GB/T 19678-2005 in English

《GB/T 19678-2005说明书的编制--构成、内容和表示方法》由TC27（全国电气信息结构、文件编制和图形符号标准化技术委员会）归口，主管部门为国家标准化管理委员会
本标准规定了设计和编写各类说明书的一般原则和详细要求。说明书对各种类型的产品--从简单的一罐油漆，到复杂的大型工业成套设备--都适用。本标准适用于下列人员：--产品制造商、专业作者，专业插图作者、软件设计者、译者或从事构思和起草说明书工作的其他人员；--安装和（或）使用产品的产品制造商的指定代表。本标准为规定应随产品一起提供的文件的固定数量。显然要作出这样的规定是不可能的，因为本标准对一切类型的产品都应该有效，而文件的数量大多取决于产品的复杂性。因此，本标准列出了可能考虑到的多种多样说明书。本标准旨在对这样的说明书如何编制实行标准化。

This standard provides general principles and detailed requirements for the design and formulation of all types of instructions that will be necessary or helpful for products of all kinds ranging from small, simple ones, such as a tin of paint, to large or highly complex ones, such as a large industrial installation. It is intended for application by:
——Product manufacturers, technical writers, technical illustrators, software designers, translators or other people engaged in the work of conceiving and drafting such instructions;
——Authorized representatives of the product manufacturer in the country of product installation and/or usage.
It will also be helpful in contract negotiations between the product supplier and the customer.
This standard does not establish a fixed amount of documentation that has to be delivered together with a product. This would obviously not be possible because this standard has to be valid for all kinds of products but the amount of documentation very much depends on the complexity of the product. Therefore, this standard lists all possible kinds of instructions one can think of. What this standard does aim to standardize is how such instructions are to be prepared.

Foreword I
Introduction II
1 Scope
2 Normative References
3 Definitions
4 Principles
4.1 Instructions are part of the product
4.2 Minimizing risks
4.3 Special handling
4.4 Special target groups
4.5 Short-life products
4.6 Considerations as to the nature of instructions
4.7 Creating instructions
5 Content of Instructions
5.1 General
5.2 Identification and specification of the product, general warnings
5.3 Identification of instruction documents
5.4 Modification of products
5.5 Safety notes
5.6 Intended environment
5.7 Declaration of conformity
5.8 How to use the instruction materials
5.9 Preparing the product for use
5.10 Operating instructions
5.11 Maintenance instructions
5.12 List of spare parts
5.13 Instructions for special tools, equipment and materials
5.14 Instructions for repair and replacement of parts
5.15 Taking the product out of operation (decommissioning)
5.16 Table of contents, index and other lists, definitions, and meta-syntax
6 Presentation of Instructions
6.1 Communication principles
6.2 Legibility
6.3 Illustrations
6.4 Graphical symbols
6.5 Tables
6.6 Charts and diagrams
6.7 Flow-charts and flow diagrams
6.8 Electronic media, audio, video
6.9 Bringing warning notices into prominence
6.10 Colours and colour coding
6.11 Explanation of visual and audible indications
Annex A (informative) Assessment of Instructions for Use
Annex B (informative) Compliance Checklist; Technical Review
Annex C (informative) Evaluation Checklist; Presentation Review
Annex D (informative) Example of a Table of Contents of a User Manual