Begin by asking questions like—What are are the objectives of this documentation project? How can these objectives best be met? What is the document's scope? What content should be included? How should the content be organized?
What do you want your readers to know, feel, ask, or do after reading your document? How will the project influence its readers? Will beliefs be changed, objections overcome, insights be gained, etc.?
How will readers use the documentation? The reader's role determines his requirements and the document's context. Possible contexts might include:
| General overview | Background information |
| Design documentation | Installation procedures |
| Marketing aids | Informative white papers |
| Management training | User tutorials and online help |