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Subject:Re: What is a document? From:John Gilger <jgilger_it -at- NV -dot- DOE -dot- GOV> Date:Wed, 10 Mar 1999 09:08:22 -0800
Our Quality Procedures manual defines document as follows:
Any written or pictorial information describing, defining,
specifying, reporting, or certifying activities, requirements,
procedures, or results.
It is quite wordy (government procedures generally are) and on the to-do
list for revision, but that is what we use now.
John Gilger
Document Production Manager
IT, Las Vegas
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeroen Hendrix [SMTP:jhe -at- POLYDOC -dot- COM]
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 1999 7:44 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: What is a document?
A question for al you wise folks,
I know some of you won't find this an important or even
interesting issue,
but it exists here at my place. In our Q&A program, the process
of
documentation is described as well. Part of the Q&A exercises is
to define
corporate terms. In the terms and definition list, the following
definition
of the term *document* came up:
Document: A medium and the data recorded on it for human
use. By
extension, any record that has permanence and can be read by
man or
machine.
To me, this definition is unworkable. It is vague, everything
can be
interpreted as a document by this definition, even a file, a
video cassette
or credit card. Now the trouble is to come up with something
better. To me
a document is an information carrier, with contents that can be
read and
interpreted by humans. Machines don't read documents, but
data. Can
anyone out there think of a better definition? Or tell me what
you use in
your workplace?
Your help is much appreciated,
Jeroen Hendrix
PolyDoc
the Netherlands
Mail to: jhe -at- polydoc -dot- com
Web: www.polydoc.com
