This paper takes as its starting point the need to identify current practices when preparing a guide, based on exploratory discussions with authors of guides. The growing number of guides and related materials suggest they are a vehicle to transfer knowledge, assist with launching initiatives, evidence of policy implementation, and a means to take action. Even with such a long history of guides and related materials, missing from these resources are equally important discussions of principles that help authors develop ever more effective guides. Such principles in this paper are called design principles.