{"id":1186,"date":"2025-08-13T14:08:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T11:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.index.fi\/?page_id=1186"},"modified":"2026-06-25T21:47:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T18:47:30","slug":"technical-or-structural-document","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.index.fi\/en\/tietopankki\/tekninen-vai-rakenteinen-dokumentti\/","title":{"rendered":"Technical document or structural document \u2013 do you know the difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling no-bottom-margin\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-padding-top-medium:80px;--awb-padding-bottom-medium:80px;--awb-margin-bottom-medium:80px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:60px;--awb-background-color:var(--awb-custom_color_2);--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-stretch fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:calc( 1200px + 30px );margin-left: calc(-30px \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-30px \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-padding-top:90px;--awb-padding-right:40px;--awb-padding-left:40px;--awb-bg-color:var(--awb-custom_color_2);--awb-bg-color-hover:var(--awb-custom_color_2);--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:10px;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:15px;--awb-width-medium:33.333333333333%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:10px;--awb-spacing-left-medium:15px;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:15px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:30px;--awb-spacing-left-small:15px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><i class=\"fb-icon-element-1 fb-icon-element fontawesome-icon classic-thumbs-up-regular circle-no\" style=\"--awb-iconcolor:var(--awb-color4);--awb-iconcolor-hover:var(--awb-color4);--awb-font-size:72px;--awb-align-self:center;--awb-margin-top:0px;--awb-margin-right:0px;--awb-margin-bottom:30px;--awb-margin-left:0px;\"><\/i><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-one\" style=\"--awb-text-color:#ffffff;--awb-margin-bottom:30px;--awb-margin-top-small:10px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:10px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;\"><h1 class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;\">Technical document or structural document \u2013 do you know the difference?<\/h1><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1 fusion-text-no-margin\" style=\"--awb-content-alignment:left;--awb-text-color:#ffffff;--awb-margin-bottom:5%;\"><h2 class=\"\" style=\"text-align: left; --fontsize: 30; line-height: 1.2;\" data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"36px\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Introduction: terms that can easily get confused<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Technical document, structured document, single-sourcing, modularity, technical writer\u2026 The field of technical communication is teeming with concepts that are partly overlapping, partly complementary \u2013 and often misunderstood. In this article, we will explore what they mean, how they differ from each other, and why understanding them is important, especially for those who work in content production, documentation, or information management.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\" style=\"text-align: left; --fontsize: 30; line-height: 1.2;\" data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"36px\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">What is a technical document?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A technical document is a document that aims to convey technical information in the clearest, most structured and most user-friendly way possible. It can be, for example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Operating or installation instructions<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">API documentation<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Product information or maintenance instructions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A technical document can be in any format \u2013 PDF, Word file, or web page \u2013 as long as its content fulfills its purpose: to instruct, clarify, or document a technical matter. What is important is what is said, not necessarily how it is structured.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\" style=\"text-align: left; --fontsize: 30; line-height: 1.2;\" data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"36px\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">What about a structured document?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A structured document is a document in which the content follows a predefined structure. It separates information into content elements \u2013 such as headings, steps, notes, and warnings \u2013 using structures such as XML, DITA, or another markup language.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Structure brings with it numerous advantages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Content reuse: the same module can be used in multiple documents<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Consistency: structure guides writing consistently<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Automation: publishing to multiple formats is possible without manual work<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Localization: translation work is faster when content is logically broken down<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">All structured documents can be technical, but not all technical documents are structured.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"\" style=\"text-align: left; --fontsize: 26; line-height: 1.2;\" data-fontsize=\"26\" data-lineheight=\"31.2px\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Key concepts of structured documentation<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Single-source means that the same content is written once and used in many different contexts. This reduces duplication of work and makes updates easier.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Modular documentation divides content into small, independent parts (modules) that can be combined into different documents for different target groups.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Multi-channel publishing allows content to be published in different formats \u2013 such as on a website, as PDF or on mobile \u2013 without separate layout or copying.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\" style=\"text-align: left; --fontsize: 30; line-height: 1.2;\" data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"36px\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Technical writer \u2013 content production expert<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A technical writer is a professional responsible for producing technical documents. Their job is not only to write, but also to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Structuring complex information<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Understanding the needs of the target group<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Ensuring content accessibility and usability<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Collaboration with experts, developers and translators<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A technical writer brings the reader's perspective to technical documentation and acts as a bridge between technology and people.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Sources:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Technical_writing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wikipedia \u2013 Technical Writing<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Structured_writing\">Wikipedia \u2013 Structured writing<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oasis-open.org\/committees\/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=dita\">OASIS \u2013 DITA Technical Committee<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column fusion-flex-align-self-center\" style=\"--awb-padding-bottom:60px;--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:15px;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:15px;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:15px;--awb-spacing-left-medium:15px;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:15px;--awb-spacing-left-small:15px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-center fusion-content-layout-row fusion-flex-align-items-center\"><div class=\"fusion-image-element\" style=\"--awb-margin-right:40px;--awb-max-width:100px;--awb-caption-title-font-family:var(--h2_typography-font-family);--awb-caption-title-font-weight:var(--h2_typography-font-weight);--awb-caption-title-font-style:var(--h2_typography-font-style);--awb-caption-title-size:var(--h2_typography-font-size);--awb-caption-title-transform:var(--h2_typography-text-transform);--awb-caption-title-line-height:var(--h2_typography-line-height);--awb-caption-title-letter-spacing:var(--h2_typography-letter-spacing);\"><span class=\"fusion-imageframe imageframe-none imageframe-1 hover-type-none\" style=\"border-radius:50px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2473\" alt=\"Tuula Silfver Trainer &amp; Software Tester\" title=\"Tuula Silfver\" src=\"https:\/\/www.index.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Tuula.Silfver-scaled-1.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.index.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Tuula.Silfver-scaled-1-200x193.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.index.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Tuula.Silfver-scaled-1-400x386.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.index.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Tuula.Silfver-scaled-1-600x580.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.index.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Tuula.Silfver-scaled-1-800x773.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.index.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Tuula.Silfver-scaled-1-1200x1159.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.index.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Tuula.Silfver-scaled-1.jpg 2560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\" style=\"--awb-text-color:var(--awb-color1);\"><p><strong>Tuula Silfver<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The author is an experienced trainer and is responsible for Index IT's software testing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":686,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"100-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1186","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tekninen dokumentti vai rakenteinen dokumentti \u2013 tied\u00e4tk\u00f6 eron? - Index IT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tekninen dokumentti vai rakenteinen dokumentti \u2013 osaatko erottaa ne toisistaan? 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