After you identify content that you want to reuse, you must next identify the source topic where the content will be created and maintained. The source topic determines who owns the content and where the topics with the reusable content is stored.

Typically, the writer who is responsible for the deliverable that includes the source topic is also responsible for creating and updating all reusable content in that deliverable. If the source topic is in the Common folder for your project, then the project team should assign an owner for the content.

When you identify the source topic for reusable content, consider the answers to the following questions:

• What type of content is being reused? Will you reuse the entire topic or only one or more content elements in the topic?

• If the content is a whole topic, is it a single topic or multiple topics with a component DITA map?

• What type of topic will include the reused content? Will the content always be in a task topic or will it be in multiple topic types?

• If the content will be in multiple topic types, is there a natural base topic type? For example, the base topic type for user interface elements can be the structure topic for fields and buttons or a common topic that lists the names of dialog boxes and windows.

• What deliverables will include the reused content? Will it be reused across multiple deliverables or in one deliverable?

• If the content is reused across multiple deliverables, is there a natural home for the content? For example, overview topics are typically maintained with the product overview deliverable, and administration tasks are typically included with the administration application deliverable.