USF IT Documentation Space Parameters
Purpose and audience of USF IT Documentation Space
The USF IT Documentation Space is a knowledge base meant for students, faculty, and staff. The USF IT Documentation space is part of USF IT's self-service option. Students, faculty, and staff can search the space for end-user guides, FAQs, policies, and notices that will help the troubleshoot their IT-related issues before submitting a ticket.
Type of documentation that should be in the USF IT Documentation Space
| IT Policies | IT rules and regulations |
| End-User Guides | Instructions on how to use/install an IT-supported application, software, etc. |
| FAQs | Frequently asked questions concerning IT services or policies as well as IT-supported applications and software |
| Migration Notices and Feature Releases | Summary of what will happen, who will be affected, FAQs, and user guides for a successful migration or feature release |
Keep in mind that the USF IT Documentation space is open to the internet (it can be searched by Google), so users outside of USF have access to everything in that space. If there is any proprietary or sensitive information in your documentation, consider placing it in an area where users must sign in first to view. For information on areas that may not be listed below, please contact Shani Fails.
Documentation and Layout
Style guide and custom formatting
Documentation within the IT Documentation Space is subject to an approval process, which takes into consideration the layout and presentation of the documentation. End-user guides must adhere to the style guide for the best user experience and for it to successfully render within the Jira Service Desk Customer Portal. For this reason, it is not recommended to use select macros, HTML code, or the table of contents macro when formatting pages. Custom formatting of documentation can make it more difficult for future editors to edit the documentation and it compromises the user-experience when the information is accessed through Jira. Remember, the purpose of the knowledge base is to enable our end-users--students, faculty, and staff--to use the information for self-service.
Creating a new page
The best way to create a new page and ensure that the layout is correct is to click the ellipses next to the Create button on the top menu. Choose the User Guide Template. This template has the preferred layout already built into the page.
Have documentation or information that doesn't meet these parameters?
There are two other IT Spaces in Confluence which may better suit your documentation
| IT Internal Knowledge Base | Viewable to only IT and selected IT affiliates Great place for technical documentation or user guides |
| USF Technology Projects | Open to anyone with a NetID Project-related information such as project charters and release notes |
Further Changes
Continue to check this page for updates concerning new templates and any changes to the purpose of the USF IT Documentation Space