker, Hemingway writing style advisor and FOSS alternatives

  Online tools for picking up missed a/the, clumsy phrases and redundant words.

• The Documentation Compendium

  Various templates & tips on writing high-quality documentation that people want to read.

• README maturity model

  A raft proposal based on Apache Project Maturity Model

• Write The Docs community

  A place for Documentarians to share information, discuss ideas, and work together to improve the art and science of documentation. Check out their list of resources.

• Technical Communication Metrics: What Should You Track? and Calculating document quality (QUACK)

  Essays on the merits of different metrics.

• A Metrics-Based Approach to Technical Documentation Quality

  A study on Goal-Question-Metric approach to assessing the quality of technical documentation.

• GitHub Open Source Survey

  A survey from 2017 that mentions documentation as the top problem for OSS projects.

• API design guidance

  A collection of guides and best practice from UK Government Digital Service