Documentation: Written information about a project — how it works, how to set it up, what was decided and how to use it.

Example

After solving a tricky setup issue, you add the fix to the project documentation for the next intern.

Why Documentation matters for IT interns

Reading documentation saves time, and improving it is a useful way to contribute even as a beginner.

Where you will hear it

You will hear this term in the tools and meetings teams use to plan, track, and discuss their work. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.

Related terms

  • Deadline: The date or time by which a piece of work must be finished.
  • Deliverable: A specific output you are expected to produce, such as a feature, report, document or presentation.
  • Dependency: Something your work relies on that you don’t fully control — another team’s API, access, a decision or…
  • Escalation: Raising an issue to someone with more authority or context when it can’t be solved at your level, or when it…
  • Jira: A widely used tool for tracking work items such as stories, tasks and bugs, usually on sprint or Kanban…
  • Knowledge Transfer (KT): Sessions where someone explains a project, system or process to the people who will work on it next.

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Related guides

Frequently asked questions

What is Documentation?

Written information about a project — how it works, how to set it up, what was decided and how to use it.

What is an example of Documentation?

After solving a tricky setup issue, you add the fix to the project documentation for the next intern.

Why does Documentation matter for IT interns?

Reading documentation saves time, and improving it is a useful way to contribute even as a beginner.

Explore more internship terms

The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.

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Dhaivat Ajwaliya

About the author

Dhaivat Ajwaliya

Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.