Documentation QA Knowledge Base
Quick reference for documentation quality assessment and audit criteria.
Quality Dimensions
Core Quality Metrics
| Dimension | Description | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Completeness | All APIs/features documented | 25% |
| Accuracy | Code matches documentation | 25% |
| Clarity | Understandable, no jargon | 20% |
| Consistency | Terms, style, format uniform | 15% |
| Navigation | Easy to find information | 10% |
| Freshness | Up-to-date with latest version | 5% |
Quality Scoring
code
Score = (Completeness × 0.25) + (Accuracy × 0.25) + (Clarity × 0.20)
+ (Consistency × 0.15) + (Navigation × 0.10) + (Freshness × 0.05)
Rating:
90-100: Excellent
75-89: Good
60-74: Adequate
40-59: Poor
0-39: Critical
Audit Checklists
README Checklist
| Item | Required | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Project name and description | ✅ | /10 |
| Installation instructions | ✅ | /15 |
| Basic usage example | ✅ | /15 |
| Requirements/dependencies | ✅ | /10 |
| License | ✅ | /5 |
| Badges (build, coverage, version) | ⚪ | /5 |
| Contributing link | ⚪ | /5 |
| Documentation links | ⚪ | /10 |
| Changelog link | ⚪ | /5 |
| Examples work (copy-paste test) | ✅ | /20 |
Total: /100
API Documentation Checklist
| Item | Required | Score |
|---|---|---|
| All public classes documented | ✅ | /15 |
| All public methods documented | ✅ | /15 |
| Parameters with types and descriptions | ✅ | /15 |
| Return types documented | ✅ | /10 |
| Exceptions documented | ✅ | /10 |
| Usage examples per endpoint | ✅ | /15 |
| Request/response examples | ⚪ | /10 |
| Error responses documented | ⚪ | /10 |
Total: /100
Architecture Documentation Checklist
| Item | Required | Score |
|---|---|---|
| System overview | ✅ | /15 |
| Component descriptions | ✅ | /15 |
| Data flow diagrams | ✅ | /15 |
| Technology stack | ✅ | /10 |
| Decision records (ADRs) | ⚪ | /15 |
| Diagrams render correctly | ✅ | /10 |
| Consistent terminology | ✅ | /10 |
| Cross-references work | ⚪ | /10 |
Total: /100
Detection Patterns
Completeness Detection
bash
# Find undocumented public classes Grep: "^class |^final class |^abstract class " --glob "src/**/*.php" # Compare with: Grep: "## " --glob "docs/api/**/*.md" # Find undocumented public methods Grep: "public function " --glob "src/**/*.php" | wc -l # Compare with documented count # Check README sections Grep: "## Installation|## Usage|## Features" --glob "README.md"
Accuracy Detection
bash
# Find version mismatches Grep: "version.*[0-9]+\.[0-9]+" --glob "README.md" # Compare with: Grep: '"version"' --glob "composer.json" # Find non-existent paths in docs Grep: "src/[A-Za-z/]+" --glob "docs/**/*.md" # Verify each path exists # Find outdated code examples # Extract code blocks and verify they match current API
Clarity Detection
bash
# Find undefined acronyms
Grep: "\b[A-Z]{2,}\b" --glob "docs/**/*.md"
# Check for glossary/definition nearby
# Find jargon without explanation
# Manual review of: DDD, CQRS, VO, DTO first usage
# Find walls of text (paragraphs > 5 lines)
# Manual review recommended
Navigation Detection
bash
# Find broken internal links
Grep: "\]\((?!http)[^\)]+\)" --glob "**/*.md"
# Verify each relative path exists
# Find missing TOC in long docs (> 100 lines)
wc -l docs/**/*.md | awk '$1 > 100 {print $2}'
# Check for: Grep: "## Table of Contents|## Contents" in each
# Find orphan pages (not linked from anywhere)
# Cross-reference all .md files
Diagram Quality Detection
bash
# Find diagrams with too many elements
Grep: "^\s*[A-Za-z].*\[|^\s*[A-Za-z].*\(" --glob "**/*.md" -A 50
# Count nodes in each mermaid block
# Find diagrams without labels
Grep: "A-->B|1-->2" --glob "**/*.md"
# Should have descriptive IDs
# Find non-rendering mermaid
# Test each ```mermaid block
Issue Severity Levels
Critical (Must Fix)
markdown
❌ Missing installation instructions ❌ Broken copy-paste examples ❌ Wrong/outdated code syntax ❌ Missing license ❌ Dead links to key resources ❌ Security-sensitive info in examples
Warning (Should Fix)
markdown
⚠️ Missing API documentation ⚠️ No usage examples ⚠️ Outdated screenshots ⚠️ Inconsistent terminology ⚠️ Missing error handling docs ⚠️ Diagrams don't match code
Info (Nice to Have)
markdown
ℹ️ No badges ℹ️ Missing contributing guide ℹ️ No FAQ section ℹ️ Basic diagrams could be improved ℹ️ Could add more examples
Audit Report Template
markdown
# Documentation Audit Report
**Project:** {name}
**Date:** {date}
**Auditor:** Claude Code
## Summary
| Metric | Score | Status |
|--------|-------|--------|
| Overall | X/100 | ⚠️ |
| Completeness | X/100 | ✅ |
| Accuracy | X/100 | ❌ |
| Clarity | X/100 | ✅ |
| Consistency | X/100 | ⚠️ |
| Navigation | X/100 | ✅ |
## Critical Issues
### 1. {Issue Title}
- **Location:** {file:line}
- **Problem:** {description}
- **Impact:** {who is affected}
- **Fix:** {recommendation}
## Warnings
### 1. {Issue Title}
- **Location:** {file}
- **Problem:** {description}
- **Recommendation:** {fix}
## Recommendations
1. {Priority action 1}
2. {Priority action 2}
3. {Priority action 3}
## Detailed Findings
### README.md
- [ ] {item}: {status}
### API Documentation
- [ ] {item}: {status}
### Architecture Documentation
- [ ] {item}: {status}
## Next Steps
1. Fix critical issues immediately
2. Address warnings in next sprint
3. Consider recommendations for roadmap
Quality Improvement Guide
Quick Wins
| Action | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Fix broken links | High | Low |
| Add missing badges | Medium | Low |
| Add code examples | High | Medium |
| Create README template | High | Medium |
| Add link checker CI | Medium | Low |
Long-term Improvements
| Action | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Generate API docs from code | High | High |
| Implement doc-as-code | High | High |
| Create style guide | Medium | Medium |
| Add example testing | High | Medium |
| Diagram automation | Medium | High |
Automation Opportunities
CI/CD Integration
yaml
# Example doc validation workflow
documentation:
checks:
- markdown-lint
- link-check
- spelling
- code-example-test
- mermaid-validate
Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| markdownlint | Markdown style |
| markdown-link-check | Broken links |
| alex | Inclusive language |
| mermaid-cli | Diagram validation |
| doctoc | TOC generation |
References
For detailed information, load these reference files:
- •
references/audit-procedures.md— Step-by-step audit process - •
references/scoring-rubrics.md— Detailed scoring criteria - •
references/common-issues.md— Frequent documentation problems - •
references/automation.md— CI/CD integration patterns