ISO/IEC 18019:2004 provides guidelines for the design and preparation of user documentation for application software. It describes how to establish what information users need, how to determine the way in which that information should be presented to the users, and how then to prepare the information and make it available.
Application software includes consumer software packages, software for office applications, business software and specialist software for use by professionals.
ISO/IEC 18019:2004 is for use by people responsible for specifying, designing and preparing user documentation for application software and people who manage these activities, including developers of tools for creating hardcopy documentation, product designers, application developers, project managers, authors, programmers, translators and localization staff.
It is intended for use in all types of organizations, whether or not a dedicated documentation department is present. In all cases, it can be used as a basis for local standards and procedures. Readers are assumed to have experience or knowledge of software development or documentation development processes.