The OASIS DITA Adoption Technical Committee publishes the first of its new series of Feature Articles on DITA 1.3.

Information developers recognize that a high percentage of users seek information only when they experience a problem. First, they become aware of the problem, often because they receive an error message or an outcome they expected fails to occur (for example, “the machine should turn on but does not”). Second, they articulate or define the problem, putting it into words (for example, “I cannot get this font to change size”). At this point, they begin to search for content that might help them solve the problem. At this stage, the users might be reading the manual, searching for relevant information. However, most manuals “pose formidable obstacles to finding problem-solving information.”1 The Troubleshooting additions to DITA 1.3 are designed to overcome the obstacles and make it easier for users to identify problem-solving information.

To read the DITA 1.3 Troubleshooting Feature Article, click on the link below.