Single sourceSingle source is closely connected to, but historically different from, the very important idea of content reuse. Content reuse has sometimes been called the "holy grail of content management." We distinguish these two by defining single-source publishing as the same original content published to multiple delivery channels in multiple document formats. Reuse is defined as a content component that is used in multiple documents or multiple places in the same document. There was reuse long before there was multichannel and multiformat publishing. Lori Fisher points out that while reuse is always single source, single source does not necessarily imply reuse. On the other hand, Ann Rockley says that the "technical communications industry refers to the concept of reusing content as single-sourcing." (Rockley, 2003, p. 27.) And Kurt Ament says "Single sourcing is a method for developing re-usable information," which of course it is. (Ament, 2003, p. xiii.)
SGML from the beginning had the idea of a single source of content for multiple output formats. In a patent applied for in 1994, the phrase "single source document" described one source document that could generate multiple output formats (Dodge, et al.) In 1995, Janne Saarela at CERN described SGML this way, "Once data have been stored in electronic form one can derive multiple products from a single source document. For instance, an address list can be turned into a directory on paper, but it can also be put on CDROM , as a data-base allowing interactive or e-mail access on the Internet or to print a series of labels." Pamela Kostur used the term in her talk at the Professional Communication Conference in 1999. She clearly described multichannel publishing. "Writers often have to create documents for different audiences and for different media (e.g. paper, online, help, training). However, timelines and budgets for developing documentation are often tight. That means we have to find more efficient ways to develop documentation. One way is to consider single sourcing information for multiple users and media. While single sourcing takes more up-front planning, it can significantly decrease costs and development times once implemented." The Single-source SIG of the Society of Technical Communication defines single source as "using a single document source to generate multiple types of document outputs; workflows for creating multiple outputs from a document or database source."
Single Sourcing: Building Modular Documentation , by Kurt Ament, William Andrew Publishing, 2003 The Holy Grail of Content Reuse: IBM's DITA XML, Robin Cover, Cover Pages, April 2003 Document production using a common document database D.R. Dodge et al., 1997 Developing single source documentation, by Pamela Kostur, Proceedings IEEE International Professional Communication Conference, 1999. The Impact of Single Sourcing and Technology, by Ann Rockley, Technical Communication Magazine, 2001. Fundamental Concepts of Reuse, Chapter 2 of Enterprise Content, Ann Rockley, New Riders, 2003] Why SGML?. by Janne Saarela, CERN, June 1995.
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