Different projects require different kinds of documentation support. Determine the amount and kind of documentation required based on the project size, schedule, and expected lifetime of the system. This book is a software survival guide. You might think of it as the first aid kit you carry in your backpack or car. Just as hospitals are medically better equipped than the back of your car, the universe of other software development resources will provide you with many more survival tools than this short guide presents.
Books Here are some books that provide especially good insights mixed with practical advice.
The Software Engineering Laboratory's Recommended Approach is probably the most practical overview of how to run a software project that I have read. It is intended for use specifically with flight dynamics projects, but many of its recommendations are much more broadly applicable. The book describes entry criteria and exit criteria for each project phase, and gives cogent summaries of the development team, management team, and various tiger team activities within each phase. The SEL's Manager's Handbook is almost as useful as the Recommended Approach . It is shorter, and the guidelines it presents are focused specifically on software project management topics.